The International Theater at the Westgate Las Vegas Resort and Casino, noted for superstar residencies that include Elvis Presley, Liberace, Wayne Newton, and since 2018, Barry Manilow, has deployed a pair of Midas HD96 digital consoles for front of house and monitoring duties supported by the AVL Media Group.
The 1,600-seat venue also hosts regular visits from other major touring acts throughout the year and is a popular destination for the recording of live album recordings and TV specials. “This is the room that Elvis built so we take that reputation very seriously when it comes to how we support the artists who perform here,” says Westgate head of sound Cory O’Brien. “It’s an incredible place to play and we want to leave both the artists and audience feeling like they saw a life-changing show.”
One of the challenges of live sound at the Westgate is creating a workflow that suits the needs of its long-term residencies as well as those of the visiting sound engineers that accompany major acts. This led O’Brien to seek out the Midas HD96: “We knew that we didn’t want to compromise on the audio quality or the flexibility of what we’d be able to do. We also wanted a console that visiting engineers could get comfortable with quickly. The ease of use and superior sound of the Heritage D series already had a great reputation which led us to seek them out.”
Because Manilow utilizes his own front of house system, the Westgate’s complimentary approach needed to be compatible while also handling supporting his large backing group. “Barry has a big band including three keyboards and a horn section that we want to ensure get an incredible mix every night,” O’Brien explains. “The functionality of the HD96 suited these needs perfectly.”
After acquiring the consoles through Sweetwater, O’Brien worked alongside Midas’ Chase McKnight and the team at AVL Media Group to get up and running, with the install fitting well into the existing framework of the theater.
“One of the advantages of working with Midas — and by extension AVL — is the level of accessibility there,” O’Brien concludes. “We’re fully a Midas house now and we couldn’t be more thrilled about it. They’ve given us great support on this project and knowing that we can easily reach a human being if we ever have a problem is a game-changing difference.”
