Vandoren VK1 Synthetic Clarinet Reed

The reed is pretty good... basic advantage is simplify of use. The 40 I got was a bit too soft, so shifted to a 45 my teacher had. Softness tended towards flat tone...hard to control.

Really good reed in general but I find it a bit difficult to play some of the notes in the altissimo register but other than that it is a very solid reed.

Getting the kit is the way to go! You can try them all! Thank you!

The Vandoren VK1 reeds are working wonderfully well. The Vandoren Website comparison chart is really crummy, however. When I used cane, I played Rue Lepic 3.5, so I tried a 50. About killed me! The 45s worked okay, but still quite hard. The 40s work for pretty much everything I play. To be honest though - wouldn't play the Copland on a 40, I would have to suffer with a 45. I really need a 41.5!

Rating this reed by stars is tough. They're good reeds, but not great...for me. I play Rue Lepic 56, 3.5 (ATG adjusted down to probably 3.25). So I bought Vandoren's suggested strength from their chart at a 45… too hard to play comfortably. Then 40… still too hard. Next a 35? Haven't decided if I will spend the extra $ yet to find the right strength. And no Legere exchange policy. They sound okay but not as good as my RL56's. I would use them for practice, but not for concerts.

The Vandoren VK-1 reed is one of the best synthetic reeds available to clarinets today. But, like all products, there is the good, the bad, and the ugly. First the good: The VK-1 upholds Vandoren's excellence in reeds, and is a premium product. Although synthetic, the reed is of excellent quality, and responds in a similar manner to traditional cane reeds. These reeds will also give months of use to all players.



Second, the bad: Unlike Legere reeds to which they are often compared, the packaging of the VK-1s are subpar. The reed is place in a plastic reed holder, which is then placed in a paper box. There is no real protective case provided--not even the traditional Vandoren plastic reed protector used for cane reeds compared to Legere reeds which come with a protective case.



Finally, the ugly: Compared to other synthetic reeds, such as Legere, there is a price premium for VK-1 reeds. For some, this premium may be an impediment to even try the VK-1 reeds. However, VK-1s are premium reeds, perform as well or better than expected, and are definitely worth considering when considering the switch to synthetic reeds.

Earspasm delivered the product as advertised and promised. I will use this business again although I am disappointed with the Van Doren synthetic reed.

Taking in Account my handicap on one hand / finger combined with the very slick backside of the reed makes it very difficult to center it on the mouthpiece.

I did not get enough time to find the perfect position for the best tone quality, but have hope for good results later on.

Julius

Has anyone tried softening a synthetic reed by placing the tip in boiling

water ?

Soooo....your description on stiffness was pretty accurate but it definitely plays different than cane (v21 my usual) or Legere.It feels like it has a more focused air tunnel? I don't know how else to describe it. And the high notes need more mouthpiece. I feel like the meaty wood tones are not there. The Legere, to me plays and sounds more like a cane reed. But, when playing outside and interrupted practice times it's great.

Good product, just a tad hard for me.

I really like the reed. It's a 45 and it is very consistent. It does take a few hours to break in, though.

I really liked te #40 but it's a little harder than I'm used to. I think I'd like to try a #35. I will be ordering another soon.

Jerry

Quick service on my purchase. The VK1 reed seems to have better overall tone for me than Legere reeds, but the 40 strength may be too hard for me. I ordered a 35 from another retailer since you have been out of them.

I primarily play bass clarinet and double occasionally on Bb for non-classical sorts of things. The VK-1 enables me to have a a quick way to pick up the soprano without having to worry about breaking in a cane reed. It is not quite the same sound as I get from cane, but it is much better than other plastic reeds. I like the "big" sound that I get with the 45 strength, kind of like my bass. In short, it meets my requirements.

Selmer Privilege -- Fobes CWF|Backun G2

Very interesting reed. Big and bold, especially on a more open mouthpiece. When on a more closed piece, the sound is too bright. Will use for jazz/dixieland/concert band.

-Better than previous plastic reed products I've tried.

-Instantly playable without reed conditioning efforts (of course)

-Stable and responsive with attractive tone, especially for lower register

-Assumed longevity to offset high cost

-Easily achievable high notes, especially going up the scales

-Slight undesirable odor and taste perhaps from plasticizer chemical(s)?

