GLP Impression, New Spot One, and G-LEC in Action at MAYDAY 2011

	Photo credit: Ralph Larmann

In 1991, an instantaneous idea to help a local radio station set the path for what would end up as Germany's greatest indoor rave - MAYDAY. Traditionally held on the night before May 1st, Mayday has been in residence since 1997 at Dortmund's Westfalenhallen. Just as the "ARENA" in Hall 1 represents Trance and softer sounds, so the "EMPIRE" in Hall 3 draws fans of hard techno and electro music.

This year saw the new impression Spot One from GLP premiere on the main floor in the Westfalenhalle. Lighting designer Tim Franken placed ten impression Spot One fixtures alongside 48 impression 90s, left and right of the stage, "We were using a lot of big moving lights with 1,200W light sources and more throughout the entire venue," he says. "I knew that the impression 90 could easily compete against those and but I was particularly impressed by the Spot One, and in particular its rich color output. Thanks to the baseless design, we were able to use the units as a design element within our visual concept."

Also in the so called Arena was a full complement of moving trusses, pyro effects, video screens, and a laser show, all set up and managed by production manager Tim Brune, of the Cologne based laserfabrik. Performers during the evening included acts as Westbam, Paul van Dyk and, as live performers, the Members of Mayday.

Inside the Empire, it was all about hard beats and massive sound levels. Approximately 14 hours of hard techno have become a benchmark for technology and event lighting designer Roland Aberle knows the task: "Reliability, under high pressure and over a long period is what I expect from the fixtures -- and I also need tools which allow creative design. Techno is so much more than mindless 'Boom Boom' -- it's thrilling, demanding, and diverse. Forget about simple chases or uninspired lighting dimmed up and down ... that's absolutely not the deal here."

One of the main components in Aberle's design for this year's Mayday was a giant matrix consisting of G-LEC Phantom 60 System. Fifty-four of these frames were installed at the rear of the hall, right behind the stage and the DJs. The sheer size of this matrix was impressive -- nearly the complete back wall was covered - but equally dynamic was the way Aberle used the matrix.

Based on a custom-made soft- and hardware solution, Aberle was able to use G-LEC as a video screen equally to using it as a kind of lighting fixture. "We developed a Linux-based control tool, which converted DMX values into DVI signals, and, via a separate video mixer, we routed different signals on the G-LEC matrix," he explains. "Using the converter, I was able to display colors or even effects from the lighting desk's effect engine, mix them with visuals or any content provided from the VJs -- or display dedicated videos. It was an exciting experience to use a G-LEC frame like a fixture with RGB color scheme."

The second major element of Aberle's design was a massive amount of moving lights for the Empire. Nearly half of them were GLP impressions, in a mix consisting of normal impression 90 and impression 120 RZ Zoom, with 21 of the impression 120 RZ Zoom forming a small matrix within the G-LEC matrix, drawing the audience's attention to the stage, where famous DJs like Sven Väth, Jeff Mills, and Rush rocked the house.

Summing up Kasper Gissel, on behalf of both GLP and G-LEC, stated: "We are delighted that the G-LEC and GLP fixtures made such a dramatic impact at Germany's leading rave event -- and particularly that the Spot One passed its debut with flying colors. We are grateful to Roland and Tim for using our fixtures so creatively."