Discret Fachjournal der Unterhaltungsgastronomie September 1995

Two elaborate laser shows in the Munich Planetarium are currently on display as a wholly new type of entertainment. Under a 20 meter wide dome, 12,000 Watt surround sound in THX quality, sophisticated laser effects and diverse projection techniques (video, slide, special effects, star projections) merge into one.
Last October, the Snap laser show was presented to the Munich audience for the first time. This show was developed from an order placed by the company BMG with the Munich Planetarium. For the world premiere of the album „Welcome to Tomorrow“, an elaborate laser show was to delight the invited guests. The presentation became such a success that the organizers decided to present the show to a wider audience. Simultaneously with the work on Snap, planetarium director Thomas W. Kraupe and his team began development of the Pink Floyd laser show, which premiered in May. Every aspect of the music of Pink Floyd fits perfectly with the concept of a multimedia show in the planetarium. On the one hand, Pink Floyd have always worked with dazzling light effects, and on the other hand, space is a common theme in the group’s lyrics. While there have been some (non-live) Pink Floyd shows with elaborate light effects in America since the 70s, the Pink Floyd laser show in Munich is globally unique, according to Thomas Kraupe.
The reasons for this can surely be found in the sophisticated and extensive technology of the planetarium. Sound is provided by six loudspeaker groups, supplied by a DA-88 Tascam system on 8 digital sound tracks. LOBO’s transputer-controlled laser system works with a 12 Watt tandem laser and four scanner pairs for projections. Additionally, there are two Mitsubishi laser robots in the center of the room, which have been developed specifically for the planetarium. Thus, the entire dome can be filled with laser beam effects, while 3D laser animations appear in real time on the screen. Six video beamers provide visualization of concert films and computer animations.
With 84 Ektapro slide projectors, distributed all around the circumference of the dome, 360° panoramic landscapes can be projected. 20 special effect projectors display clouds, galaxies and visions of the Big Bang. And finally, the heart of the planetarium is obviously integrated into the show as well. The newly developed planetarium projector “Modell VII” of Zeiss projects precisely 8900 stars onto the artificial firmament. This device is flexibly mounted on three axles and can thus create the perfect illusion of a natural star-studded sky for any location on earth. During the Pink Floyd laser show, these stars revolve so quickly through the dome of the planetarium that some visitors might even get a feeling of dizziness. The entire technology of the planetarium is controlled by a Spice multimedia control of the American company Sky Skan.
In addition to multimedia shows from the rock/pop genre and conventional planetarium presentations, a whole new type of entertainment will soon be offered in the planetarium. Lasermania, which has already completed a successful two-month trial period, will soon return to the regular program. This is a perfect mix of a classic disco experience with the technical possibilities of a multimedia show. On stage, a DJ takes care of trendy music, while simultaneously communicating with the person behind the multimedia control. The result is live recorded disco sound with exciting light effects. Unfortunately, it is not possible to remove the rows of chairs in the planetarium, meaning that visitors of Discomania will have to remain in their seats. Hence, the disco visitors’ need to dance can’t be satisfied. For this reason, Lasermania will deviate from the dancefloor techno sound of the trial period and focus on music genres that can be enjoyed sitting down for the restart (this summer). In this context, planetarium director Thomas Kraupe is also contemplating an intense cooperation with discotheques. The laser show will get the audience into a dancing mood, while shuttle busses wait outside to bring the guests to a cooperating discotheque.