When internationally acclaimed New Zealand reggae band Katchafire recently brought their signature roots-infused sound to Vidinha Stadium on the Hawaiian island of Kaua’i, audiences were treated to far more than just an unforgettable musical performance. Supporting Katchafire, alongside local Hawaiian bands High Watah and Revival, was a vibrant production design created by Kent Tanigawa of Audio Visual Technology LLC, featuring a versatile selection of ADJ lighting fixtures and AVANTE Audio sound reinforcement.
Based on the island of Kaua’i, Audio Visual Technology LLC supplied audio, lighting and backline equipment for the event. Company founder Kent Tanigawa has a long history in the entertainment technology industry stretching back more than four decades. He became an ADJ dealer the same year the company was founded in 1985, after opening his own brick-and-mortar DJ store, and later served as Technical Director for theater at Kaua’i Community College. Over the last 30 years he has remained heavily involved in live audio and lighting production, eventually launching Audio Visual Technology LLC around twelve years ago to provide production services for concerts and events of all sizes across the island.
For the Katchafire concert, Kent deployed 24 of ADJ’s versatile 12P HEX IP LED-powered par fixtures to wash the stage in rich, vibrant color. Pre-rigged in sets of four, the fixtures were distributed across the mid-stage and down-stage lighting supports built into the roof of the trailer stage.
“Because they have the IP65-rating, we use the 12P HEX IP pars for a lot of outdoor events,” explains Kent. “They are really well built, have a nice beam angle, good brightness and excellent color mixing from the 6-in-1 color mixing LEDs.”
Designed specifically for both indoor and outdoor entertainment applications, the 12P HEX IP features twelve powerful 12-Watt RGBAW+UV LEDs combined with a 25-degree beam angle to deliver broad, even color washes. The fixture’s rugged IP65-rated housing and integrated multipurpose hanging bracket/floor stand make it particularly well suited for temporary outdoor productions like this one.
Adding further depth and visual impact to the stage design, Kent lined the front lip of the stage with five ADJ UBL 12H linear LED fixtures. The latest evolution in ADJ’s popular Ultra Series, the UBL 12H utilizes twelve 20-Watt RGBAL+UV LEDs arranged into six independently controllable zones. The inclusion of a lime LED chip enhances color mixing performance while also delivering a CRI of over 90 and tunable white light control ranging from 2,300K to 9,900K.
“I like the UBL 12H bars,” comments Kent, “they are compact but powerful and the color mixing and quality of light from the lime LEDs is very impressive. On this show we used them as low level blinders, to frame the stage with color and for pixel effects.”
To generate dynamic aerial looks and textured stage effects, Kent positioned four ADJ Focus Spot 5Z moving heads along the back of the stage. Built around a powerful 200W cool white LED engine with a 50,000-hour lifespan, this versatile moving head combines impressive output with an extensive feature set. Motorized zoom and focus, dual color wheels, rotating GOBOs, dual rotating prisms (6-facet circular and 5-facet linear) and two frost filters (light and heavy) allow the fixture to create everything from sharp aerial beams to textured stage projections, all from a compact footprint ideal for touring and event production applications.
“I needed a light with a lot of punch that could balance out the rig by shooting up color and GOBOs from the back of the stage,” explains Kent. “The Focus Spot 5Z has great output as well as plenty of features, so we were able to create lots of interesting effects.”
In addition to the ADJ fixtures, Kent also integrated products from sister company Eliminator Lighting into the production design. Six Eliminator Stryker Max moving heads lined the upstage truss goal post, creating sweeping beam and color effects behind the band, while four Eliminator Elektron Bar FX linear blinder/strobe fixtures were rigged to the downstage goal post supports and side truss totems to deliver high-energy strobe and audience effects throughout the performance.
To enhance the visibility of the lighting effects, an ADJ Entourage atmospheric effect generator was used to create a consistent haze across the stage. Utilizing standard water-based fog fluid with fine particle dispersion, the touring-grade machine features a 1,400W heating element and rapid 45-second warm-up time to produce an impressive 15,000 cubic feet per minute output, ideal for large-scale outdoor events.
Additional impactful stage moments were generated using a pair of ADJ Fog Fury Jett Pro vertical fog machines. These were loaded with fast-dissipating fluid to create dramatic CO2-style plumes synchronized with key moments in the performance.
The entire lighting and effects system was controlled using a pair of ADJ WMX1 MK2 standalone lighting controllers, giving Kent and his team flexible and intuitive hands-on control of the production throughout the event.
Alongside the lighting system, the event audio was powered exclusively by active loudspeakers from another ADJ Group sister company, AVANTE Audio. The main PA featured two hangs of Imperio Pro IMP205 compact array modules combined with flown Imperio Sub 210s and ground-stacked Imperio Pro IMP118 subwoofers, while Achromic A10X loudspeakers handled stage monitor duties.
“Having worked with ADJ equipment – on and off – since the very beginning, I like the direction the company has moved over the last few years,” concludes Kent. “The ADJ range has definitely become a lot more professional and is right up there, just as good as anything on the market. In fact, I don't have any problem using anything from the ADJ Group, from the smaller Eliminator DJ-focused products right up to the latest large scale ADJ fixtures. I’ve also become a big fan of AVANTE Audio, for the size and ease of deployment, I think you can't beat the Imperio Pro Series.”
Combining vibrant visuals, impactful atmospheric effects and powerful sound reinforcement, the production created by Kent Tanigawa and Audio Visual Technology LLC ensured that Katchafire’s Kaua’i performance delivered an immersive live experience worthy of the breathtaking Hawaiian setting.
Event
New Zealand meets Hawaii
Katchafire x High Watah x Revival
Venue
Vidinha Stadium
Hoolako St, Lihue, HI 96766
Production Company
Audio Visual Technology LLC
www.avkauai.com
www.instagram.com/avtechkauai
Production and Lighting Designer
Kent Tanigawa
Lighting Operator
Percy Sanchez
Blaze Entertainment
Gear List
Lighting
24 x ADJ 12P HEX IP
5 x ADJ UBL 12H
4 x ADJ Focus Spot 5Z
2 x ADJ Fog Fury Jett Pro
1 x ADJ Entourage
2 x ADJ WMX1 MK2
6 x Eliminator Stryker Max
4 x Eliminator Elektron Bars
1 x X-Laser LaserCube Ultra 7.5W MK2
Audio
24 x AVANTE Audio Imperio Pro IMP205
4 x Avante Imperio Sub 210
8 x Avante Audio Imperio Pro IMP118
8 x Avante Audio Achromic A10 (stage monitors)
Photographer
Sheadon Ringor
www.instagram.com/sheadonphotography
