Former owner of the King Kameha brand, Madjid Djamegari has recently opened an innovative nightclub in Frankfurt, Germany named Gibson.
The idea was to create a stripped back atmosphere suitable to operate as a live music venue as well as a nightclub.
Madjid craved style and glamour for Gibson, all the while honouring the building’s original and rough charm.
With a clear vision in sight, Madjid set out to build his team. He approached Sascha Schwind, Michael Herberger and Xavier Naidoo of Söhne Mannheims fame to be his partners. Söhne Mannheims (translated as The Sons of Mannheim) is a mix of pop, soul, rock, R & B and hip-hop band that has been around since the turn of the century.
An eclectic group of musicians that have a lively stage presence when on tour, and after a number of years in the recording studios and out on the road, the trio have decided to take some time out from the band and concentrate on other projects… enter Gibson.
The entrance to Gibson is located on The Zeil, Frankfurt’s busiest shopping street. A wide staircase leads guests downstairs, through a tunnel-like hallway until they reach the underground club and are met by a dancefloor, which is encased by seating booths. A wrap around balcony provides an ideal viewing platform for the dancefloor and stage area, hence the VIP area also being located there. While the main bar stands out in the room thanks to its metallic appearance, making a stark contrast to the exposed brickwork. Interior Designer, Vincenza Liguori said: “The idea was to leave the original building fabric, but to simultaneously create a modern contrast.”
Architect Martin Willems was also on hand to help merge the existing architecture with a new concept. He said: “It was like updating an old-timer to the latest technical standards.”
The Gibson partners knew a worldwide technology brand would be required to meet the projected standards. This is where Atlantic Audio, our German Dsitributor got involved to help spec a Martin Audio system including exclusive use of MC2 amplification and XTA processing.
Roger Wagener, Atlantic Audio Live Sound Support Manager was in charge of designing and specifying the Martin Audio sound system that would cater for DJs and live music. Roger said: “There is a four point Martin Audio sound system, which projects sound onto the dancefloor when DJs are creating the music program. It does not matter where people are dancing on the floor, they can move and enjoy the sound from every angle.
“For live performance the club team can deactivate the sound system, which is directed to the stage, so it is limited to a two point system, which pushes the sound to the audience and ensures a high acoustic quality in the entire spectator area.”The main dancefloor system comprises two Martin Audio line arrays, one either side of the stage. Each hang includes five 3-way cabinets for the high frequencies and a single enclosure for downfill. A total of four dual-driver subwoofers and four single subwoofers equipped with long-throw drivers providng the sub-bass element of the main system.
When a band is playing at Gibson monitoring is taken care of by eight stage monitor, all Martin. There are a variety of other Martin speakers in place throughout the venue, including balcony fills and a dedicated VIP area – totalling a further 10 cabinets and subs – all in all it’s an extensive and potentially very loud system!
Roger continued “Our target was to create a strong, powerful sound using the expertise of Martin Audio to produce an inspired atmosphere in this architectural and exciting location.”
MC2 Audio provided a combination of amplifiers from its E Series range including E4-75’s, E25’s, E45’s and E90’s to power the Martin Audio system. The E4-75, E25 and E45 models are equipped with MC2 Audio’s proprietary current driven output stages allowing them to be capable of delivering high definition sound quality across the entire audio bandwidth. While the E90 Class D amplifier caters for sections of the sound system that require higher power outputs.
Roger said: “We chose MC2 amps to power the PA system because they work well in any application where transparency and no compromise performance are the focus. They deliver the stunning sound quality and reliability expected for this purpose.”
Two XTA DP448 and one XTA DP446 audio management units are in charge of DSP at Gibson. Both feature four full balanced inputs combined with eight outputs and six outputs respectively, which creates a truly flexible crossover system, capable of reconfiguring the entire complex system efficiently and effectively.
Gibson was not only about setting new technical standards on the audio side, but also with lighting and video, with a great outcome – earlier this year the World’s Finest Clubs, a company dedicated to finding the most exclusive nights around the world, awarded Gibson the World’s Finest Clubs Award. So, in the not to distant future, Gibson will be welcoming owners of The World’s Finest Clubs membership cards into the establishment.
