The NEW D'Addario VENN Synthetic Reed - Is it Any Good?
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- Опубликовано: 15 июл 2024
- Jim tries the new D'Addario VENN GEN II and investigates how it compares against a cane and a Legere reed!
Buy the VENN reed - sax.co.uk/collections/daddari...
⏰Timestamps ⏰
0:00 What is the VENN reed?
2:23 Why consider a synthetic reed?
3:56 Sound comparisons - VENN / Cane / Legere
7:20 Sound overview
11:39 VENN reed observations
17:04 Final thoughts
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Видеоклипы
For me as an enthusiast hobbyist, synthetics let me devote all my time to playing rather than messing with cane. I like Legere a lot but I may try these.
When I first switched to Legere, I had to keep moving to a harder strength every couple months til I got to where I need it.
I thoroughly enjoyed your MASTERclass!
Especially the part about the net opening value when attaching the synthetic reed to the mouthpiece. Keep up the good work. Cheers!
I’m loving my Venn!! First composite reed I’ve ever played that I’m excited about. Agree re strengths - the 3 is well hard, phew! Busted my neck on that thing (although altissimo is insane), but like you the 2.5 was perfect. I’d like a middle between 2.5 and 3+ though.
Ha ha, yes the 3 is quite a fierce blow!
I also wish they would make quarter strength iterations, the difference between a 2 and 2.5 is a bit too much.
I love these reeds. I find that this reed is the happy medium between the other two synthetic reeds I’ve been playing, the Legere and the BARI. My experience with reed strength was the same as yours, I started out trying a 3+ and it was too difficult to play, but the 2.5 is just about perfect. I’m using it on both alto & tenor. Now they just need to roll out soprano reeds.
I've used Fibracells in the past, and they tended to splinter across the tip edge. I've been using a Bari (brand) plastic reed on my alto for over two decades- the same exact reed- and it still sounds great. The biggest problem I had with them was the inability to "fine tune" the edge thickness like you can with a real cane reed, so you lose a bit of the response in super high or low notes. Overall though, not having to worry about correct moisture or freshness is a fantastic tradeoff.
Fantastic Reeds!!!
Great video Jim, i use fiberreed classic carbon, hemp and carbon copper all 3 have different tonal qualities which i use on my Yamaha 82Z black nickel tenor with a Theo Wayne shiva destroyer mpc 8 in a loud soft rock style band , i find them to play great , consistent and last for a lot of hours play , their easy to adjust with a reed geek or sandpaper too , I’ve tried all other synthetic reeds but don’t get the tone i seek
After listening to this video I’ll definitely try the Venn reed as it did seem to retain that cane sound that we seek throughout the register
Thanks again for this video its very much appreciated
Many thanks for this!
For me the best synthetic reed ever.. 👍🍃
Glad you like it!
I normally play a 2.5 on American cut tenor. I ordered the 2.5 and 2.0 on the venn hope I love them!
Havent tried Venn yet but of all Legers I prefer Classic on both tenor and alto. Gives me exactly the sound I want. Legere French cut is out, Im ordering these soon to try.
I'd really like to hear a demonstration on stage with other live instruments, both acoustic and electric over a PA system; I find this is the true litmus test. I've never tried the Venn reeds but I have tried the Legeres and found a remarkable difference between playing a cane reed and a synthetic reed. I know how much I can push a cane reed, but when I try to do that on stage, I usually find myself overblowing the synthetic because they don't hold up to serious air pressure.
The tenor Venn sounds great. Sadly no soprano yet, I’ve heard they had more trouble with ithe Gen 1 than the other sax ones. Re Legere, I changed to them from cane for a couple of years after a great first buy of 3 perfect reeds. Since then I have found that they are not as consistent as Legere claims. Some are perfect, others a bit stuffy. I have now changed back to cane, mainly D’Addario select jazz and Boston sax shop. Better tone with more character, at least for me.
Thanks Jim, though you make such a compelling case for the consistent characteristics of synthetic as opposed to cane reeds that I’m not sure why you’re still playing cane at all! I agree with you about the intrusive harsh buzz with the Légère American Cut, which is why I’ve been sticking with their Signature Cut. But I do find that these tend to bend upwards over time, like your cane reeds, narrowing the gap to the mouthpiece tip and thus constricting the sound somewhat. I’ll try the Venn and see how long that stays straight.
Sounds good I would love to check them out. I wonder when they will make a Bari reed
It will only be a matter of time!
