ADJ’s Full Potential Showcased on The Arena Plaza Stage at NAMM 2025

For the fourth consecutive year, ADJ was the official naming sponsor of the outdoor Arena Plaza stage at the recent NAMM 2025 music industry tradeshow in Anaheim, CA. However, this year the ADJ team raised the bar with production on the stage, generating undeniable ‘wow factor’. An impactful lighting rig comprised exclusively of ADJ fixtures – predominantly drawn from the IP65-rated Hydro Series and Jolt IP range – showcased the power and versatility of the company’s catalog. Large video screens constructed from ADJ LED panels also flanked the stage, while the PA was provided by sister company AVANTE Audio, debuting the new Akro Series line array system, highlighting the potential for the ADJ Group to deliver full production for a mid-size festival stage.

Gathering the music, audio and entertainment technology communities at Anaheim Convention Center in California, the NAMM trade show attracts visitors from across the USA and around the world. Alongside a huge exhibition floor featuring everything from musical instruments to lighting technology, the event also features numerous performance stages showcasing both established and up-and-coming talent. Located between the Anaheim Convention Center Arena and the ACC North hall, right by the pedestrian entrance to the NAMM site from W Katella Ave, the ADJ Arena Plaza Stage was positioned in a busy thoroughfare between buildings. It hosted a wide variety of musical performances throughout each day of the show, incorporating both acoustic and full band sets covering a wide variety of genres including folk, rock, jazz, ska, RnB and mariachi.

The task of designing the lighting rig for this year’s ADJ Arena Plaza Stage fell to the company’s new Technical Product Specialist, Jeffrey Yukelson. With decades of professional lighting experience, including at the convention department of Aria Resort and Casino in Las Vegas and running his own production company, Jeffrey was ideally placed to design a system that would attract attention from fellow LDs, complement the wide variety of musical styles showcased on the stage and also look great throughout the day as well as in the evening.

“I’m a designer who really likes big, strong backlight angles,” explains Jeffrey. “I also like having a rig that I can texture with, so I wanted a strong wash system to provide a base of color, a spot system that I could use for GOBOs, and a beam system that I could pound through everything else. I also had to take into consideration that 95% of the show would be happening during the day, so I had to pay attention to what the face of the fixtures would look like visually. Finally, I needed to ensure there would be enough saturation on stage, so that even in broad daylight, even with the sun beaming down, you could still see the color wash.”

To achieve this vibrant color wash across the whole stage, Jeffrey deployed the new Hydro Flex L19 automated wash-zoom luminaires on the SL100 trailer stage’s downstage electric, complemented by the more compact Hydro Flex L7 variant hanging from the two mid-stage electrics. Allowing lighting pros in the audience the opportunity to compare this new fixture with the original Focus Flex L7 model, Jeffrey utilized the latter for side and back light. In addition, static Encore LB15IP linear LED wash fixtures served as footlights, while a single COB Cannon LP200ST provided backlight for the drum riser.

Front light for illuminating performers on stage was provided by ADJ’s flagship Hydro Profile automated luminaires, rigged from the stage’s downstage electric as well as pipes mounted off it that sat further out from the stage to provide a shallower angle for hitting the front of the stage. Two additional fixtures were positioned at FOH, and used to illuminate the PA hangs for interested audio professionals, utilizing the fixtures’ internal framing shutters to prevent light spilling over to where it wasn’t required.

Jeffrey utilized a combination of Hydro Spot 2, Hydro Spot 1 and Hydro Hybrid automated fixtures for GOBO projections and beam effects. A mixture of the Spot 2 and Hybrid models were interspersed with the wash fixtures on the two mid stage electrics, with additional Spots 2s rigged from the upstage electric. The compact and nimble Spot 1s were deployed across four ladder trusses – constructed from Global Truss America DT-QUICK GRIDs – hanging at the rear of the stage.

Completing the stage’s moving head package were Vizi Beam CMY dedicated beam fixtures. These were placed directly on the stage, interspersed with the backline, as well as on top of the two large free standing truss goal posts positioned at either side of the stage to support the video walls and line array hangs. After dark, these fixtures proved incredibly effectively, shooting dense columns of light far up into the night sky.

“Another of my goals,” states Jeffrey, “was to keep the rig busy at all times, because the audience was continually changing as people would walk by and stop to listen for a while. So, I ensured there was always something going on – some sort of movement, chase or visual. Depending on the music, it would be stronger or more subtle. If it was a rock song there would be strobes, if it was a ballad there would be a nice little color shift, but something was always happening.”

