"The love squeeze is not based on optical circuits, which, despite their renowned sound quality, have been outlawed by the latest EU regulations banning the use of Cadmium Sulphide. Light-dependent resistors (LDRs) require the use of this chemical and are subsequently prohibited, along with compressors that contain them."

This sentence grabbed my attention in a review of rothwell audio's new compressor pedal. It from Mi pro's review, a trade magazine in the uk.

http://www.mi-pro.co.uk/products/43/FX-Rothwell-Love-Squeeze

Thought it might be of interest to lots of the people on here.

Thanks, it interesting how these rules start to affect seemingly trivial and widespread devices and applications.

I wonder what they are going to use in those cheap light detection circuits on outdoor lighting and night lamps.  The LDR makes those things very simple (mind you on occasion the wide LDR tolerance can cause those devices to fail.)

did a bit more searching -

35. Cadmium in photoresistors for optocouplers applied in professional audio
equipment until 31st December 2009.

We still have a few months, Ive always wanted to build an uglyface, I better get ordering.

Quote from: George Giblet on September 07, 2009, 09:26:45 AM
Thanks, it interesting how these rules start to affect seemingly trivial and widespread devices and applications.

One quip of Heinlein's I remember is that "In a mature society, civil servant is semantically equivalent to civil master."

The plausible excuse of some oncoming disaster is a great way to get people to stand still for whatever you want to force them to do.

I used to work in a very large music shop in Dublin. We had to enforce an EU regulation that said every electronic item should have a little "dont throw this in the bin recycle it" sticker.



We spent weeks putting them on Guitars worth thousands,I dont feel it was a waste of time. I learned a valuable lesson and I will never throw A Les Paul Custom in the bin again.

There is also alot of hassle for people who repair and build pipe organs in the EU now. Lead is essential in their construction and is now prohibited. Im not sure how or if this has been resolved but it affected the restoration of a pipe organ local to me that dates back to the 1700's.

rant over.

The cadmium ban already put paid to a wide tract of the best traditional b&w photographic papers- frequently replaced by much more environmentally friendly    inkjet printers.  Tighter controls have been introduced on most other photographic chemistry.  Assuming processes have completed correctly, much of the ouput would already be pretty well neutralised and outfits big enough to make an impact probably already reclaimed the silver from their grey water.

On the one hand, my concerned self applauds the fact that largescale industries aren't dumping heavy metals all over the water table anymore (in our backyard), but on the other I'm sad to see some loveley papers and processes go.  In theory, the EU usually relax the application of such rules on hobbyists, but in practice if the big guys can't use it anymore, it just gets discontinued, and may not be replaced with anything you can use without a major re-think.  All the while pollution continues, just with different materials that may be just as harmful when set loose in a refined state but haven't been 'controlled' yet, so from a certain point of view I could be said to have made my concessions for no advantage ( I know this is a circular argument)

If I was expecting to want LDR's or anything much else needing cadmium I'd probably begin collecting a supply while I could...

All the cadmium, uranium, and lead will still be available in the form of warplanes, missles, and bombs. So there's nothing to worry about.

Is the Love Squeeze a modified OS?

If you classify your pedals for military use you'll be fine

Quote from: alanlan on September 07, 2009, 08:04:46 PM
If you classify your pedals for military use you'll be fine

I've made some fuzzes so awful, that's not really such a bad idea...

On the whole, I think it's a good thing to do what you can to help the state of the planet as a whole, but it can be a pain at times.

Until we elect Stephen Byerley there'll always be conflict over how best to get things done though!

Do like the idea of military fuzz boxes ^_^

This is a joke ?

Quote from: frank_p on September 07, 2009, 09:55:40 PM
This is a joke ?

On the contrary, it's serious as a heart attack.

Governments have discovered that they can get away with marking off whole classes of goods, materials, and actions because it ...might... cause some harm.

Think about this when you next try to buy an incandescent light bulb, because you don't want to endanger the environment by buying fluorescent bulbs which all contain mercury.

Quote from: R.G. on September 07, 2009, 10:30:40 PM

Quote from: frank_p on September 07, 2009, 09:55:40 PM
This is a joke ?

On the contrary, it's serious as a heart attack.

Governments have discovered that they can get away with marking off whole classes of goods, materials, and actions because it ...might... cause some harm.

Think about this when you next try to buy an incandescent light bulb, because you don't want to endanger the environment by buying fluorescent bulbs which all contain mercury.

QuoteIf you classify your pedals for military use you'll be fine

I've made some fuzzes so awful, that's not really such a bad idea...

When you are out of bullets you can throw a 1599 pedal at your enemies head...

Time to buy some LDRs before they are banned here too.

mac

Quotewhatever you want to force them to do.

It's an evil world!


Check this out,  it seems the issue is on the hot plate,

http://www1.silonex.com/announcements/Marshall_support_letter_01_08_07A.pdf

and

http://74.125.153.132/search?q=cache:N0XHxd-qTEcJ:https://dev.buyusa.gov:8443/europeanunion/rohs_exemption_status_tracker.doc+cadmium+sulphide+banned&cd=10&hl=en&ct=clnk

Meanwhile...
Coal.


Gee, thanks.

Quote from: connie_c on September 07, 2009, 10:48:14 AM
(CUT) I will never throw A Les Paul Custom in the bin again.(/CUT)

This make me think about the time I flew to NY to meet my soon to be GF...We were walking down the Village, and I saw a Fender amp near the bin!!! DAMN!!! I wanted so bad to take it, even if it was broken I could have done something with it...But How the hell could I take it on the plane back to Rome?! GRRRRR

Well, if LDRs are banned in Europe then I guess we'll start ordering them from US...

Most reputable company's in the U.S. wont want to be complicit in that kind of thing. Importation of a banned substance and so on. For Instance stew mac wont ship certain types of paint to the EU for these reasons. Maybe ebay,the far east etc.

One way or another I would guess that their price will go way up.