 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: moolatte
Date: 2011-07-17 21:57
I asked my parents to buy me a refill pack for my reeds, but they were griping at me saying that silica gel packets did the same thing.
Um... Wasn't the purpose of silica gel packets to suck up water?
They honestly didn't want to buy some revitalizer packs for me, but they were like "whatever".
Would silica gel packets really work the same way?
My first pack died last month, and I'm just now getting around to ordering a new pack. Let me tell you, I love how they're humidity controlled now. My reeds never got warped (Until my humidifier pack started dying. lol)
Post Edited (2011-07-17 22:05)
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Author: ThatPerfectReed
Date: 2011-07-18 01:25
moolatte:
Trying synthetic reeds is a very personal thing....though if you do, Legere and Forestone seem to be the preferred brands from that which I can gather on posts to this board.
Personally, I'll probably never give up wood reeds, and yet I'm glad synthetics came around: especially for practice.
I say this of course because such reeds aren't affected (as much) by weather. Living with your folks, it sounds like you might be at a younger stage in your playing where trying new things might interest you--particular in summer's humidty.
This of course is not to disagree with the efficacy Dave points out above of humidity controls for wood reeds, given you continued ties to Arundo Donax .
Best in clarineting.
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Author: moolatte
Date: 2011-07-18 03:32
>where trying new things might interest you--particular in summer's humidty.
Here in Texas, we're under several burn bans and whatnot due to insufficient rain. If anything, the humidity is too low. I'll look into a synthetic reed, especially for marching season since I'm the ONLY person in my band who takes a reed outside, and play for that matter. Reeds are particularly an expense that are a financial burden on me right now, and taking them outside is just a bad idea in general.
But by synthetic, do you mean plastic? That's what comes to mind for me.
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Author: moolatte
Date: 2011-07-18 03:40
IIRC, there's a synthetic Legiere down at my local music store. I could buy it with my own money. It's just that the Reed Vitalizer pack, I have to order it online using my parents' credit card, simply because the music store here is mainly focused on acoustic instruments and sound systems. There's only a small section for wind instruments, like 1/5th of the entire store.
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Author: TianL
Date: 2011-07-18 04:01
The revitalizer pack maintains the humidity level, i.e. it can draws water in or puts it out.
The packs come with three different humidity levels, and the highest on according to Rico, will give the reed read-to-play humidity.
One thing you can do is to store your reed in the zip-lock bags and close the bag all the time, except when you are taking the reed in or out of the bag. This way your pack will last A LOT longer.
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Author: ThatPerfectReed
Date: 2011-07-18 04:37
moolatte:
only for the purposes of answering your question as tersely as possible, b/c if you're more interested, a plethora of info is available on the board via the search key on all things Legere and Forestone...
I believe Legere to be shaped by machine, and made of a proprietary polymer compound, that to the look and touch, resembles plastic, although it has properties, like cane, in being less dense that (i.e. floats in) water.
legere.com
The reeds come in several varieties. And while by no means do I suggest doing anything behind your parents back, many internet vendors will take forms of payment like Postal money orders instead of credit cards if that's an issue for you.
Forestone reeds on the other hand (http://www.forestone-japan.com/) are an injected mold resin comprised of cellulose fiber, more than 1/2 of which from bamboo.
All this said, I own the aforementioned Rico Product and am glad I have it as one of my tools to keep reeds in a more stable environment.
And while I think that 1 of 3 things should always and only be touching your playing reed: your mouth, your mouthpiece cover or your reed holder , Dave is right. Smash the synthetic and there goes the same money that might buy you a box of cane reeds.
Good luck with playing. Good luck with approving parents.
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Author: gwie
Date: 2011-07-18 05:49
I started using the Rico reed envelope thing after Justin O'Dell showed them to me...it makes a lot of sense where he is (Michigan) given the relatively huge differences in humidity indoors/outdoors there.
I actually find it shortens the time it takes to get my reeds "going" when I play, so for very little money it saves me some time. These days, time is very valuable, so I find Rico's product very good!
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Author: BobD
Date: 2011-07-18 11:52
Just soak the reed in a vial of water before playing......
Bob Draznik
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Author: DavidBlumberg
Date: 2011-07-18 13:39
There's a video on Rico about how it preps the reed, etc, etc, - I find that it keeps the reed stable, and helps greatly to keep the reed from warping.
Nothing more, nothing less, but a great asset.
Also Ed's suggestion of only ever wetting the top 1/2 of the reed helps.
I never get warped reeds. If you play, or at least wet the reed daily, it will stay quite stable.
http://www.SkypeClarinetLessons.com
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Author: TianL
Date: 2011-07-18 13:49
David, nowadays the highest is actually 84%, see the website:
http://store.daddario.com/category/146386/Reed_Vitalizer
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Author: LJBraaten
Date: 2011-07-18 14:13
TianL wrote:
>One thing you can do is to store your reed in the zip-lock bags and close the
>bag all the time, except when you are taking the reed in or out of the bag.
