Opened by Frank Ellis in 1968 just one street off the main Las Vegas Strip, The Village Pub quickly established itself as a local favourite. The location grew in popularity over the years, and was rebranded as the Ellis Island Casino & Brewery by current owner Gary Ellis in 1985.
With entertainment in mind, the casino recently opened The Front Yard, which combines a casual brewpub atmosphere to the accompaniment of entertainment options ranging from big-screen sports to live music. The two-storey, 350-capacity indoor/outdoor venue has a retractable sun canopy and features a balcony area overlooking the main floor. It is also popular for weddings, corporate events and other large gatherings, and it was this versatility and the space’s architectural intricacy that challenged National Technology Associates’ efforts to equip it for sound,
‘With the large glass walls and the multiple floors of dining, there were plenty of reverberant surfaces,’ says National Technology Associates Project Manager, Shane Snell. ‘We knew it was going to require Renkus-Heinz to ensure the sound would be high quality throughout the location.’
The Front Yard installation uses two Renkus-Heinz Iconyx IC16-RN digitally steerable live array loudspeakers with two IC215S-R dual 15-inch subwoofers. The arrays make use of Renkus-Heinz’ digital steering technology to position sound exactly where required – away from the peculiarities of the room, and toward the audience.
‘We were able to program the system using Renkus-Heinz Rhaon software so the sound was hitting every single location we needed it to,’ Snell says. ‘It took us just one afternoon to get it tuned to where we wanted it. And while the units are incredibly compact, which makes them easy to install, there is a ton of power in there between the arrays and the subwoofers. Listening to the system from every audience location is truly impressive.’
The IC16 loudspeakers are also weather resistant – a key consideration in a location that is exposed to the outdoor elements when the roof is retracted.
‘The Ellis family is very happy with the results,’ Snell reports. ‘The place is famous for its karaoke, and they’re considering renovating that portion of the casino. Their first ask about the upgrade was that it sound just like the Renkus-Heinz system.’
