The action starts when the restaurant opens daily at 5PM and doesn't stop until the nightclub closes at 5AM. Everyday, 160 TAO employees keep the party going. Inside TAO, a hand-carved 20ft tall Buddha greets guests as it floats atop a reflecting pool filled with koi fish. The nearby moat area contains floating tables for VIPs while a catwalk leading to the women's bathroom also serves as a pseudo-runway. Above the dining area sits eight private skyboxes outfitted with mini-bars and espresso machines.
To achieve the sound coverage throughout the complex, Tao Las Vegas co-owner Rich Wolf called upon veteran designer and fellow club owner John Lyons, president of design/build company John Lyons Systems and owner of the Avalon clubs in Boston and New York as well as the Avalon and Spider Club in Los Angeles, to design and install the EAW-laden sound system.
"The sound design covers every square inch of TAO including hallways and bathrooms," says Lyons. This is important considering TAO specializes in "vibe dining" where dancing on the way to your table or to the bathroom is encouraged. Wolf and business partner Mark Packer wanted the sound system to keep up with the energy of the guests and follow wherever the party happened; whether it is in the dining room, the nightclub or both.
"In a space like TAO, the coverage of the sound system is important, but so is the quality," explained Lyons. "[Wolf] wanted to be able to clear out all the tables in the restaurant and have a big party if the mood struck. To do so, all installed loudspeakers needed to keep up with the nightclub dance music."
To provide coverage for TAO's diverse areas, Lyons chose over twenty loudspeaker models from EAW's vast product line, for a grand total of 154 loudspeakers. Models ranged from the Avalon series (which Lyons co-developed with EAW) to the versatile MK series and its value-driven cousin, the EAW CommercialVR series.
One example of TAO's diverse conditions and usage is the multi-level dining area, which features 40ft ceilings. Although the upper level is used for dining, it can also be used as a dance club space; therefore, TAO needed loudspeakers capable of high SPLs but that would not tarnish the aesthetics. Lyons used eight EAW UB82 compact loudspeakers and EAW SB150r subwoofers to complement the flush-mounted EAW LXCX2XO ceiling speakers used on the lower level.
For the nightclub, Lyons installed four EAW Avalon DC2 full-range loudspeakers, two EAW Avalon DC5 12" 2-way loudspeakers, and six EAW Avalon DCS2 subwoofers as the main dance floor system. Seven EAW UB82e loudspeakers and one EAW SB250 subwoofer provide additional coverage off the dance floor. In the nightclub's VIP area, the special guests are covered by six EAW MK2396 12-inch 2-way loudspeakers and one EAW VRS18 subwoofer.
Noah Tepperberg, who along with business partner Jason Strauss oversees marketing and operations for TAO, credits the entertainment complex for the considerable increase in traffic of the 21-40 year old market segment to the Venetian.
(Chris Henry)