>This way your pack will last A LOT longer.
Please clarify this. If you mean sealing a wet, recently played reed, wouldn't this promote mold or other nasties? Personally, I am now leaving my reeds out to dry overnight before returning them to my clarinet case. (The humidity here is around 60%).
LJ
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Author: salzo
Date: 2011-07-18 14:41
Personally, I find the Rico packs better at providing humidity than absorbing it.
During dry periods, I find it very effective. During humid periods, I find it does not bring the humidity lower. I keep a hygrometer in my reed bag, and with the 58% packs, the hygrometer can go as high as 70% during humid periods. Ill check it after leaving it overnight, and it still reads very high.
I prefer to dry my reeds a bit, and then wet them to play. The higher packs make the reeds much too soggy for my liking. And having reeds sit in a bag at 70% is way to wet.
During really humid periods, I leave the reed out in my case, and take them out and put them in a closet that is between 10 and 15% lower in humidity than the rest of my house.
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Author: TianL
Date: 2011-07-18 15:50
LJBraaten,
Well, all I was saying is that IF one wants to be able to use the pack for a longer period of time, this is a solution. (I was not saying that it may or may not cause molds, but just a way to use the packs)
The 84% and 73% packs may cause the mold.. I'm not sure. But IF one decides to use it, then his purpose IS to have THAT level of humidity level, right? (regardless of having it in the zip-loc bags or not). So what I was saying is that if that's your purpose, then the zip-loc bags will help in making the packs last longer.
I've personally used the 58% packs in zip-loc bags to store reeds in a reed case, and the reeds were fine -- no mold. I've had reeds in about 70% humidity level (not with the Rico packs, but in a different manner), and the reeds were also fine.
By the way, I think you are fine for leaving the reeds out if the humidity is 60%, but if it's lower, like 40%, then doing so will make the reeds more prone to warp.. because the reeds will have to experience more drastic changes in humidity level (from like 90% right after you play it, to 35% outside, then 90% again when you play it, etc.) So in the colder days when the humidity is low, I would recommend using some kinda humidity control method.
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Author: TianL
Date: 2011-07-18 15:56
Also, David, for the warp issue, I believe the bottom half of the reeds don't warp following these advices, but the top half still do.. because they get wet. Try it next time, after you play the reeds for 30 minutes, put it flat down on glass, and touch each edge, you will see the reeds will rock from side to side.
If you only let the bottom part of the reed touch the glass, the the reed will not rock from side to side.
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Author: Ed Palanker
Date: 2011-07-19 21:01
My vitalizer replacement packs last me at least a year and most of the time much more than that. The reason is that I keep them in an air tight freezer bag and I never leave it opened to the air, I mean just about never. I take the reed out of the bag and close the bag, put my reed back and close it, it never stays open for more than just a few seconds so it never has a chance to "dry" out. They last a long time that way. The best way to get it to dry out, let it sit in the air for a while, it will dry out in a month, or less if you do it too often and the air is dry like in the winter. ESP eddiesclarinet.com
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Author: DavidBlumberg
Date: 2011-07-19 21:10
More like a couple of days it will get bone dry if left out.
The packs that come free with the reeds (30 some %) - do not use them under any circumstance. They are much too low humidity to use period - only for shipping, never for playing even in the wettest environment.
http://www.SkypeClarinetLessons.com
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Author: Ed Palanker
Date: 2011-07-20 21:14
Well David, all I can say is that mine last a long, long time by always keeping them, and the reeds, in the sealed bag and never let either sit out in the air for more then a minute or two tops. My packs and my reeds last a heck of a long time. ESP
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Author: Connor
Date: 2011-07-22 04:21
Rico's 58-73% revitalizers can be reconstituted once they have "dried" out. After they become hard, place them in a ziplock bag next to a moist paper towel with salt folded in the middle and let it sit sealed for 2-3 days. The famed 2-way humidity system of the revitalizers will absorb the excess humility and become functional again.
MM. Clarinet Performance University of Texas at Austin (2012).
BM. Clarinet Performance University of Northern Colorado (2010).
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Author: luca1
Date: 2011-07-22 05:04
I've never been accused of "excess humility"
... just sweaty armpits.
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Author: Ed Palanker
Date: 2011-07-22 21:18
Connor is right about that but they don't last very long after that and are just not as effective. I think once they dry out they loose something. The best way to save them is what I suggested, don't allow them to ever dry out in the air, especially if the air is dry, like in the winter. As I've said, mine last well over a year each. ESP
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