Las Vegas-Based H.A.S. Productions Partners with VUE Audiotechnik

With more than 100 VUE Audiotechnik loudspeaker boxes added to their rental stock, Las Vegas based H.A.S. Productions has embarked on a partnership with VUE. Initial inventory comprises a mix of 48 al-8 line array elements and 32 sub-compact al-4 elements, powered by VUE's V6d and V4d systems engines which include dedicated DSP and networking capabilities. The V Series Systems Engines are housed in new H.A.S. standard rack packages with multi-cable interconnect. These are directly supported with an inventory of hs-28 dual 18" ACM (Active Compliance Management-VUE's patent-pending hybrid design which combines both band-pass and vented alignments into a single, compact footprint.) subwoofers with internal DSP, power, and networking.

The recent order also includes powered i-6a near-field point source boxes, which will be called into service for a combination of front-fill and stand-alone uses. Stipulated in the partnership, H.A.S. will expand their VUE inventory to include the new hm-112 and hm-212 stage monitors before the end of the first quarter.

Larry Hall, founder and president of H.A.S., started looking for a new PA in 2013. He organized a shootout between five brands and hung a total of 11 arrays in an arena to get side-by-side, real-world comparison of the systems.

"It really came down to three things, for me," Hall says about making the decision to buy VUE. "First, the sound. Something about the use of beryllium in the high-frequency driver makes the sound less brittle in the high-end, while at the same time making the coverage perfect. Volume levels may change from place to place in a venue depending on how the rig is deployed, but the audio quality and the tonality never change."

Next on the list was service. "I have owned lots of PAs since starting H.A.S. 20 years ago," Hall says. "And while I have loved some of the companies, I have rarely loved the service." Hall pointed to the fact that after the 2013 shootout, he liked the VUE system, but had concerns about its versatility and longevity for the variety of gigs H.A.S. does. And that's where VUE's service made the difference. "VUE's man-on-the-street, Jeff Taylor (recently promoted to VP Americas), came in and broke down all the application challenges-with our tech team, until we were confident that the al-Class system would meet our needs." Hall and his team were very impressed with how VUE took the concerns seriously and responded without hesitation.

Still undecided, Hall arranged a second shootout in 2014, and says the decision after that was an easy one. "The al-8 and even the al-4 just flat out beat other systems that were both larger in size and substantially more expensive." Since taking delivery, the VUE system has been used on a variety of shows ranging from rock to R&B to Latin, and has impressed every engineer that has mixed on it.

"The size can be deceiving," Hall says. "Some engineers may walk in and look at it and think it is not enough to cover the room, but they have been convinced from the moment we fired it up." Tellingly, every engineer that mixed on the VUE rig has said they would gladly use it again.

The final piece of the puzzle was the newest member of the H.A.S. team, Jay Easley. He recently moved from the console manufacturing world (Midas and SSL) to the regional production world as H.A.S.' new chief operations officer. Jay needed to be convinced. When he and Hall were talking about him coming aboard, Easley wanted a new PA, but he had other ideas what that would be, the company says.

"I was sure that I wanted a certain brand that would immediately put us into an established rental network and that is on every rider we receive. What I wanted was a 'safe choice.' When I went to the shootout, and listened to the VUE system, I was convinced. Having worked with Jeff Taylor in the past, I know how committed he is to his customers success, beyond just a sale or rental. When you consider the value of a manufacturer's support and vision for the future, the total VUE package meant more than just being the box of the day. It is one we can build our future on."

Both Hall and Easley point to the small size of the VUE rig, especially the diminutive al-4 and how it out performs systems much larger, as a big part of the decision.

"We do a lot of ballrooms," Easley says. "We are in Las Vegas and hotel ballrooms are a very significant part of our venues. In them, the trim height and weight have always been a headache, and the VUE system alleviates those headaches. Not to mention the fact that they are so small that we never have sight-line 'discussions' with the client. In Las Vegas, the ideal PA sounds huge and is the size of a pack of gum and preferably invisible. The al-4 comes pretty close. We get small size, which affects hanging, truck pack, labor and a thousand other things. But we never have to compromise in terms of sound."

"When you put together a team like that and you combine it with a desire and willingness to not just make a 'me-too' product, but to really stretch to build the best PA in the world, it's a pretty unstoppable combination," Hall says. "We are happy and proud to carry the VUE banner here in the live entertainment capital of the world."