Lexicon Omega Reviews

[Electriclight]

Well, this audio interface wouldn't have any special issues working with a laptop that any other wouldn't have. Generally, the issus with laptops is harddrive speed. 54oo rpm drives are often not fast enough for aidio recording. Any laptop with 7200 rpm drive should work just as well as a desktop.

The original Omega had issues with a ribbon cable too close to a hot FET. This issue has been resolved. I'm very happy with mine after 4 years.

[DarkReality]

I was recently was given a Lexicon Omega by my sister's ex-boyfriend and I'm pleasantly pleased with it. I've never had problems with it except when I first got it I set it to be my main sound interface for my laptop but that was wrong and I fixed it. Otherwise, it hasn't failed me and it's quite durable. I was given this because my friend upgraded to an M-Audio Interface. I mainly use the Mic Inputs and Guitar Line in, when needed. The preamps aren't so bad and I don't have monitors so I just hook up my computer speakers to the headphone input with a 1/8" to 1/4" converter. I'm a fan!

[lunaticpro]

The Lexicon products are the best priced for what they do. If you dont need much tracks to record simultaneously, this will do the job. If you need more tracks and better preamps, and the lower or no latency = go with the firewire interfaces. This is especially true when you use a firewire pci card. Firewire transfers audio faster then usb.

[guidepost]

Quality: 8
Feels like a solid machine. Got some weight to it.

Reliability: 7
Had one problem and they fixed it.

Overall Rating: 0
My brother gave me the Omega last spring and it took me a while to get around to using it. Just when I was getting psyched up to pound out some tunes my machine took a crap. It kept losing it's connection. I called tech support and they told me they had a problem with the usb plug in. I paid the 16 bucks to send it back and they fixed it for nothing. I just got it back and its working fine for now. The Cubase Le is ok but it is the light edition. For a beginner it is fine for learning though! Good luck

[alex mackinnon]

the omega failed me big time. constantly falls out of sync with the daw in the middle of a recording. fuck that! and one channel has this gravelly digital distortion.... which actually worked really well for a couple recording sessions! it added a bizzar sound to the guitar being recorded.... which itself was equally noisy.... but obviously thats not something i want forever!
its got so many little shitty problems.... like one of the output channels doesnt work either.... WTF.... im getting a new 8 in somethingthing.... omega=really cheap and shitty.

[tjfalabama]

I have quite a bit of experience with the Lexicon Omega. I bought two used Omega boxes. The are quite good, but you might need to know what you are doing with computers, drivers, and opening up the unit.

They do have a design problem with overheating. I found the cutting out to be due to this problem. I fixed the problem of overheating, by installing heat sinks, drilling holes in the box and replacing the ribbon in one of the boxes (not an easy task). I have not had problems since. I wouldn't buy this if you are not willing to deal with this sooner or later. However, I wouldn't be afraid to get another one despite these problems.


About latency, I don't worry about it because it is not an issue if you are not trying to obtain the real time mix from the computer. You can play your previous tracks and record on top by listening to your direct monitoring. You have a knob to adjust the balance between the playback and the direct monitoring. Of course if you want any reverb or other effects on the tracks you are laying down, then you are out of luck. You can have the effects in the tracks you have already laid down without problems. Having effects on the tracks you are writing, may be nice in some situations, but I'd rather just work around it. I know some have got the latency down to be able monitor through the computer, but I wouldn't count on it. Depends too much on your computer and can cause some instability in your recording situation. Not something I would care to do. The latency issue is part of the trade off for having the USB interface.

PROs-
-good sound quality-not your standard computer audio, overkill for podcasts and suitable for some good home recorded albums.
-price-people are amazed at the quality for the price
-4 tracks can be recorded at a time (8 inputs is technically true, but it still only comes down to recording 4 separate tracks, which is what you really need to be concerned about.)
-Portable-impressive to setup a studio where every you can plug in.
-USB makes it a more universal unit (my computers do not have firewire at the moment)

CONs-
-only two preamps
-drivers can be a little tricky to install. New drivers I have found to cause problems, so I stick with the old ones. If all else fails you can use the AISO4all driver.
-Overheating issue.
-Preamps are kind of weak, making a dynamic mic difficult to use. However, a good large condenser records fine.
-Latency, a problem if you want effects on the tracks being recorded.

I have recorded concerts, individuals, and podcasts with good results. If you can get around the cons it is a good buy. I'd buy it again if I needed to. However, I really need the ability to record more tracks at a time and I suspect that the sound quality may go up in other units. Depending on money at the time of purchase, I am considering either the presonus firestudio or the RME fireface 800 as possible options. I'll still keep my lexicon around for backup and portability.

[oneswholikedamage]

I think I'm set on picking up the Omega (like this week). I'll mainly be doing acoustic stuff w/ a couple vocal tracks on top. I also want something extremely cheap! I'd like to get in for under $500 total which I think I can do with this once I add a decent mic and set of headphones. Anybody got comments? Have the over heating issues really been taken care of??? Anybody got a better idea(s)? I really appreciate everyone's opnions on this site. Really seems like most of you guys take recording very seriously. Keep Rockin!