ADJ and Eliminator Lighting Bring Every Karaoke Song to Life at New Mic Drop Venue in West Hollywood

When Mic Drop opened its doors in West Hollywood in April 2026, it introduced a new take on the karaoke experience, combining the glamour of a legendary recording-studio location with an immersive, technology-driven entertainment concept. At the heart of that experience is a sophisticated lighting system comprised of ADJ and Eliminator lighting fixture, designed to transform every song into a fully choreographed visual performance.

Located in the former home of Larrabee Studios, the 6,000-square-foot venue carries a rich musical legacy. Founded by Carole King and Gerry Goffin, Larrabee became a landmark recording facility that hosted artists including Prince and Cher. For Mic Drop founders Leo and Oliver Kremer, the building's history provided both inspiration and a challenge: to create a contemporary karaoke destination that would respect the character of the location while delivering something entirely new.

The brothers' vision was to create what they describe as an “Art Disco” environment, combining the glamour of the 1920s with the glitz of the 1970s. That vision extends throughout 13 private karaoke suites, each named after a famous recording studio, alongside a public bar and concert-style main stage. With suite capacities ranging from six to 50 guests, Mic Drop caters to everything from intimate gatherings to large celebrations.
What makes the venue particularly distinctive is the way lighting has been integrated directly into the karaoke experience. Every backing track automatically triggers a custom DMX-programmed light show, with metadata from the songs used to select and trigger lighting cues. As a result, each performance can have its own unique visual identity, with thousands of songs available to guests.

The lighting system for the venue was designed and supplied by Pineapple Audio, with President Matt Edgar overseeing the project and Scott Owens serving as Lighting Designer. Alex J. Specht handled programming for the main stage, while the Pineapple Audio team worked closely with the karaoke software supplier, KaraFun, to integrate the lighting system with the music system.

“We were recommended to the Kremer brothers by KaraFun, the French company supplying the karaoke software and backing tracks for the venue, as experts in AV and lighting for the hospitality sector. The brothers wanted to raise the bar in terms of what a karaoke bar can be, and lighting was a big part of that. We worked with KaraFun to map metadata stored within the karaoke tracks to trigger the DMX lighting, so every song has a unique lightshow – and there are thousands of songs to choose from! This is something that has never been done other than in a handful of venues in Europe that are actually owned and operated by KaraFun. So, it’s the first time it’s been done in the States and by an independent venue.”

Compact Fixtures, Big Impact

One of the project's key challenges was fitting a high-impact lighting system into suites of very different sizes and dimensions. While the larger rooms offered more space, they still had low ceilings, and the smallest suites demanded an exceptionally compact approach without compromising the visual impact.

“When it came to selecting lighting brands for the project, ADJ and Eliminator were an obvious choice,” explains Matt. “We already had a good relationship, and we needed products that were reliable – because they’re going to be used a lot in this place – and also backed by good US-based support. Because of the scale of the project, price was also an important factor, and together ADJ and Eliminator delivered exactly what we needed. Since the venue opened in April, we’ve had zero problems with any of the lighting and, with the quantity of fixtures we’re talking about here, that’s impressive!”

The private suites combine Eliminator Stinger Spot 30 automated spot fixtures with ADJ UBL12H linear wash fixtures. The exceptionally compact Stinger Spot 30 provides crisp output from its 30-Watt LED source, while the shallow UBL12H delivers powerful, colorful illumination from 12 lime-infused 6-in-1 LEDs. Its wide color palette includes high-quality white light with variable color temperature, while its CRI of over 90 makes it equally suitable for atmospheric and flattering illumination. Fixture quantities vary according to the size and layout of each suite, allowing Pineapple Audio to tailor the lighting system to each room while maintaining a consistent experience throughout the venue. The combination gives each suite the essential ingredients of a professional entertainment lighting rig while keeping the fixtures discreet enough to work within Mic Drop's carefully designed interiors.

