Resorts World Theatre in Las Vegas, with a 5,000-seat capacity that hosts numerous artist residencies and other events, is equipped with a communications infrastructure that incorporates several plaforms from Clear-Com, including an Eclipse HX digital matrix intercom.
The venue was designed by Montreal-based performing arts and entertainment firm, Scéno Plus, with Solotech delivering systems integration for video, audio, and lighting, with the goal of bringing the ambitious vision of this performance space to life. The project scope and AV installation also included the design-build of Resort World’s Ayu day club, Zouk night club, and accompanying restaurants and lounges, Fuhu and RedTail.
“For the theater, we all had the mutual purpose to design and integrate systems for this project that took into consideration both an audience’s and a performer’s experience,” says Aaron Beck, Solotech business development manager and senior engineer. “The logistics of this project were also very challenging because this was all going on during the Covid pandemic shutdowns, yet we still managed to complete the venue in time and source all the technology for its grand opening.”
The communications system Solotech installed is designed to be robust, with the Eclipse HX digital matrix intercom serving as the venue’s bi-directional communications backbone. It’s equipped with a Dante interface card, supporting the theater’s audio-over-IP requirements, and optimizing audio signal transmissions over the IP network.
“We needed an easy way to integrate the intercom signals with the AoIP infrastructure and give users the ability to transport multiple channels of audio to Dante-enabled devices over the network,” Beck notes. “Clear-Com’s Dante gives them this flexibility, low latency, and high-quality connections to, from, and between the crew.”
IP-enabled V-Series Keypanels expand the range of the Eclipse system. Used for fixed-location purposes in the video suite and lighting in front of house, the keypanels give users more direct point-to-point communication and more party lines, which adds an extra layer of flexibility and added communication to the overall system.
In addition, a full-duplex FreeSpeak II digital wireless intercom system, including base stations, transceivers, software, and beltpacks, performs a core role for team members to communicate independently and untethered for unrestricted movement around the entire venue. Finally, a HelixNet digital network partyline 8-channel system with IP connectivity offers full-duplex audio and program audio for group communications. The single main station supports up to 24 HelixNet beltpacks or a combination of other HelixNet user devices.
“There are multiple productions that cycle in and out of the theater, with some performers and their team fully equipped with their own communications gear,” Beck explains. “The entire production crew needs effortless integration to meet all the communications criteria. Plus, the simplicity and modular nature of the Clear-Com tools allows the teams to easily set up and configure a customized workflow.”
Brandon Andreasen, audio manager for Resorts World Theatre, adds, “The design of the Clear-Com system in our venue has allowed us to be able to easily accommodate any visiting production from small concerts, corporate events, broadcast, and awards shows, to our large-scale resident shows. Utilizing the portable LQ® Series devices and interface cards [for Eclipse] we can connect to any system that a production team brings with them. We can also easily expand the system for additional users simply by having the production bring additional FreeSpeak II or HelixNet belt packs.”
