[soybean]

Yesterday, a new synthetic reed was announced. Manufactured by D'Addario it is called the VENN reed. Of course we all have our doubts about synthetic reeds but this company has had a lot of success recently in making high-quality saxophone mouthpieces. It also seems like they've spent more time and money in development than other companies. fingers crossed.

https://sbomagazine.com/6856-d-addario-woodwinds-announces-the-debut-of-venn-reeds.html

 

[ZootTheSim]

I'd definitely try one. Haven't yet found a Legere, Forestone, or Fibracell that beats cane, but hope springs eternal. And a d'Addario Select Jazz 7 is fast becoming my go-to HR tenor piece.

Any idea what the price point will be?

 

[10mfan]

I look forward to checking them out.

 

[1saxman]

Yep. Looking forward to trying one.

 

[Dave Pollack]

Can’t wait to get my hands on them

 

[FishyJoe]

 

[LostConn]

Aha! Finally. Actually, they may have been engaged in the R&D when I suggested this a few years ago. Why are Vandoren and D'Addario being so short sighted about synthetic reeds?

The D'Addario VENN sounds like a combination of the Fibracell approach (longitudinal fibers in a matrix) and the Forestone gimmick of adding actual organic materials to the mix (Forestone uses bamboo; D'Addario refers to "real cane elements").

 

[dexdex]

Yesterday, a new synthetic reed was announced. Manufactured by D'Addario it is called the VENN reed. Of course we all have our doubts about synthetic reeds but this company has had a lot of success recently in making high-quality saxophone mouthpieces. It also seems like they've spent more time and money in development than other companies. fingers crossed.

https://sbomagazine.com/6856-d-addario-woodwinds-announces-the-debut-of-venn-reeds.html

We all have our doubts ? Sure. Mine are more about cane than synth reeds ...

 

[Sacks Of Phones]

Aha! Finally. Actually, they may have been engaged in the R&D when I suggested this a few years ago. Why are Vandoren and D"Addario being so short sighted about synthetic reeds?

.

Ah, so this is all your fault..............:mrgreen:

 

[LostConn]

Ah, so this is all your fault..............:mrgreen:

I still think they should have been in the market five years ago, but it's reassuring to know that they recognized the need for this kind of product back when many of their customers were still saying that cane will be enough forever.

I wonder whether this news will affect Vandoren. Or perhaps Vandoren also has been secretly working on a synth reed for years.

 

[Grumps]

And here it was I thought the successor to Rico was making reeds out of guitar strings from the get go...

 

[dexdex]

And here it was I thought the successor to Rico was making reeds out of guitar strings from the get go...

:mrgreen::mrgreen:

 

[soybean]

Any idea what the price point will be?

About the same as the Legere according to the rep I spoke with. I was not able to test the reed at Namm.

They are also introducing two other new products. One is a sax strap with a really nice hook mechanism. The second is a classical tenor mouthpiece.

 

[Guto]

About the same as the Legere according to the rep I spoke with. I was not able to test the reed at Namm.

They are also introducing two other new products. One is a sax strap with a really nice hook mechanism. The second is a classical tenor mouthpiece.

here is their product specialist showing off their 3 new products:

 

[Benny]

‘Real cane elements’- what a crock of ****. Sound like a marketing ploy to convince the cynics that they’re still somehow playing cane. Reminds me of the Buffet Greenline- the worlds most expensive plastic clarinet.
That said, I’m looking forward to trying one

 

[LostConn]

'Real cane elements'- what a crock of ****. Sound like a marketing ploy to convince the cynics that they're still somehow playing cane.

As I mentioned, this is the same technique Forestone uses. As to whether it has any effect, who knows? But I suppose it's not impossible for a piece of resin with cellulose mixed in to vibrate slightly differently than a piece of resin without cellulose.

 

[LateNiteSax]

LOL I'm supposed to be impressed? LMAO. He sounds uncomfortable and his tone is thin and overly buzzy...More "revolutionary space-aged material" lol.
"Crack less altissimo notes" he says. That has very little to do with the reed and more to do with voicing those altissimo notes.

I just wish they would put a stop to the environmentally hostile, massive-carbon-footprint packaging of natural cane reeds.

 

[malteof]

LOL I'm supposed to be impressed? LMAO. He sounds uncomfortable and his tone is thin and overly buzzy...More "revolutionary space-aged material" lol.
"Crack less altissimo notes" he says. That has very little to do with the reed and more to do with voicing those altissimo notes.

I just wish they would put a stop to the environmentally hostile, massive-carbon-footprint packaging of natural cane reeds.

Difficult to assess the tone from that recording IMO. Would be interesting to hear a side by side with cane.

 

[Benny]

LOL I'm supposed to be impressed? LMAO. He sounds uncomfortable and his tone is thin and overly buzzy...More "revolutionary space-aged material" lol.
"Crack less altissimo notes" he says. That has very little to do with the reed and more to do with voicing those altissimo notes.

I just wish they would put a stop to the environmentally hostile, massive-carbon-footprint packaging of natural cane reeds.

You don't think Katisse Buckingham knows how to 'voice' altissimo???
I would say that altissimo response can have a lot to do with the reed.

 

[LostConn]

There are a couple more brief videos available with a little more information about the VENN reeds:

Strangely, the D'Addario website still says nothing about this new reed. D'Addario is certainly a large enough company to understand basic marketing principles. When you officially announce a new product, synchronize your website information and PR outreach to capitalize on immediate consumer interest! It's rather sad that they can't get this right.

In the second of the two videos above, the D'Addario rep claims that the VENN is "a reed that functions very well in both jazz and classical settings." This suggests an all-around, split-the-difference cut like that of the Legere Signature. However, "functions very well" is not the same as optimal. D'Addario, which makes both the Reserve and Select Jazz cane reeds, clearly knows the different between the best profiles for classical and jazz reeds. I suspect that step 1 is just to get a foothold in the synth reed market. If the VENN sells well, D'Addario probably will follow up with more specialized models, as well as offerings for other horns besides the initial three.