“Size was very important when choosing the fixtures themselves, because the smallest suites really are very small,” explains Matt, “but we still wanted to deliver the same experience with moving lights, rich color washes and dynamic chase patterns. We settled on the Eliminator Stinger Spot 30 as it is very small but still bright enough to create real impact, paired with the ADJ UBL12H LED bars which are very shallow but offer great output, color mixing and zone control.”

Mirror Balls With a Digital Twist

Mirror balls are another defining feature of the private suites, with each room centered around one of two different-sized models. Seven rooms feature Eliminator EM8 8-inch (20cm) mirror balls, while the remaining six use larger Eliminator EM12 12-inch (30cm) models.

Rather than simply running continuously, however, every mirror ball is integrated into the venue's DMX-controlled lighting system. All 13 are suspended from Eliminator MBDMX-PLUS mirror ball motors, allowing both rotation direction and speed to be controlled as part of the custom lighting programs. This means that even one of the most classic elements of nightclub lighting can become part of Mic Drop's song-specific programming, responding alongside the moving heads and LED fixtures to create constantly changing visual environments.

A Stage for the Biggest Performances

The largest private suite, Skywalker, takes the experience a step further with its own small stage. A pair of ADJ 12PX HEX LED-powered PAR fixtures provide illumination for performers, giving the room additional flexibility for larger groups and more theatrical karaoke performances.

The venue's public bar provides an even larger canvas. Designed around a concert-style main stage, this space features a more substantial rig incorporating additional Eliminator Stinger Spot 30 fixtures alongside 13 Eliminator Stealth Wash Zoom automated luminaires. Each is powered by seven 12-Watt RGBW LEDs, combining powerful color output with motorized zoom functionality. Six Eliminator Stealth Beam compact moving head beam fixtures add concentrated aerial effects to the rig, bringing another layer of movement and energy to the stage.

For key stage illumination, a pair of ADJ Encore Profile Pro Color ellipsoidal fixtures are fitted with EP LENS 2550Z 25–50-degree zoom lenses and DF 64 diffusion filters. These provide controlled, flattering illumination of the performers while complementing the more dynamic effects generated by the moving heads.

In the center of the room hangs one of the venue's most distinctive visual features: a custom-built microphone-shaped mirror ball. This is illuminated by three ADJ Saber Spot RGBL 20-Watt color-mixing pinspots, ensuring that the sculptural centerpiece becomes an integral part of the room’s aesthetic.

The result is a lighting system that goes far beyond simply illuminating a karaoke venue. Every private suite becomes its own miniature entertainment environment, while the main bar and stage offer a more traditional concert and nightlife experience. Most importantly, the DMX integration means that the lighting is directly connected to the music, allowing guests to experience their chosen songs not just as performances, but as fully realized visual shows.

By combining compact, feature-rich ADJ and Eliminator fixtures with sophisticated song-triggered programming, Pineapple Audio has helped Mic Drop realize its ambition of raising the bar for karaoke. From intimate private rooms to the venue's main stage, every performance has the potential to become a memorable, immersive production.

Venue
Mic Drop
8811 Santa Monica Blvd, West Hollywood, CA 90069
www.micdrop.la

Audiovisual Supplier
Pineapple Audio
www.pineappleaudio.com

Lighting Designer
Scott Owens

Main Stage Lighting Programmer
Alex J. Specht

ADJ and Eliminator Gear List
89 x Eliminator Stinger Spot 30
48 x ADJ UBL12H
13 x Eliminator MBDMX-PLUS (ADJ USA Exclusive)
13 x Eliminator Stealth Wash Zoom (ADJ USA Exclusive)
7 x Eliminator EM8 Mirror Ball (ADJ USA Exclusive)
6 x Eliminator EM12 Mirror Ball (ADJ USA Exclusive)
6 x Eliminator Stealth Beam (ADJ USA Exclusive)
3 x ADJ Saber Spot RGBL
2 x ADJ Encore Profile Pro Color
2 x ADJ Lens 25-50Z (ADJ USA Exclusive)
2 x ADJ DF 64 (ADJ USA Exclusive)
2 x ADJ 12PX HEX