The reason for the flow pack.
Reeds are made out of cane, which is particularly sensitive to changes in humidity. Like a sponge, cane becomes water-logged in very humid environments and, conversely, overly dry in an arid environment. This can cause a reed to warp, with adverse effects on a musical performance.
Because of this, at the beginning of the 21st century Vandoren undertook the mission of optimizing the environment in which a reed is produced. The degree of humidity in the Vandoren factory and warehouse was stabilized 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, at an optimal degree of humidity from 45% to 70% (the degree at which musicians are advised to store their reeds). However, though quality standards can be tightly controlled to maintain the reed in perfect condition until it leaves the factory, transportation and stocking in stores do not necessarily meet the prerequisites for long conservation.
Aware of this situation, Bernard Van Doren and his team invented packaging that guarantees optimal hygrometry from factory to client.
After several years of research, the Flow Pack was created.
Made out of recoverable (in terms of energy recovery) film with a high calorific ratio in incineration, the Flow Pack presents considerable advantages to the musician. Individual packaging guarantees unparalleled hygrometric reed stability at every stage of the process from the Vandoren factory to the musician. Moreover, in countries where reeds are sold individually, the musician is sure of the condition of the reed he is purchasing.
When opening a Vandoren Flow Pack, the instrumentalist finds a “factory fresh” reed, as if it had been chosen in our workshop. The only effect that Flow Pack conditioning has on reeds is to ensure their optimal conservation.
The instrumentalist finds a “factory fresh” reed
This is the first time that such a procedure has been developed. Now, even in the most distant places with dramatically different climates from the factory, or simply if stores are unsure of how best to stock reeds, a musician will always have a “factory fresh” reed. The Flow Pack is only additional protection. When opened, the reed will once again react to its environment. Since with the Flow Pack, each reed is protected individually, new cardboard boxes were designed for each line.
Lastly, confronted with the rise of counterfeiting, the sophistication of this new packaging makes it difficult to imitate.
The Flow Pack is particularly popular with musicians because of the peace of mind it gives them to devote themselves to their music: Vandoren’s motivating passion.
Try as you like
Thanks to the unique packaging of each reed, you can make real "tasting" without buying a whole box: test another force or try another series. And thanks to the sealed package, you can keep your reed as long as you like and test it whenever you want.