Original Omni design philosophy?

[thebeatless]

It has its flaws, but the omni is still one of my favorite pieces. I'm still using it and a 192 digital to get AES to my atmos monitoring setup. I keep thinking about "upgrading" to an MTRX, or MTRX studio, but the only real advantage for me would be remote control of the monitor section. But... I already use a streamdeck to control the volume and presets of my GLM system. I do have to reach for the omni when I use the alt monitor out or headphones, but it's not really a huge deal.

Also, the MTRX studio doesn't have AES outputs without jumping through Dante hoops, MTRX doesn't have a headphone jack, and new MTRX II doesn't have AES without $$$. Hopefully they'll release something as well designed as the omni again one day, but it's not likely.

[Southsidemusic]

Funny how different we all are :-
We had to borrow a OMNI while waiiting for our 2 16/16 units back in 2011 and we had a whole other experience after returning the omni and started using the 16/16 units and top notch might be a stretch even in 2011. They were decent at best and then we got the Apollo 8 and then X8P’s and now we use Carbon and MTRX units in all 3 rooms and they are Top Notch if anything so not surprised we see OMNI units here in sweden for around 200 Euros - about 220 Dollars. They do the job and just as the 11R they are really good value for the money, no discussion there.

But if people like them and don’t want to or can’t cough up $$$ for a newer unit with way better converters then happy days

[thebeatless]

I’m going aes to monitors that don’t need SPQ, so that’s why it still works for me.

I really just have a hard time spending on an MTRX when it doesn’t offer anything more that I actually need right now. Believe me I want a new toy, but it just doesn’t feel like it’s worth 10k+ to move my volume knob to eucon. I can’t write it off, but I’d rather spend that money on something fun, like a new bike. Haha

[LDS]

Originally Posted by Southsidemusic

Funny how different we all are :-
We had to borrow a OMNI while waiiting for our 2 16/16 units back in 2011 and we had a whole other experience after returning the omni and started using the 16/16 units and top notch might be a stretch even in 2011. They were decent at best and then we got the Apollo 8 and then X8P’s and now we use Carbon and MTRX units in all 3 rooms and they are Top Notch if anything so not surprised we see OMNI units here in sweden for around 200 Euros - about 220 Dollars. They do the job and just as the 11R they are really good value for the money, no discussion there.

But if people like them and don’t want to or can’t cough up $$$ for a newer unit with way better converters then happy days

That is really just a reflection of the nature of digital audio hardware, more than anything else. Particularly Avid hardware. The Omni was released in a time when users were required to have HD licenses to mix in surround. And to open HD with that license, you needed to have HD hardware attached to the system. It is crazy in hindsight, but at the time it was just... normal. The Omni wasn't perfect, but it served a pretty decent hole within Avid hardware and they sold a lot of them.

That would be one reason they are so cheap. There are a lot of them out there. But also, the DAW world has changed entirely since then. You don't even need an Ultimate license to mix in Atmos now, much less Avid hardware. How times have changed.

I really like DAD/MTRX stuff, but "top shelf" is up to the eye of the beholder I supposee. Some things haven't changed at all. It is still quintessentially 'Avid' in the way it has been economically rationalized. The new TB3 card offers a lot of channels, but it is considerably higher in latency compared to the HD Native stuff purely as a result of moving to coreaudio/ASIO based drivers over proprietary integration into Pro Tools. Considering a DIGI-192 Digital or Omni is $200 or less, paying $1800 for an AES card to attach monitors digitally to the MTRX II seems... well... insane, really.

Digital stuff has always been swings and roundabouts. I don't think "cheap" has ever necessarily meant "compromise". There is an inherently level of silliness to it all, including making stuff that can work just fine *not* work in order to sell something new. Even original MTRX owners are going through it at the moment. SPQ cards have been selling for prices much closer to used Omnis than their original RRP!

It will all be tossed onto the same garbage heap one day or another...