Airy sound

[WorldIRC]

That means the reed is too hard or too soft?

[WorldIRC]

BTW. The setup:

La Voz med hard on Vandoren V16 A6 with Rovner Dark Lig -- Play's great. Nice and bright

Vandoren BlueBox 3 on same mpc setup .. great classical sound but way to airy / hard to blow

[vick]

Airy usually means too hard a reed or too soft an embouchre. Of course, some people go for that sound.

[WorldIRC]

So my Vandorens are harder then my La Voz?

[vick]

Reed strength can vary but I have typically found Vandorens to run hard, so it could be they are harder. Also, remember that the two reeds are cut differently, with the Vandoren having a french file cut and the La Voz not. This difference could make one to seem to blow harder than the other, depending on what you're used to.

[WorldIRC]

Ok...does it make sense for an experienced player to use lower the a 3 reed?

[vick]

Many players use softer than a three. The hardness of a reed does not determine the skill of a player. Its all a matter of preference.

[WorldIRC]

I just picked up 2.5's. Much more pleasureable to play :)

[vick]

I'm happy to hear it. You can try some Hemke 3's for a slightly darker sound. They will be harder than your Vandoren 2.5's but softer than the Vandoren 3's, a nice middle ground.

[jaankaden]

personally, i like the fullness i get from hemke reeds. and worldirc, it's perfectly fine for an experienced player, even a professional, to use a reed of strength less than 3. it also depends a fair bit on the opening size of your mouthpiece.

[WorldIRC]

Ok kool. Cuz all I remember is my elementary school only had like 1.5's and 2's when my high school had up to 5's. I have to see if the music store carrys Hemkes. Are they cheaper then Vandoren?

[WorldIRC]

Nevermind. C$9 for a box of 5.