SABIAN OMNIS and HOLY CHINAS

PRICES
Sabian AAX 18" OMNI,
£285; Sabian AAX 22"
OMNI, £395; Sabian
Vault 19" Holy China,
£315; Sabian Vault 21"
Holy China, £377
CAST OR
PRESSED
Cast
ALLOY USED
B20
FINISH
OMNI: brilliant &
natural or raw &
natural; Holy China:
polished or natural
HAND OR
MACHINE
HAMMERED
Machine
COUNTRY OF
MANUFACTURE
Canada
DIAMETERS
AVAILABLE
OMNI: 18" & 22";
Holy China: 19" & 21"
SUITABLE FOR
Jojo Mayer, Chad Smith
and everything else
inbetween
CONTACT
Westside Distribution,
Unit C,
139 Lancefield Street,
Glasgow
G3 8HZ
Tel: [phone]
Website:
www.sabian.com
www.westside
distribution.com
ESSENTIAL SPEC
one of smoothness. This impression is
strengthened by a notably clean decay.
Playing the inner unlathed portion of the
cymbal with the tip of a stick fi nds 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. Like the 18",
the 22" opens willingly, delivering a luxurious
crash that fades harmoniously. Crashing and
J
ojo Mayer and Chad Smith need little
by way of introduction to
Rhythm
readers. Sabian has harnessed the
duo’s brilliance and originality to
develop four innovative new cymbals.
Build
Jojo Mayer’s two AAX OMNI models are
offi cially unclassifi ed, but are a modern
reworking of the multi-purpose crash/ride.
The starting point for the OMNI was Sabian’s
existing El Sabor Picante hand crash, which
features a thin edge that opens easily. Jojo
asked Sabian to attempt to incorporate a
similar technique into a new model for stick
(as opposed to hand) playing.
Regular crash/rides tend to be a
compromise between two different types of
cymbal. Are they a light ride that opens to
crash, but has an indistinct stick sound as a
result? Or are they a heavy crash that can be
ridden, and takes an age to decay?
The OMNI’s design attempts to isolate the
areas of the cymbal used for each discipline,
so a medium-thick, unlathed central portion
gives way to a thin, lathed edge. Just two
diameters are available – 18" and 22". Sabian
experimented with alternative diameters
during the R&D process, but chose to put
only this pair into production. Making each
OMNI is technically demanding; according to
Sabian marketing manager Luis Cardoso,
lather Allie Cougle – who has recently lathed
SABIAN OMNIS
& HOLY CHINAS
From £285 Sabian’s biggest endorsees were involved in
the creation process. Adam Jones tries not to feel starstruck
his millionth cymbal – claims that he’d rather
go through another divorce than create
another OMNI!
Where the OMNIs are built to be intricate
and versatile, the Holy Chinas have more
straightforward aspirations. Chad Smith
simply wanted the loudest, baddest china that
Sabian could make. Taking design elements
from the X-Treme and O-Zone models, the
Holy Chinas seem to have answered Chad’s
prayers. Fittingly, Holy Chinas have Sabian’s
exalted Vault status.
Available in 19" and 21" diameters and cast
from B20 bronze, both models have raw bells,
high profi les and wide lips. Between the bell
and lip, each cymbal is dotted with holes
(around 13mm in diameter) – there are 51
in the 19" and 64 in the 21". Unlike O-Zone
cymbals, where large holes create complexity
and tonal distortion, the smaller holes here
increase the attack and volume to Chad Smith
levels. The brilliant fi nish of the review
cymbals pictured is optional.
Hands On
When mounting the OMNIs, the thinness of
the edges contrasts with the overall weight
of each cymbal – the 18" model actually fl exes
if grabbed with one hand. When crashed, the
smaller OMNI doesn’t just open instantly, but
leaps straight to its fullest point. The note is
fairly high-pitched and contains elements of
trashiness, but the overriding characteristic is
Sabian’s biggest endorsees were involved in
the creation process. Adam Jones tries not to feel starstruck
RECOMMENDS
EXCLUSIVE
102 RHYTHM SEPTEMBER 2011
The note is fairly high-pitched and contains
elements of trashiness, but the overriding
characteristic is one of smoothness
OMNI CYMBALS
are designed to achieve the
perfect fusion of crash and ride
B20 BRONZE
was used in the construction of
the OMNIs and the Holy Chinas
RHY194.gear_sabian.indd 102 8/9/11 3:00:52 PM