Breathtaking artistry is part and parcel of everyday life at the four GOP-Varieté theatres in Germany. While one artist performs an unbelievable balancing act by executing a one-handed hand stand on an enormous, rapidly rotating steel cube, the body of another hangs suspended five metres up - her only support a metal pole extending vertically into the cyclorama that she somehow manages to hold on to with her feet. And all the time she's smiling, just as if she were enjoying a relaxing cup of tea with her best friend.
How do they do that? They appear to be defying gravity, yet make the most hair-raising tricks look like child's play. The only clue lies in their finely-toned bodies, which hint at all the hard work that goes on behind the scenes. To portray this sense of weightlessness, the training regime is more arduous than in any other branch of theatre.
Yet with their four theatres in Bad Oeynhausen, Hanover, Munster and Essen, the owners of the renowned and much celebrated Varieté chain have also performed a feat that many of their colleagues in this genre can only dream of: the beautiful theatres, the first of which opened in Hanover in 1992, are without exception in the black - without having to rely on grants, something of which the Grote family is rightly proud. The four GOP houses are at the top of the 20 variety theatres in Germany and every year confirm their role as market leader.
An old rule still holds true: quality pays
Despite being careful spenders, the Grote family has never been one to make false economies. True to the motto "Quality pays", they have not only demonstrated their flair for quality in their choice of venue, for example the Kaiserpalais in Bad Oeynhausen, the furnishings and fittings inside the theatres also satisfy the most discerning taste. The GOP in Bad Oeynhausen (Westphalia), for example, has a fantastic sound system, the backbone of which consists of two exponents of Yamaha digital technology: a Yamaha DME24N and a 01V digital mixing desk, which is shortly to be replaced by its upgraded successor, the 01V96.
Technology in the GOP-Varieté Bad Oeynhausen
The control room in the GOP Bad Oeynhausen is located at box level in the rear left corner of the auditorium. This is also where the Yamaha 01V can be found, which picks up microphone signals from the four (at present) Sennheiser wireless systems. Together with the signals from the players in the control room (including 2 Tascam MDCD1s and Yamaha-D24s), these are sent to the DME24N, where they are then forwarded to five Glockenklang amps for the FOH PA and the delay lines. The stage monitors are fed by a Yamaha XS350 amp and mixed on the 01V. The rack containing the Amp Farm is in a dedicated equipment room to the left of the stage. The DME above the amps acts as a matrix, crossover and propagation delay. The amps power two Kling & Freitag CA1215-PA speakers for left and right, two additional CA1215s for the central area and two Glockenklang loudspeaker systems for the left and right delay lines for the galleries. The power amplifier for the central loudspeakers is fed directly from the 01V. Two more delay lines are planned for tables that stand slightly off to the side.
Fig. 2: Superior workplace: the control room with the 01V and an ASM lighting console
Thorsten Alm of ASM and TA Lichtdesign on his work
The system was installed by the pan-European company ASM Steuerungstechnik GmbH and TA Lichtdesign, whose proprietor Thorsten Alm also has an interest in ASM. The two closely related companies together cover all areas of stage engineering. Thorsten Alm has good reasons for this:
"While other companies have in recent years tended to outsource more and more aspects of their business, we want to be able to provide our customers with everything they need for the stage from a single source. This seems to go down very well. I've been able to gradually expand into all areas of stage engineering, right through to laser technology", explains Thorsten Alm, who has meanwhile added video animation and LED technology to his list of skills. A glance at the reference list on the ASM homepage at http://www.asm-steuerungstechnik.de confirms in no uncertain manner that the concept adopted by Thorsten Alm and ASM is proving to be the right one.
The programming of the Yamaha DME24N in GOP is the only exception to this: here, Alm relies on the expertise of Pan Music from Lohne in Lower Saxony. "Michael Hünteler of Pan Music is a real wizard as far as DMEs are concerned", says Alm. "We like to work with Pan Music because support is just as important to them as it is to us. We're both available to our customers around the clock. If a customer has a problem during a show, then we've got to be there, perhaps with a pile of spares. The guys at Pan Music have the same attitude, like blood brothers, and this means we have close ties with the company."
