Vater Concert Ensemble V-CEM10S Soft Marimba Mallets, Birch Shaft
The V-CEM10S is a pair of soft marimba mallets, wrapped in wool yarn on a birch shaft, made to go down into the low end of the keyboard without roughing it up. The large bars at the bottom of the instrument need time to vibrate: a soft head gives them that time instead of forcing a slap out of them.
What sets it apart
- Soft grade — the 1 at the start of Vater's part number, the softest step
- 100% wool yarn wrapped around the head
- 5/16 in satin-finish birch shaft, firm under the fingers
- 16 3/4 in long, the length of the marimba mallets in the range
- Dark blue identification tape, visible head up or head down
Why the low end of the marimba calls for a soft head
A low marimba bar is long, wide and thin. It takes longer to start vibrating than a high bar, and it handles a sharp impact poorly. A hard head strikes it before it has started to speak: you hear the hit, then the note, and the two never come together.
A soft head does the opposite. It gives slightly on contact, spreads the impact over a few more milliseconds, and the bar starts to ring instead of being jolted. That is why every teaching guide recommends moving toward softer mallets as you go lower.
The roll, natural territory for this hardness
A long, sustained roll in the low register is what shows off a soft mallet best. Each stroke adds to the previous one without standing apart from it, and the result is a continuous hum rather than a series of dots.
The price to pay is well known and has to be accepted: in the upper register, the same heads draw almost nothing from the small bars. The V-CEM10S is a tool for one register, not an all-purpose pair.
Specifications
| Hardness | Soft |
|---|---|
| Length | 16 3/4 in (42.55 cm) |
| Shaft | Satin-finish birch, 0.313 in (0.80 cm) |
| Head wrap | 100% wool yarn |
| Head shape | Not specified by the manufacturer |
| Identification colour | Dark blue |
What it is for
- Low register of the marimba, for rolls and sustained notes
- Sustained accompaniment under a soloist or a choir
- Soft dynamics in concert band and wind ensemble
- Slow repertoire where the attack has to disappear behind the note
Compare with other manufacturers
The soft marimba models from other keyboard mallet makers:
| Manufacturer | Comparable range | What differs |
|---|---|---|
| Vic Firth | M series keyboard mallets | Brand-specific numbering, with no hardness scale readable in the code |
| Innovative Percussion | Concert marimba mallets | Shafts offered in rattan as well as birch on several soft models |
| Mike Balter | Yarn marimba mallets | Shaft chosen when ordering, several lengths per model |
Frequently asked questions
- Can hard mallets damage marimba bars?
- The risk is mainly in the low register, where the bars are thinnest. That is exactly why you play soft there: a soft head spreads the impact instead of concentrating it.
- Is this pair enough if I only buy one?
- Not if you play the whole keyboard. It excels at the bottom and fades at the top. A medium pair is the best first purchase when you are only getting one.
- What does the 10 in the model number mean?
- It indicates the hardness. Vater encodes it in the part number: the first digit rises with firmness, from 1 for soft to 6 for extra hard. The colour tape carries the same information without your having to read the code.
Avis clients
Working on repertoire that lives in the low end of the marimba?
Aucun avis pour le moment. Soyez le premier à partager votre expérience après votre achat.