Electro-Voice

Burnsville, MN, Jul 2024 – Choctaw Landing, a new $230 million casino hotel and entertainment resort in Hochatown, Oklahoma, includes an outdoor amphitheater featuring an Electro-Voice XLD line-array loudspeaker system. The casino tapped AVI Systems’ Dallas-based business unit for assistance with the installation.

“The hotel and casino are in an L-shaped building, with the casino in one wing and the rooms in the other,” explains Kevin Adcock, AVI Systems project manager. “They utilized the outdoor space naturally created in the center of the two wings for an outdoor stage and amphitheater with natural seating for a couple hundred people. Restaurants and bars are accessible in this area or represented with food and drink stands, and there’s plenty of natural seating. It’s a great space for guests to relax with entertainment, day or night.”

The sound reinforcement system includes 12 XLD281-FG loudspeakers in arrays of six per side, each with low-end support from a pair of XCS312-FG subwoofers. An additional XCS sub is flown in the center. The FG models are fully weatherized with a fiberglass coating, so the system not only meets the casino's stringent sound quality and precision-coverage requirements but also offers the durability needed for an outdoor installation in Oklahoma, including withstanding winds exceeding 80 mph.

Each 3-way XLD281-FG is loaded with an 8” neodymium LF transducer, an 8” neodymium LF/MB transducer, and two neodymium 2” voice coil compression drivers combined through two Hydra plane wave generators into a 120° x 10° waveguide. CCT (Coverage Control Technology) enables both 8” transducers to provide maximum low-frequency output and operating bandwidth while controlling horizontal beamwidth to 200 Hz. The left and right arrays deliver full-range, high-intelligibility audio with predictable pattern control, keeping sound contained to the area.

The XCS312 subwoofer is designed for high-output low-frequency extension to 40 Hz in a cardioid configuration. It uses three DVX3120 forced air-cooled 12" transducers capable of long, linear excursion and high-power handling in a 2-channel configuration. XCS312 subwoofers deliver exceptionally focused-yet-powerful bass performance for the various entertainment groups using the stage.

With the right models selected to provide the optimal combination of sonic performance and resilience against the outdoors, it was time to make the EV system a permanent fixture in the new venue. “Because of the extreme weather conditions in Oklahoma, and because the casino wanted the system dead hung, we opted to outsource the rigging design and setup to Dallas-based Production and Rigging Resources, who we have worked with before in challenging situations like this,” adds Adcock. “The Production and Rigging Resources team did a terrific job with both the design and installation of the truss system – I don’t think it’s going anywhere soon!”

•AVI Systems selected Electro-Voice XLD line-array loudspeakers for exceptional coverage of new outdoor amphitheater.

•The casino specified a system that exceeded sound quality and precision-coverage requirements while offering the durability needed for an outdoor installation in Oklahoma, including withstanding winds exceeding 80 mph

•Dallas-based Production and Rigging Resources assisted with custom rigging for the outdoor venue.