ADJ Fixtures Power High-Energy ‘PEAK’ Experience at Cal State San Bernardino

A powerful combination of ADJ lighting, LED video and atmospheric effects transformed the Coussoulis Arena at California State University, San Bernardino into a fully immersive rave environment for the recent Peak 2026. Delivered by Props Audio Visual, the production leveraged a wide array of ADJ fixtures – ElectraPix Par 7 LED pars, Focus Profile moving heads, VS3IP LED video panels and Entour Venue faze machines – to create a high-energy audiovisual experience that pushed the venue far beyond its traditional role as home to the Coyote basketball and volleyball teams.

Organized by Associated Students, Inc. (ASI), the university’s student government, the event marked the first rave-style production on campus in almost a decade. With a brief to go bigger than ever before, Props AV – a Beaumont, CA-based production company with a long history of collaboration with ASI – pulled out all the stops.

“Our direction from the client was simple,” explains Props AV Project Manager Tommy Frisch. “Use more lights than we’ve ever had for an event before!”

Central to Tommy’s design was a striking overhead installation spelling out the word ‘PEAK’, created using ADJ ElectraPix Par 7 fixtures. Each unit features seven independently controllable 20W RGBAL+UV LEDs, complemented by 66 RGB background glow LEDs, allowing for rich color mixing, pixel-mapped effects and a distinctive halo-style backlight. With built-in battery power, wireless DMX control via Aria X2, and a versatile L Track rigging system, the fixtures offered both creative flexibility and practical efficiency.

“One of my first ideas when planning for the show was to spell out ‘PEAK’ in lights to create a focal point for the stage and really the whole event,” explains Tommy. “My first thought was to sub rent Elation SŌL I blinders – because they are designed to link together to create custom patterns – but that wasn’t going to work for the budget. Looking at our internal inventory, the ElectraPix was the obvious choice. So I spent some time with my LD in our shop, putting Global Truss single tubes together and working out how to rig the letters. We ended up using 14 tubes that held up a maximum of five pars each. The end result was really effective. Because we were in a basketball arena, you entered at the top before walking down to the floor, so the sign was basically at eye level, so made a real impact.”

“We love the ElektraPix Par 7s,” enthuses Tommy. “We are generally big on battery-powered and wireless up-lights at Props AV, in fact they are one of the things we move most around here. We had 340 or so of our previous light. We're not quite at that level with the ElectraPix yet, but we're slowly moving in that direction. It works for all the normal applications when we’d need a battery-powered up-light, but it's also lightweight enough – even with the battery – that we're able to throw it up in a rig like this. And the pixel mapping combined with the backlight effect truly sets it apart from any other Par on the market.”

To deliver high-impact beams, projection effects and precise stage lighting, twelve ADJ Focus Profile moving head fixtures were deployed across the rig. Powered by a 400W LED engine generating up to 20,000 lumens, this fixture offers an extensive feature set including CMY color mixing, variable CTO, dual GOBO wheels, animation wheel, motorized zoom (7°–45°), iris, focus and two rotating prisms. The inclusion of four rotating framing shutters also enables intricate beam shaping and dynamic aerial effects.

“We've owned the Focus Profile for a while now, and it's kind of become our workhorse light,” comments Tommy. “Typically, it’s the first one out of the shop on any show. It's bright enough to function with a beam -esque quality, but it can also really widen out. It has a great collection of features, including a good framing system. On this show, my LD really liked doing different shutter effects – rotating diamonds and things like that – which looked great. Especially at a price point, you really can't beat it.”

Video elements of the production were delivered using ADJ VS3IP LED panels, configured to create both a large upstage screen and a custom DJ booth façade. Featuring a 3.84mm pixel pitch and high-output 3-in-1 RGB SMD LEDs, the panels offer brightness levels of up to 4,500 NITS. With an IP65-rated front and IP54-rated rear, as well as integrated Novastar receiving cards and Memory On Module (MOM) technology, they provide a robust and flexible solution for both indoor and temporary outdoor use.

“We own loads of VS3IP,” enthuses Tommy, “it’s our go to for video walls on most projects. It’s easy to rig, easy to build, well built, and bright as all hell! In fact I’m not sure we ever run it on full brightness… definitely not on an indoor show, but part of its appeal is the IP-rating so we can use the same panels outdoors as well. The only reason we’d go for anything else would be if we particularly needed a higher pixel pitch. But for almost everything we do, 3.9mm is just fine.”

To enhance the visibility of beams and elevate the overall atmosphere, four ADJ Entour Venue units were strategically positioned around the stage. Combining the output characteristics of a fog machine with the fine dispersion of a haze unit, each fixture utilizes a 1,500W heating element and high-velocity fan to produce up to 15,000 cubic feet of atmospheric output per minute. The result is a consistent, even haze ideal for showcasing lighting effects across large spaces.

“The Entour Venue has become another real workhorse for us,” states Tommy. “They're able to fill an indoor arena like this real quick, but they're also able to keep up outdoors. The variability they offer is very helpful, you can turn them down when you need a minimal haze, but when you crank them to full, they really go! We enjoy using them on a wide variety of projects.”

By combining creative vision with a carefully selected suite of ADJ solutions, Props AV successfully transformed a familiar campus venue into a high-energy rave environment. Peak 2026 not only delivered an unforgettable night for the students of Cal State San Bernardino, but also demonstrated the powerful impact of well-designed lighting and production technology.

Event
Peak 2026

Lighting Vendor
Props Audio Visual
www.PropsAV.com

Production Manager 
Tommy Frisch

Lighting Designer
Ben Faux

Video Director
Richie Villasenor

Photographer / videographer
Heather Beymer

ADJ Gear
42 x ElectraPix Par 7
14 x Focus Profile
4 x Entour Venue fazers
61 x VS3IP LED video panels