The Rovner Versa X has got projection for miles (well, maybe not miles...) and a super fast response. It can produce a sound that's markedly louder than the Vandoren M|O and even louder than the Vandoren Optimum. I was surprised. Like it's sibling the Versa it's a fabric ligature with a stack of curved metal plates that touch the reed. And, like the Versa, it has fabric flaps that can tuck behind or lay on top of the metal plates. Unlike the Versa, the metal plates are riveted into place.
With the plates touching the reed, it has a glorious "ping" — upper-mid partials around 3,000-5,000Hz — that makes the clarion soar. If it gets too bright for you, the fabric flaps will darken the sound in those frequencies, but you still get a similar reed response.
