Welcome to another edition of "Ask The Omnia Guy", a continuing series of expert answers by the Omnia guy, Paul Kriegler, to real-world questions from our electronic mailbag. Our question:

Q: "Why Can't I Get My Omnia.3 Repaired?"

A: This is a pretty common question from customers that want to keep their favorite 15- to 25-year-old Omnia on the air and sounding great.  

Customers with mainboard failures in old audio processors are occasionally shocked or saddened when their old trusty processor finally crosses the dreaded "Rainbow Bridge."

Truth is, many components in these older units are no longer available. But even if that weren't the case, for the sake of reliability and future peace of mind, any money you might spend trying to fix a 20-year-old digital audio processor would be much better spent on new hardware or software that's in line with current technology, and ready for the future.

In fact, I tell customers with first-generation Omnia.3's—or those with our competitors' products from the same era—to treat their audio processor like it's in hospice and on life support. If it's still working, leave it be. Do not disconnect anything. Don't even change the preset. And for heaven's sake, don't make any sudden noises!

Wrapping It Up

I certainly wouldn't rely on an old Windows PC from the year 2000 to run my station's automation and traffic scheduling, and I'm betting you wouldn't either. So why take chances with your station's airchain by depending on a 20-year-old audio processor that can't be repaired and could check out at any time? Especially when there are great-sounding, cost-effective replacements like the proven Omnia VOLT and award-winning Omnia Forza FM. 

If you'd like our assistance in selecting your next audio processor, email our sales team - we're always happy to help!

Need help getting your station to sound its very best? Paul Kriegler eats, sleeps, and breathes broadcast audio processing (that's one way to stay skinny!). Got a question? Shoot Paul a note at Ask The Omnia Guy.