Reviews
"The bell is cutting, but not too bright, the center has a dark, jazzy ride feel with amazing stick definition, the edge is trashy, yet beautiful. It is literally the perfect ride and the perfect crash." - Jason Boyd
"The ultra-thin edges of 22-inch Omni possess the dark, throaty undertones usually associated with a jazz ride or crash, thus excel as shoulder-stick crashes. While playing typical time patterns on the on the extensively hammered section of the 22-inch produced acceptable jazzlike timbres. The bells spoke with a forceful clarity on straight-eighth funk and Latin grooves. All playing areas responded with uniform warmth to brushes. With mallets, they were stunning in their orchestral beauty. All good cymbals have sweet spots. Experienced players instinctively find them, the result being that stick marks become concentrated there. The 22-inch Omni has many such sweet spots. Additional playable zones include the space where the cup joins the machine-hammered area, producing a less-penetrating but still percussive alternative to direct bell strikes. There are subtle variations within the hammered area itself, and right above where the hammered area meets the lathed section is the riding zone of choice." - Jim Miller
"When riding on the outer half, it's a washy, darker, jazzy kinda cymbal. When riding on the inner half, it's a dry, quick, bright and funky cymbal. The bell will blow your mind away." - Archonish
"Omni is extremely crashable and has a very strong ride sound on the unlathed portion. The bell is also very present and cutting. If you crash the cymbal and start riding the unlathed part right after, you won't lose stick definition and the cymbal never starts to "roar" under your ride patterns." - The Tugger
"Incredibly versatile. Great bell, nice dry ping in center of cymbal, rich wash on outer section. quick response when crashed especially for a 22in. When used as a ride, the center portion has a nice low pitch but when crashed on outer section it is fairly high pitched with a very slight trashy quality. If someone wasn't watching you play they could easily think you are hitting two separate cymbals." - Rangi
"The AAX Omni cymbal could be described as a crash/ride, but that would compare the cymbal unfairly to all the crash/rides that have preceded it, many of which have been the result of compromise. The AAX Omni is Sabian's attempt to create a new genre of all-purpose cymbal. To quote Jojo Mayer, who helped develop the AAX Omni, "This is a go-anywhere, play-anywhere cymbal, and ultimately you can play any gig with just this one cymbal on your kit." The Omni AAX is a medium-weight cymbal with an unlathed bell and inner half. The bell is similar to that of the AA Raw Bell Dry Ride, while the inner section has a machine-hammered finish. The outer half of the cymbal has a lathed finish that tapers to an extra-thin edge. The result is two completely different tonal areas of the cymbal with which to work like getting two cymbals in one. In a small-group setting, I found the cymbal to be remarkably diverse. Riding near the middle of the cymbal produced an appropriate amount of stick definition, and when I moved further to the edge, the cymbal started to get washier. I was still able to ride on the thinner, lathed outer edge, but during the louder passages I would have to move back in toward the center a bit. When I needed any type of actual crash, I moved to the edge of the cymbal and with a bit of shoulder from the stick was able to produce enough crash. The Omni AAX is on the brighter end of the spectrum, but the crashes did not overwhelm the group as long as I laid back a little while digging in. Even with the unlathed bell, I could apply a bit more velocity to the stick than I originally thought I'd be able to without upsetting the blend of the mix." - Matt Kern
"With soft mallets I can create the most amazing crescendos. It has a surface I can get 10,000 tones and sounds from. The edge gives sweetness, a light tough brings amazing emotional twinges of high frequency when played with a plastic tipped stick. Played with the edge of the stick gives a sharp fast sound. the inner bell speaks loudly and with authority." - tadsharpe
"When mounting the Omnis, the thinness of the edges contrasts with the overall weight of cymbal. Playing the inner unlathed portion of the cymbal with the tip of a stick finds the sound immediately drier and more precise - ride-like, in fact. The pitch remains high, but the clarity of the stick sound is striking. Moving on to the bell reveals another level of separation, with wash at a bare minimum. The larger Omni has, unsurprisingly, a bigger presence when played as a ride. The note is deeper and a little more expansive, but remains tight and focused, and projects well. This riding prowess is matched by the cymbal's crashing capabilities. The 22" opens willingly, delivering a luxurious crash that fades harmoniously. Crashing and riding at the same time is easily done, with the two competing actions seemingly unaffected by one another." - Adam Jones
"How should the whole thing sound if it's neither ride nor crash? Well, this statement is more than misleading, because the Omni Cymbals are supposed to offer grown-up ride sounds and veritable crash sounds at the same time. Is it? That works, and how! Let's start with the 22" model, which, due to its size, suggests more frequent ride use. The area below the bell offers a very discreet but defined stick with a dark, dry color. The sustain is quite short, transparent and also rather dark. When played with the tip of the stick, the bell looks fine and dry, with the shoulder of the stick it gains in presence and overtones. The response is very direct, and even when playing very quietly, the full potential of this elegant sound is achieved. This is recommended for the classic jazz trio, i.e. a very intimate, acoustic context. But there is more, because if the cymbal is used as a ride in its two playing zones, it can also use a more powerful style of play and remains clear and transparent up to a certain point - very well suited for R'n'B, soul, funk. If you reach out vigorously, the thin, bowed edge naturally swings open and adds a certain, subtle background noise to this sound, which really has its own character. If you then use the bowed edge area as a ride, a dark, rather gentle noise is created, and fine overtones and a slight shimmer in the attack develop here. Depending on how, where and with which sticks you use this cymbal as a ride, a lot of sounds are available. And should that result in a solid crash sound? Yes, that works too! A short, full and powerful attack swings into a dark sustain. Despite this color and the size of the cymbal, the sound is lively enough. First of all "hats off"! So the whole thing is definitely not a crash / ride, which can offer both functions in a compromised form, but the 22" Omni actually offers good ride sounds and a veritable crash sound!" - Ralf Mikolajczak
