The US casino market is highly competitive, with a customer base that demands the premium leisure, entertainment and dining facilities. High-quality sound is essential, and when the Coeur d’Alene Casino Resort Hotel in Worley, Idaho, refurbished its technical facilities, Alcons Audio pro-ribbon systems held a winning hand.
Established in 1993, the Coeur d’Alene Casino offers the obligatory casino, along with a spa, golf club, large live events space and more intimate entertainment lounges. The first phase of a major upgrade covered the main live performance space, which included an enlarged stage, new bleacher seating at the back of the venue and radically updated technical infrastructure.
‘Casinos like Coeur d’Alene attract international performing artists and the owners wanted to set themselves apart from other venues,’ says Alcons Audio North America Sales Manager David Rahn. ‘They wanted a high end system that would meet rider specifications and be something that engineers were excited to mix on.’
‘Versatility and great sound was important for the reputation of the casino. We have a wide variety of guests, so looking great and sounding great was key,’ adds Norbie Seres of the Coeur d’Alene Casino’s A/V department.
Researching options, the casino owners consulted a venue in Las Vegas that had recently installed an Alcons LR18 compact pro-ribbon line array. Impressed with the reports of its audio quality and fidelity at high SPLs, after a demonstration, they chose an FOH system comprising 18 LR18 and six BF362i MkII high output subwoofers, with a stage monitoring system of VR8 compact monitors, VR12/60 mid-size monitors and BF151 MkII compact subwoofers as side fill. The system is powered by eight Sentinel10 amplified loudspeaker controllers.
The next stage of the upgrade project covered the NightHawk Ultra Lounge, which features a bar, full food menu, gaming, a dance floor and a stage for live performances and DJ sets.
‘We wanted to ensure the lounge could be used for a variety of functions. These include local and regional bands, with the flexibility to put on higher profile acoustic or singer/songwriter acts, as well as the occasional DJ and broadcast sports event. It is also used for private events,’ says Seres.
The NightHawk Ultra Lounge installation comprised a new main Alcons pro-ribbon system of VR12s flown horizontally above the stage, corner-mounted VR8s and ceiling-mounted, downward-firing BF151 subwoofers. Additional VR8s were installed for main system delays, with VR5 mini monitors as fill for the bar area.
As soon as both spaces reopened, the feedback from guests and visiting artists alike to the Alcons Audio systems was immediately positive. ‘The response to the systems has been fantastic. I don’t think it is an exaggeration to say that Coeur d’Alene undoubtedly has the best sounding main show room and lounge in a mid-sized US casino,’ Rahn reports.
This is no idle claim, as Seres agrees: ‘We’ve gotten nothing but enthusiastic responses from the bands and production people that come through. There have also been many compliments from our guests,’ he says. ‘The telling thing we count on with the audience is that we can turn things up loud and full without driving customers away. As a team, we all decided that the Alcons systems can and do provide the quality of performance that we were looking for. We look forward to a long-lasting partnership with Alcons Audio.’
More: www.alconsaudio.com