Now do a demo with a terrible player so I know what it'll sound like when I play
So the Venn reed almost checked all the boxes for me save for one major issue. The reed, as pointed out in this video, has the effect of enlarging my tip opening on my .081 alto mouthpiece. It feels like a .085 or greater and has way too much resistance. I am playing a 2(lowest strength available) so I have no down sizing option. Additionally I find the sizing charts still off IMO, they are stiffer by at least .5 than advertised. I do not agree that the difference in the tip opening as described here is a function of a cane reed naturally narrowing as it’s being broken in. That may happen to some degree but when compared to a Legere the Venn still has a wider tip opening
This is a great review and the Venn reed has an excellent sound however, D Addario needs to improve the design to accommodate those of us who are playing a 2.5 sized reed as the Venn marked at a 2.0 really plays like a 3
Just ordered a number 2 tenor. I’ve been using legere because I’m returning to sax after a long break and I just want something that’s consistent so that I can measure my progress more fairly.
I liked the legere on my alto but on tenor I got a strength too light and now the sound is bright and buzzy (perhaps a quality of the reed itself).
Let me know if you guys are curious to how the Venn is.
Strength 2 will be the one for you if you've had time off from the sax
I sure like the sound you get on that BetterSax alto! Just goes to show that with great fundamental playing you can sound fantastic even on a budget, entry-level horn! Probably pretty close to the response of your Yani pro alto, right? (BTW - my choice is still the American Cut 2.5 Legere reeds on my Yani AWO10…no cane reeds the past four years!)
I currently use the Legere 2.25. That particular reed works great for me. I can't seem to find a 2.25 in any other reed. They go from 1, 1.5, 2, 2.5, 3, 3.5 etc. When I step up to a 2.5 in either cane
or synthetic, it just doesn't work for me. I have only been playing for 2 yrs and only had 8 lessons. I have a Yanagisawa TW02 tenor sax. I use a Vandoren TL3 tenor mouthpiece.
would have loved to see the Legere Signature included. The American is a razor edge.
When I bye a new reed, how can I be sure I get the generation 2. I have bought som some months ago, but I prefere Legere, but not sure what generation I have.
On tenor the Venn sound is preferable to the Legere. Listening back and forth to compare, I still prefer the cane reed.
what mouthpiece were you using?
what mouthpiece are you using on the tenor sax
Have you or anybody tried the Venn reed with the Select Jazz Mouthpiece? Any comments?
How does the strength compare to the legere reed? What strength were you using on the American Cut? And how would the strength vary with a Signature? If I use a Signature 2.5 which would be best to go for?
If it helps, there is a strength chart on our product listing. I was using Am Cut 2.5 for both alto and tenor. In theory this is equivalent to Venn str. 2! And Signature 2.5 is supposedly the same as Venn str. 2
A good cane reed still has the fullest sound and the best flexibility, but maybe I'll consider this new Venn reed for playing outside in cold weather. The Legere's sound has never convinced me.
I think this comparison should be done with signature instead of american cut which is a lot brighter than signature
11:39 Because synthetic reeds don't curve like cane reeds, you may need to get a mouthpiece with a smaller tip opening. Big openings like a #9 or .130" can have such a large gap on the sides that part of your lip can get caught in it causing pain and bleeding. 😖
I had a completely different experience with these reeds, they were really unresponsive and felt like plastic.. Maybe I'll try again with a softer number.
Let me first comment - choosing a reed is a personal preference. What works for one person, doesn't necessarily work or another.
After a long time playing 3 strength reeds on a narrow tip Selmer mouthpiece, I got a new wider tip opening mouthpiece around 6 or 7 months ago, and moved to a 2.5 cane reed. Then I moved to a 2.25 Legere American cut reed and while it is a wee bit on the soft side, it's just fantastic So I'm already in a "change" as it were when I tried the new Venn reeds for both clarinet and tenor sax, and I had high hopes based upon my Legere experience. Based upon the Venn strength comparison charts, I purchased the Venn 2.0 strength for both clarinet and sax. To be honest, both are harder reeds than the Legere 2.25, and I'd say the Venn are slightly harder than the Legere 2.5 American cut reed. Because, then, the Venn reeds are so hard (again for me on my newer wider tip-opening mouthpiece), I can't say I'm getting a great sound from either clarinet or sax on the Venn.
Even on a narrow tip opening clarinet mouthpiece, I'm not convinced by the sound on the Venn. Again this is just my experience and you could be different, esp if you are used to playing with say a 3.5 reed normally. So in summary, for me the jury is still out on the new Venn reeds.
If you want a great Reed that will last long amounts of time and doesn't cost $30 per Reed, may I suggest Rico Plasticover reeds, as I have been using them the last 25 years, and they have never let me down!! It's not totally synthetic but whatever Rico did in creating the Plasticover reeds for woodwind instruments as a whole!! Have played fibracell 40 years ago but it lacked the strength necessary to make the sax sound intimate or provocative!! Thus, my reason for staying with Plasticover because their reeds are always consistent and they play so easily once they get broke in!! After that, depending on how hard you play consistently, they will last you anywhere from 6 to 9 months or maybe longer!!!
I bought a Venn for my tenor the other day, no clue if mine was a defect but it was splintered absolutely everywhere and the sound was atrocious. I might be willing to give it another go but quite honestly the Legere American Cut put the Venn in the dust.
