Profilers cut the outer surfaces of reed-canes to form the "scrape" of the reed. Profiled reeds have different characteristics from hand-made reeds, and can often be far better. TA profilers are adaptable and user-friendly machines.

The tip of a prepared reed-blank is first cut to the finished length of the reed. The reed-blank is then fitted on to a reed-holder. This assembly is slipped over a tongue on the machine and is held firmly by a 'gripper'. The machine then 'scrapes' one side of the reed, the reed-blank being rotated very slowly beneath a moving blade. Reversing the reed-blank assembly and repeating the action soon produces a finished (or almost finished) reed. Fine control over thickness of scrape is by micrometer thimble, the length of the scrape and of the tip being independently adjustable. It is at the tip of the reed where the profiler works at its best, a benefit for all reed-makers.

The pattern of the 'scrape' is set by a template, which is an edited version of a reed-scrape. TA Machines standard templates have qualities which suit them for widespread popular use, but templates can also be made to customers' own specifications, two well-made reeds as 'master' normally being required. Most TA Machines profilers will accommodate interchangeable templates, so more than one reed-type may be produced on these machines.

Profiled reeds tend to be more free-blowing than hand-made reeds, even with slightly thicker than normal canes, and can have astonishingly long lives. This is achieved through the symmetry of the two halves of the reed-scrape, an almost impossible attainment with traditional hand-scraping.

Each machine is supplied ready for use and with detailed notes for guidance.

Some TA Machines profilers may be adapted for use with bagpipe reeds details of which will be given on request.

The 600 and 650 series of TA Profilers cut the outer surfaces of assembled reeds.