OMNI is a revolutionary new cymbal from SABIAN. Developed with the astonishing Jojo Mayer, the vision for OMNI was to create a cymbal with outstanding sonic contrast both when played on its own or with other cymbals. And Swiss-born drummer Jojo Mayer certainly knows what he’s doing. With an extensive jazz background and forays into NYC’s drum ’n’ bass/electronica/jungle scene and beyond, including Screaming Headless Torsos and his own Nerve, Mayer is also a long-time Sabian endorser. “For me, this opens up a whole new approach to playing cymbals,” says seminal artist Jojo Mayer. “Never has so much sonic versatility existed in just one cymbal. This is a go-anywhere, play-anywhere cymbal, and ultimately, you can play any gig with just this one cymbal on your kit. ”
Developed with the astonishing and groundbreaking Jojo Mayer.A medium-weight center and an extra-thin, natural finish edge make for a cymbal that’s striking in appearance. But it’s the highly musical tone structure and careful balance of frequency that enable this cymbal to sit so well in any musical setting. The extra-thin edge possesses the dark, throaty undertones usually associated with a jazz ride or crash – as a result, it excels as a shoulder-stick crash. The bell speaks with forceful clarity on straight-eighth funk and Latin grooves. And all playing surfaces respond with uniform warmth to brushes. With mallets, they are stunning in their orchestral beauty!
AAX changed everything! Before AAX, most cymbals were manufactured using processes that had been around for centuries. AAX was the first B20 Bronze cymbals designed and manufactured using completely modern lathing and hammering techniques. The result? Increased brightness, cut and musicality – for the widest dynamic range ever achieved. And suddenly, the bright, explosive tone of AA cymbals was available even at low volume. AAX uses hand-guided, high-pressure hammering for instant, bright responses. Pinpoint lathing is used to achieve increased sensitivity and wide dynamic range – even at low volume. And the high profile shape delivers cutting, high-pitched tone. In the studio or on stage, in every style of music, only AAX delivers such consistently bright, crisp, clear, and cutting responses. AAX is the ultimate Modern Bright sound!
A perennial best-selling SABIAN series, AAX is played by top SABIAN artists like George Kollias (Nile), Xavier Muriel (Buckcherry), Roy Mayorga (Stone Sour), Mark Schulman (Pink), Daniel Adair (Nickelback), Ray Luzier (Korn), and Tony Royster Jr. (Jay Z), and many, many. Ray Luzier puts it best, when he says, “I play AAX. They cut when you want them to cut. I love ‘em and I get a ton of compliments from studio producers and other players. ” George Kollias goes further: “These cymbals are wicked. Sabian is always evolving, always coming up with new ideas. It helps me grow as a musician. ” Daniel Adair agrees: “The arrival of AAX changed everything for me. It’s so efficient, so effective, so modern. ”
Like all SABIAN B20 Cast Cymbals, the AAX OMNI begins its life in the Foundry, where a centuries-old family process is used to create the most musical and durable of all cymbal alloys. Inside the Foundry, SABIAN metallurgists combine carefully measured amounts of Copper, Tin and Silver, heat it to 2100 degrees Fahrenheit, and pour it into casts. At this stage, it’s hard to believe these castings will eventually become an OMNI cymbal. But first, they must go on a journey through Multi-rolling for intensity, Hammering for tone, Lathing for enhanced response and projection, and a final Aging process in the legendary SABIAN Vault for optimum sound. In a sense, it’s a journey that’s only complete when you play the cymbal of your choice − an evolution from idea to reality. It is this process – innovation blended with traditional cymbal-making – that allowed AAX to make history as the first modern cymbal concept in B20 bronze.
The vision for the SABIAN 22" AAX OMNI was to create a cymbal with outstanding sonic contrast, both when played on its own or with other cymbals. Not a crash, not a ride, OMNI was designed with the astonishing Jojo Mayer as a new kind of cymbal that can go anywhere, and play anywhere. A M-weight center in brilliant finish, and an XT, natural finish edge make for a cymbal that’s striking in appearance. But it’s the highly musical tone structure and careful balance of frequency that enable this cymbal to sit so well in any musical setting.
