A total of 102 of the new video-capable JDC2 IP hybrid strobes from GLP were a highlight of Mayday, known as “the mother of all raves”, which takes place in Dortmund’s Westfalenhalle, in Germany, every year. Around 20,000 techno enthusiasts dance for 12 hours straight on the four large Mayday dancefloors, with their spectacular stage constructions, huge LED surfaces and lighting technology.
Every year, the design team, led by lighting and content designer Marek Papke from GERDON DESIGN, gives the EDM event a new look. This year, Papke designed 72 GLP JDC2 IP into the stage area. Behind the DJ position were six 8 x 2-metre LED strips, next to which were MLT trusses equipped with eight JDC2 IP. In this configuration, the devices expanded the video content of the LED surfaces, with content transmitted via NDI stream.
In addition, another 12 JDC2 IPs were placed on a truss at the front of the stage, which were mirrored by a further 12 devices positioned at the front edge of the stage. All 72 JDC2 IP installed in the stage area were integrated into the NDI-based pixel mapping and, together with the large LED areas, formed an overwhelming overall picture whenever played out simultaneously.
In contrast, the remaining 30 devices endemic to the floor design functioned only as strobe and washlight. This year, the trusses above the dancefloor replicated the event’s well-known rocket logo. Here the JDC2 IP provided the necessary raw power to bathe the entire dancefloor in blindingly bright light, or strong colours.
The new Creos from FUSION by GLP also made an appearance at Mayday in smaller quantities. Sixteen of the new LED washlights were positioned in a row behind the DJ booth. With 18 x 40W RGBL LEDs in three rows of six pixels, several devices next to each other looked more like an oversized LED bar. This equipped the DJ position with ultra-strong beam looks.
The JDC2 IP were supplied by CGS Dry Hire, pre-assembled in trusses according to Vectorworks’ plans. In order to be able to provide the maximum number of features and DigiFX, CGS also installed a new software version on the devices in advance, in close coordination with GLP.
“The ability to easily add video content to the new JDC2 IP via NDI is really a huge advantage,” said Papke. “NDI is now a standard format for event productions. Any media server, even a laptop, can output it. An NDI stream can be set up in just a few minutes. The advantage over previous solutions is clearly that this intuitive way allows a large system to be set up quickly, allowing for fantastic, large looks. In the case of Mayday, a media server simply outputs a full-screen image via NDI stream, with the JDC2 IP included in the feed. In terms of workflow simplicity, this is definitely a game changer in pixel mapping approach.”
Papke added: “It was a great pleasure to be able to use this new 3-in-1 fixture in large numbers for the first time, at such a traditional event as Mayday. The JDC2 IP actually offers a number of great new possibilities for expanding fragmented content beyond the LED surfaces and thus pushing the boundaries of creative design. Not only did the devices run smoothly, they gave Mayday a never-before-seen futuristic look that impressed everyone involved, without exception.”
Mayday’s technical service provider was schoko pro, which contributed significantly to the technical planning.