Hi Michael, that's very unusual. Assuming you bought it from us, can we invite you to contact help@sax.co.uk and we will arrange a replacement reed for you.
Thanks Jim, I prefer the natural cane although the Venn sounds better than the legere.
Thanks for your comment
The Legérè signature would be a better comparison.
Will you be switching to the venn reed? How does this reed work for classical? How do I know if I'm getting the new venn reed and not the old one?
You will certainly be getting the new Venn reed. Gen 1 reeds are long in the past. I think they will work very well for classical, as they have such a natural warmth, and you can move up the hardness scale a little more (assuming you have a smaller tipped mouthpiece). As for whether I will personally move to one (Jim here) the jury is out. I need to have more time on one, and in gig situations etc!
Is it only me in the whole world if saxplayers that play on really soft reeds? (I’m currently on D’addario Select Jazz 2 Soft.) The reason asking is that when I tried Legere’ American cut I even found that 2,00 was too hard and had to go down to 1,75. That was ok. but I agree with Jim that there is something missing in the sound.. so I prefer the cane so far. Brings me to think that I would prefer a 1,5 of the VENN if wanted to try them out. And they don’t make ‘‘em that soft!! Same when I was trying SYOS new Arcane reeds. I bought a packet of nr.2 but they where too hard! And they don’t make 1,5 either… I found that I m kind of a odd saxophonist playing these soft reeds. Most people are on 2,5-3 right? I’m on a 0,112 opening mouthpiece with a medium rollover baffle. That would be somewhere between 8 and 8* opening. Ok. I know it’s quite a big opening. Do I have go down in opening in order to be able to try out these new type of reeds?
Really nice thoughtful lowkey presentation minus hype thanks for that. Working on reeds with my equipment it hits me right at my own hands on moment. My thought is, can I buy the reed that is what I'm trying to make a box of reeds become? Oops, for my clarinet so ... One of the vid channels I have watched said for the first few min. drying he puts the reed turned up on a flat surface as wood tends to dry away from any surface. The period is just for the tip area to dry then storage as per. (quickstartclarinet)
on tenor venn sounded better than cane. would like to see a classical player though.
I thought Legere sounded pretty good. usually more edgy than cane. both the plastic feel and no moisture makes it less satisfying than cane. Does Venn allow absorbing of moisture?
No, it doesn't absorb moisture.
@@zachlimb2871 ty
I got hyped for the first one to come out. It was weird. It sounded so muffled and fuzzy. I peeled a layer of plastic off the back of the reed, then the sound opened up and wasn't too bad. But apparently, that's not supposed to come off? ..so I gave up on it and D'Addario never sent me my replacement. It was garbage anyway. They should be ashamed they put that out on the market.
I tried a Venn and it did not work for me very hard and split on the tip. Total waste of money. I thought they were supposed to last long.
I'm a relative beginner, used to Boston Shop 2.0 and Legere American Cut 1.75 reeds. I find the Venn horribly stiff and hard, much stiffer than its nominal 2.0 rating. It's nastily slippery in the mouth and although I can find tone I like in the Venn, it's very hard work and no fun at all. By all means peddle it to experienced players but be careful how you sell this product to the less experienced.
Does it still have tape on the back? The first one was incredibly flawed. Hoping for the best.
No more tape
what was the deal with that tape? I peeled it off and the sound improved. Not great, but not as awful.
@@joeblankenship377 the material was flawed and it would frey and the fibers got in your mouth. The "fix" was the tape.
I am actually allergic to this reed, each time I use it I get a sore and swollen lip, possibly caused by the resin making it unusable
At least one other reviewer has said that they are *not* completely consistent, and that, like cane reeds, you get hits and misses. Until that's clarified I won't be jumping in - it's a pain throwing away £3 reeds but nothing compared to £30 reeds!
😃✌👏👏
I bought Venn reed after watching this video and I totally regret it. Nothing comes even close to real cane reeds.
3:56
They sound good , but after 3 month its dead. That’s very disappointing for this high price
Had a first gen Venn, they even sent me free Venns but they never made it for me. Had a 2.75 Legere signature that sat on a shelf for years, but I started to play it and like it. Bought an American cut but it was too buzzy and even though they say strength is the same it did not have the backbone of the signature. Altissimo suffered. Bought another 2.75 signature and it plays good. Still have canes and play them too. I'll maybe have to give these another shot. Strength may be an issue as 3 may be too hard and 2.5 too weak from what others are saying. Thanks for the review.🎷
Cane for me, still not ready for an artificial sax sound.
very expensive and never guaranteed if it works. Banbu's equal to 5, 2, or 3 are good, the rest have to be repaired
Tried several of these and they were uniformly awful. Dull tone , not responsive. Waste of money. Conversely American Cut Legere I found to be bright and responsive though a bit buzzy until broken in a week or so.
Reed particles… that sounds like such bullshit smh
Bad !!!
Don't like them. Stuffy sounding.