Ellis Island Casino & Brewery, opened by Frank Ellis in 1968 as “The Village Pub,” located just off the main Las Vegas Strip, recently opened a new facility called “The Front Yard” that offers entertainment options that range from big screens for sports to live music performances, with sound reinforcement headed by Renkus-Heinz loudspeakers and subwoofers.
The two-story indoor/outdoor facility is housed under a large retractable sun canopy, with a balcony area overlooking the main floor. The 350-person capacity building is also used for weddings, corporate events and other large gatherings.
“With the large glass walls and the multiple floors of dining, there were plenty of reverberant surfaces,” says Shane Snell, Project Manager at National Technology Associates, the integration firm that handled the project. “We knew it was going to require Renkus-Heinz to ensure the sound would be high quality throughout the location.”
Specifically, National Technology Associates deployed two Renkus-Heinz ICONYX IC16-RN array loudspeakers and two accompanying IC215S-R dual 15-inch subwoofers to deliver coverage to the space. ICONYX is equipped with the company’s proprietary digitally steerable that helps in focusing output on the audience and off of reflective surfaces. 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.
“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 explains. “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 Ellis family [owner of the venue] is very happy with the results,” Snell concludes. “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.”