Why digital technology from Yamaha? Compelling arguments!
Thorsten Alm looks after the entire GOP chain and relies in all establishments on identical Yamaha digital technology, the only difference being that the other three theatres in Essen, Münster and Hanover already use the 01V96. The 34-year old justifies his unwavering trust in Yamaha's DME24N as follows: they were more expensive than the loudspeaker management system that was used previously but, "they're just so much better - and well worth the price", says Alm. Noise is now a thing of the past, and the dynamic range of the so-called digital mixing engine banishes any remaining doubts.
However, the most important argument is the reliability of the DME. "Firstly, I can be certain that the signal that goes into the DME will come out again accurately and untinged. The DMEs are totally faithful", relates Thorsten Alm. "Both the 01V and the DME are also absolutely reliable. The producer can rely on the equipment 100%, the highest priority for professional theatre people like GOP."
As it happens, the DME in GOP is not really stretched enough. As Thorsten Alm explains, "the DME matrix can in fact be switched, a function that's never used at GOP as we've got a Yamaha digital mixer. The mixes are pre-programmed in the 01V, not the DME for instance, and sequenced according to the relevant stage scene from the control room. This approach allows our technicians in the control room to control sound and light together." The lighting console, which is an in-house ASM console, is also programmable. "The amp that drives the central loudspeakers is also powered directly by the 01V. This makes the system even more flexible. Eighty percent of the microphone signals are in the centre above the stage so that you always have the impression that the presenters' voices are coming from the stage, regardless of where you're sitting."
The GOP-Varieté group can be proud of what it's achieved. It has created no less than 450 jobs since it was founded. Turnover in financial year 2005 was 20 million Euros. Every year, around 600,000 guests from all over the world visit one of the four theatres. These are phenomenal achievements, particularly for the culture sector, which can all be put down to the hard work of the GOP owners, the committed workforce and the skills of ASM, TA Lichtdesign and Pan Music. And not least, of course, to Yamaha's digital technology, which controls the PA and mixes in all four houses with the precision of a Swiss timepiece.
An ensemble that certainly deserves its applause.
Fig. 5: An enthusiastic audience in the packed GOP Bad Oeynhausen
salutes the artists with countless curtain calls
About ASM
ASM concentrates on the design and installation of innovative and dependable technology for the stage, studio, events and presentations. The company, which has its headquarters in Bad Wünnenberg-Haaren in Westphalia, Germany, also manufactures robust drive systems (incl. mobile flying machinery, belt hoists, chain hoists and light holders) and the electronics required to control them.
An experienced team produces flexible, professional solutions for drive and control applications. ASM has demonstrated its broad range of skills on numerous occasions – on small orders and as lead contractor on highly complex projects.
ASM Steuerungstechnik GmbH
Otto-Lilienthal-Straße 14
D-33181 Bad Wünnenberg-Haaren
Tel: +49 (0)2957 990 9100
Fax: +49 (0)2957 990 9120
e-mail: info@asm-steuerungstechnik.de
Internet: http://www.asm-steuerungstechnik.de
http://www.asm-control.de
About TA Lichtdesign
TA Lichtdesign provides services for all aspects of event technology. The Bochum-based company, which is run by Thorsten Alm, not only covers lighting with LED and video animation, it also provides solutions for all related technical areas in event and stage technology - from stage construction to installation of the latest audio systems.
Thorsten Alm's activities in this field also extend to consultancy, design and installation, plus full round-the-clock support for organisers and venues.
TA Lichtdesign
Thorsten Alm
Hauerstraße 20
44795 Bochum
Tel: +49 (0)234 530 3658
Fax: +49 (0)234 530 3659
post@ta-lichtdesign.de
www.ta-lichtdesign.de
