The MGM Resorts empire stretches from Circus Circus at the north end of Las Vegas’ Strip to Mandalay Bay at the south, with venues catering for an exceptionally wide range of events – sound systems can require a single lavaliere microphone set-up for a business meeting in the morning, a DJ-fuelled and bikini-filled pool party at lunch, a prize fight weigh-in with a mariachi band in a ballroom in the afternoon, and an arena concert in the evening.
Seeking a new portable sound reinforcement system – whose the primary requirement was that it would serve every property in the family – the chain turned to L-Acoustics and a system based on the compact Kara line of loudspeakers.
MGM Resorts Production Supervisor Shad Groverland had been asked by Director of Production Services Sid Pike to unify systems across the entire company: ‘We were spending a lot of money on gear rentals,’ Groverland says.
‘For example, Bellagio might have a large corporate event for which they needed more of a rig than they had in their own stock, so they would rent something from a local provider. Meanwhile, the gear they needed might be sitting unused at The Mirage.’
The mission required finding a system that everyone would be satisfied with. After extensive talks with crews throughout the chain, the name L-Acoustics was on top: ‘We needed a system that was rider-friendly, quick to set up, natural sounding with any type of sound source and, most importantly, something that all MGM Resorts property sound departments could agree upon,’ Groverland says.
The resulting system comprises 24 Kara cabinets and eight SB18 subs, all powered by six LA8 amplified controllers housed in a pair of LA-Rak touring racks. Standing in the corporate production facility located behind The Mirage resort, Groverland says, ‘This is where the Kara rig would be if it was in the warehouse. But it’s almost never here; it’s literally out on a show 80 per cent of the time.’
Those working events at Vegas’ largest resorts are used to unorthodox requests: ‘The Kara rig sets up quickly and is easy to move from one property to another,’ Groverland says. ‘It’s versatile and sounds great. It makes everyone happy, from crew to clients, and that is no small feat. Kara was the perfect choice for MGM Resorts.’
More: www.l-acoustics.com