Central to achieving this vision was the use of Jolt Bar FXIP and Jolt Panel FXIP multifunction LED strobe / wash / eye candy fixtures, which Jeffrey deployed across both the vertical and horizontal trusses of the goal posts as well as on each of the upstage ladders. With their high output and zone control, this allowed for the creation of a wide variety of engaging looks that could be seen as soon as the stage came into view even in full daylight.

“I love the Jolt Bar FXIP and Jolt Panel FXIP, they work great,” enthuses Jeffrey. “I’ve used them on shows before I joined ADJ and I’ve always found them to be bright, reliable and effective. From my perspective, along with the Hydro Spot 2s, they were the stars of the show. They were the anchor; no matter what was going on, no matter how far back you were, even if a band wasn’t on stage, they’d be running some kind of visual effect to draw your attention.”

Completing the rig were Encore Burst 200 LED-powered warm white twin-cell blinders, hanging on the downstage electric pointing out at the audience, complemented by the new Vintage X units hanging from the rear ladder trusses. Featuring four powerful amber LED arrays, arranged in a cross shape and surrounded by color mixing background LEDs, this unique fixture is designed to provide a versatile focal point on stage.

Jeffrey programmed the show using the ONYX platform from ADJ’s sister company Obsidian Control Systems, with an NX4 console at front of house. He used the DYLOS pixel composer within the ONYX ecosystem to create animated effects running across the Jolt Series fixtures, which were patched in their highest channel mode for full granular control over each zone of LEDs.

The two large video walls flanking the stage were each constructed from 40 of ADJ’s IP-rated VS3IP LED panels, arranged in a 5 x 7 configuration. Used for a combination of graphic signage and live IMAG video, the panel’s 3.84mm pixel pitch and 4500 NITS of brightness ensured clarity for audience members at the front of the stage as well as visibility even in full daylight.

Completing the stage’s production was an audio system built around AVANTE Audio’s new Akro Series line array, which was officially launched at NAMM 2025. This Milan-certified, active system comprises the Akro ATL328 3-way line array module and the high output Akro ATS218 dual 18-inch subwoofer. Engineered to complement each other, the two products both feature robust enclosures, powerful internal class D amplification, and comprehensive DSP. The stage featured two hangs of ten ATL328s paired with sixteen ATS218s arranged in an end-fire configuration that focused all the low frequency energy to the audience area. Completing the audio system were four Imperio Pro IMP205 mini line array modules, used for infill in front of the stage, and an additional eight units – paired with two Imperio Pro IMP118 subs – forming a delay tower behind FOH.

“The new Akro Series performed exceptionally well for the entire duration of its debut at NAMM 2025,” comments Tony Mirador, AVANTE Audio’s Product Engineer. “The ATL328 line array module proved itself with high sound quality, dynamic range and headroom. The coherent nature of this design provided outstanding sonic detail, imaging and very natural sounding intelligibility, with very little system equalization required at FOH. Providing the low frequency foundation, the ATS218 sub proved solid and dynamic at all levels. Even with its relatively small cabinet design, it was not shy in low frequency output and SPL. Overall, the new Akro Series was great to work with. The system was very easy to rig and deploy. It was also nice to have the ability to make real-time system adjustments, select presets and carry out system monitoring of every speaker, remotely via network. The German-developed DSP and software are simple and very intuitive to work with. During NAMM, we received many positive comments from musicians, AV production professionals and even very respected and accomplished engineers associated with other competing brands.”

Combining Jeffrey’s vibrant lighting design, high quality visuals displayed on the largescale LED screens and impeccable sound from the new AVANTE Audio Akro Series, the Arena Plaza Stage at NAMM 2025 provided a complete showcase of the potential offered by the ADJ Group of Companies. Turning the heads of lighting and audio pros alike, the stage’s production was undeniably taken to a new level this year, providing a perfect case study of perfectly executed mid-size festival stage.

Production
ADJ Arena Plasa Stage
NAMM Show 2025
Anaheim, CA

Lighting Designer & Programmer
Jeffrey Yukelson

Photography
Brian Dowdle

Gear List

Lighting
22 x Jolt Panel FXIP
16 x Jolt Bar FXIP
12 x Vizi Beam CMY
12 x Hydro Spot 2
11 x Hydro Profile
14 x Focus Flex L7
8 x Hydro Hybrid
7 x Hydro Flex L7
6 x Hydro Flex L19
6 x Hydro Spot 1
6 x Vintage X
5 x Encore LB15IP
5 x Encore Burst 200
1 x COB Cannon LP200ST

Atmospherics
2 x Entour Pileus

Video
80 x VS3IP

Audio
20 x AVANTE Audio Akro ATL328
16 x AVANTE Audio Akro ATS218
12 x AVANTE Audio Imperio Pro IMP205
2 x AVANTE Audio Imperio Pro IMP118

Control
Obsidian NX4 running ONYX with DYLOS