-Zero moisture absorbency which feels unfamiliar after cane reeds, with moisture collecting and dripping off reed

-Slight untrimmed molding edge frill at end of reed

-Reed strength seems softer than manufacturer suggests (with a "35" feeling much softer than a 3.5 or even a 2.5 cane reed)

The corresponding strength chart on the Earspasm website seemed to be accurate for me. My first impression is that the VK1 responds very well without going flat in the upper register. People who play on Legere reeds should try the VK1 reed.

Service and delivery were perfect - and I am talking about delivering to Europe!

Sadly, the new Vandoren VK1 reeds did not meet by - admittedly high - expectations. To me, they did feel like cane reeds, but unfortunately like the bad ones in a pack of 10 rather than the good ones. Although I chose the presumably light 40 and 45 they felt very heavy on my mouthpiece and were uncomfortable to play. So, I'll stick with Legere European Cut reads for the time being.

The Vandoren VK1 reed answers many of the questions surrounding synthetic reeds. It has good mouth feel, response is even throughout most of the range. I still have a few questions about the very highest tessitura, but hopefully, once stock arrives, I can move one size higher and then I can really try pushing the altissimo register. These really are very fine reeds.

It's ok. I could see using on a gig where the clarinet is a double and not played a lot. Then you don't have to worry about how a cane reed will respond.

I'm an amateur playing clarinet again late in life, and I have tried literally every brand of synthetic reed and these are the GOAT!! are usually play 3 1/2 in the blue box and I tried a 45 that is slightly too soft and a 50 that is slightly too hard so I need a 47.5 if I want to be Goldilocks but both are playable and they sound great, I'm so glad I could grab some before they went out of stock

The reed came very fast for how far it had to be shipped. I would say the 40 is still a bit too hard for my liking but I'll probably end up ordering a 35 one at some point.

The reed is definitely the best from any other plastic reed I‘ve tried. But I‘m not totally happy with it. I have issues with the dynamics: as soon as it's gets louder, the reed gives up and starts buzzing. The strength is good, I've been using a 35 and a 40.
Thanks!

The VK1 40 plays more easily and sounds better than the Légère reeds that I have been using, in my opinion. I am enjoying trying it out.

I am an amateur clarinet player and an enthusiastic recent convert to the Vandoren VK1 35 synthetic reed (thank you Mike from Earspasm). I have been moving between a cane reed (56 Rue Lepic 2/12 - 3) with a Vandoren M30 mouthpiece and a synthetic reed (Legere European Cut 2.75 - 3) on a Bakun Vocalise G mouthpiece and have been satisfied overall. The Vandoren reed exceeded my expectations: it blows freely on all of the mouthpieces I tried it on and the sound is clear and in tune top to bottom. I find that articulations are clear with a quick reed response. It feels like cane when playing (which other synthetics do not). Once I have had more play time with the VK1, I will likely find the sweet spot set-up with a particular mouthpiece and move forward with it. Most importantly, I love the overall sound and can't wait to try it with other clarinets in a band session to see how it blends. If these reeds are as durable as the Legere, they are an absolute bargain. My only question would be - when can I get a Vandoren synthetic reed for my bass and alto clarinets?

First class service (really quick postage to the UK) and the video was incredibly helpful in selecting the right strengths. Great stuff Mike!

I decided to try the VK1s and my experience has been great! I love the consistency and knowing that when I use it today it will pretty much play the same as it did yesterday.

Very good, however there might be some slight quality control issues because my vk1 had some strings coming off the left that I noticed a few minutes into playing; it didn't effect the playing very much but was annoying. Over all a very nice synthetic reed, actually outcompeting my cane reedsI had kept in my case

Very well done, thanks so much for doing this video! I assume that they don't yet have a bass clarinet version since you were playing soprano. What stood out to me was that you both seemed to have to work just a *bit* harder when playing the cane reeds. One thing, though, that you didn't address and may be the most important question with a synthetic reed - how long do they last? While you probably haven't had enough playing time to tell, given the price it's a pretty important factor.