Ellis Island Casino & Brewery Relies on Renkus-Heinz to Anchor Performances in its "Front Yard"

Ellis Island Casino & Brewery was opened by Frank Ellis in 1968 as "The Village Pub," located just one street off the main Las Vegas Strip. The pub quickly established itself as a local favorite. The location grew in popularity over the years, eventually seeing a rebrand as Ellis Island Casino & Brewery by current owner Gary Ellis in 1985. Today, the location continues to provide a fun and exciting experience for everyone in Las Vegas.

With that approach to entertainment in mind, the casino recently opened a new facility called "The Front Yard," which combines a casual brewpub atmosphere with a complete accompaniment of entertainment options: from big screens for sports to live music performances.

The stunning two story indoor and outdoor facility is housed under a large retractable sun canopy and features a balcony area overlooking the main floor. The 350-person capacity building is also used for weddings, corporate events, and other large gatherings.

But that versatile use coupled with the space's architectural intricacy was a challenge to plan for acoustically.

"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 installed the project. "We knew it was going to require Renkus-Heinz to ensure the sound would be high quality throughout the location."

The Front Yard utilizes two Renkus-Heinz ICONYX IC16-RN digitally steerable live array loudspeakers and two accompanying IC215S-R dual 15" subwoofers.

The ICONYX arrays make use of Renkus-Heinz' digitally steerable technology, allowing venues of all size and type to digitally position sound exactly where you want it: on the audience. By programming the arrays digitally, the sound stays off the peculiarities of the room, and is directed entirely toward the audience's ears.

"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 says. "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 IC16 loudspeakers are also weather resistant -- a key consideration in a location that is exposed to the outdoor elements when the roof is retracted.

"The Ellis family is very happy with the results," Snell saya. "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."