Omnia Dayclub and Casa Calavera, two venues within the stunning Vidanta Los Cabos complex, presented a challenge for Dublin-based design and installation company Audiotek: how to provide banging nightclub sound in an open-air venue, whilst making sure that spill to the surrounding parts of the complex was minimised. The answer was a multiple source LAcoustics Kiva II system.
Located in the Vidanta Los Cabos resort on the southern-most tip of Mexico’s Baja California Peninsula, this is the first project in a $150 million investment deal between Grupo Vidanta, Mexico’s leading resort operator and tourism developer, and Hakkasan Group. A unique day to night experience designed by New York architects Rockwell Group, the resort includes four new venues: Omnia Dayclub; and restaurants Casa Calavera, Herringbone, and Shore Bar.
“We have always been firm believers of the sound experience being one of the most important factors of live venues and LAcoustics has always come out on top for the system of choice, delivering amazing performances event after event,” said James Algate, Senior Vice President of Entertainment at Hakkasan.
“Audiotek has been Hakkasan’s A/V integrator for over a decade and their successes with our other venues [Omnia/Jewel/Hakkasan Nightclubs in Las Vegas and Omnia Day Club in Bali, Indonesia] meant they were the logical choice for this project. Following our initial brief, they came back with an L-Acoustics design to ensure the expectation of the new Dayclub followed the existing reputation of our nightlife venues.”
Omnia Dayclub overlooks the Sea of Cortez and is arranged around a central pool. It features several VIP areas, including VVIP two-storey bungalows with private infinity plunge pools, as well as private cabanas. To deliver the best audio experience with as little noise pollution around the site as possible, the Audiotek team of Managing Director Frank Murray, Technical Manager Chris Kmiec and Project Manager Rob Sherry worked alongside Gerado Gonzalez, Head of Technical for Hakkasan, to design the system, which they installed alongside local integrator Dextra Electronics. Comprising four hangs of six Kiva II with two SB15m below each hang, plus the main sub array of six SB28 sited in the front of the DJ Booth, the system packs that nightclub audio punch but controls spill into surrounding areas.
“As the main hotel pool is located behind the end wall of the Dayclub, with other parts of the hotel complex beyond, this set up means we can keep the sound inside the venue as much as possible,” said Audiotek’s Rob Sherry. “In the six VIP cabanas, we used a single X8, whilst in the VVIP two storey bungalows a single X8 was placed on each level.”
A major feature of the Dayclub is two large, curved columns positioned next to the bar and VVIP bungalows. As fill for the main bar area and the VVIP private pools, three X8 were hung from each column. For DJ monitors, two X12 were installed in stereo, along with a single SB18.
In addition, two Syva, one on each curving column structure, face the beach area to cover the beds located there, chosen not only for their pristine audio quality but because they are a perfect aesthetic fit with the design of the visually striking columns.
The restaurant Casa Calavera is used as an extension of Omnia Dayclub for certain events, and seamless audio was needed between the two locales. Audiotek continued through with LAcoustics to ensure the same audio signature and consistency of sound quality.
For the main bar drinks/lounge area, two X12 are wall hung, with three SB15 installed beneath the stage. The main dining area is covered by eight 5XT with a further two 5XT for the outside table area. Along the entrance corridor, a further four 5XT are positioned along the walls. The entire system is amplified by two LA8 and ten LA4X amplified controllers.
“Right from the concept stage we used LAcoustics’ Soundvision to model the club and restaurant area, which meant we could ensure optimal coverage,” recalled Sherry. “We were also able to provide expected dB levels to the hotel construction team for their consideration in the rooms that were located nearby.
“We used LA Network Manager to tune the system, with the VIP cabanas positioned along the long axis of the club requiring individual delays. It also allowed us to be able to monitor the system during the Grand Opening weekend at the end of February and to continue to remotely monitor the system back in the UK so that we can provide ongoing support and changes to the system as necessary.”
“The Kiva II system was the perfect choice for this venue,” concluded Algate. “The high SPL against its size fitted in perfectly with the architectural design aesthetic. The Soundvision modelling was excellent for us being able to visualise what the system could achieve and meant that we could be sure we would deliver the audio experience we wanted. We are extremely pleased with the results the system delivers.”
