Years ago, I tried a synthetic reed on my alto and very quickly decided it wasn't for me. It was too buzzy and it quickly got relegated to my back pocket at gigs as a backup in case I had a reed split on me mid-performance. Since then, I've always held the opinion that synthetic reeds aren't for me, until a band mate of mine persuaded me to try one of these. I can confirm the technology has clearly come a long way as the Legere Reed I bought for my baritone is really lovely to play and feels much more similar to a natural reed, but also feels more sturdy - less likely to break if you accidentally brush it against your clothing for example. One piece of advice I would give is to go for a 1/2 grade lower than you're used to on a natural reed, I found the Strength 3 reed I bought a bit of the stiff side, I should have bought a 2.5. All in all, a great product though, and the little case it comes with is very nice too!