The Magic of the K-Eye with a Color-Mixing Factor of Six
Claypaky is the kind of company where they release an innovative product, and the next thing that we know, the industry just got served with a new trend that everyone is going to use, solely based on the merit that it is so absolutely innovative. Take the Sharpy for example: when the Sharpy hit the market, the market changed as we saw a very large bubble of imitation take place industry-wide, because Claypaky just took the very narrow beam and elevated it to Fashion Week status. Every show had Sharpys, and the bigger the show, the more Sharpys were on it. It’s not just beautiful either, it’s technologically significant. We’re still in employ of the Sharpy, and I can’t see where we’re not going to be using it for the foreseeable future; a new high-payoff tool was added to the toolbox with the tiny aperture technology Sharpy introduced to the market.
K-Eye K20 HCR was created to meet the needs of lighting designers all over the world who were not fully satisfied with the performance of LED devices in comparison with traditional lamps, particularly because of their incomplete color range, poor color rendering index and lack of consistency. K-Eye HCR delivers total control over the quality of all forms of white or colored light. The new HCR technology used in the K-Eye, which stands for High Color Rendering, is an exclusive electronic platform developed by Claypaky in conjunction with Osram; all these limitations of color and quality have been overcome in the K-Eye HCR, and it’s finally possible to produce every color, every nuance and every shade with satisfactory quality.
The heart of the K-EYE HCR wash light is an LED light source consisting of LED modules that each have six colors. Besides the three “classic” red, green and blue colors, Claypaky has added amber, cyan and lime making their cells 6-in-1 LEDs. This exclusive Claypaky device provides a very wide color range with excellent color spectrum coverage. This technology is indeed the definitive answer to all those designers demanding a better color mixing system in an open-faced LED fixture. Claypaky very much set the industry off into another creative dimension with the addition of this tool.
Around the Fixture
The K-Eye K20 HCR has 37 LED cells that make up one uniform, zoomable beam; each cell has a homogenizing lens for maximum color mixing and beam collimation. All that is flicker-free with an adjustable PWM as well for any film or video usage. The color mixing is homogenous; the beams are a single color throughout the throw distance of the fixture. On top of that, the CRI of the K20 HCR is listed at 97 to 99; the fixture has got the magic touch with respect to white level control, from 2500°K to 8000°K.
K-Eye K20 HCR has a 7° to 53° linear zoom range, with a front lens that allows the cells to zoom in and out as a group. The front lens does not rotate. The fixture’s color mixing modes are also highly considered features, and are very useful ones to boot: In Raw Mode, the fixture gives me 16-bit individual control of all six colors, so I have ultimate control of this powerful color engine; HSL Mode on the other hand, is based on an algorithm that gives you control over coarse and fine Hue, Saturation, Crossfade, Path, and Tint. K20 HCR has an RGB Mode and a CMY Mode, both which work like classic RGB or CMY mixing, respectively; you can emulate the behavior of incandescent lamp wattages from 750W to 2500W, and there is a gamma option for every color. If you don’t feel like using any of that incredible individual control for some reason, Claypaky gives you 80 preset colors on a virtual color wheel. The fixture offers preset color and graphic effect macros. Using these, one can divide the face of the fixture into blocks of different colors such as pie slice shapes and various other effects one must play with to fully grasp. The possibilities are endless.
In the Strobe department, K-Eye K20 HCR can electronically bang away at 24 flashes a second. The users have access to the PWM of the LEDs in a linear channel from 750Hz to 50,000Hz, giving one options for the gamut of recorded and broadcast video work. K20 HCR has four dimmer curves, three Gamma spaces, and the fixture operates on either one of two 19-channel standard modes (Basic RGB and Basic HSV) or one of two 32-channel Extended modes (Extended RGB and Extended HSV).
Claypaky and Osram have incorporated important algorithms into the operation of K-Eye HCR, and their efforts have created a wash light that very closely mimics the light quality of a halogen lamp. The HCR technology allows for broader coverage of the color gamut than traditional color mixing systems. In addition, the HCR algorithm allows for the fixture to perform well throughout the life of the LEDs, maintaining lumen degradation at a consistent level and keeping output throughout the life of the light, and keeping the color rendering consistently above 97 CRI for any color temperature.
Shhhh….
I set the K-Eye K20 HCR up in a silent environment to give it a test drive, and I noticed the fixture was very quiet despite, being able to move quickly and manipulate the front lens. This fixture also includes a Quiet mode, which slows down the motors on a few mechanisms on the fixture. This made a notable difference on what was already an impressively noiseless fixture.
As a physical body, the K-Eye K20 HCR is built solidly — a rugged aluminum frame with a tough plastic outer shell. Pan and Tilt resolution is smooth, at 540° pan and 210° tilt: it has a fine pan resolution of 0.008° (that’s eight thousandths of a degree), and a fine tilt resolution of 0.004°. I put a pan move on for five minutes just to check to see if there was any jerk in the movement, and indeed, no, there is none. It floats smoothly from position to position, excelling at effects engine commands.
The K-Eye K20 HCR has both 3-pin and 5-pin inputs and outputs on its interface panel, which has a large, easily readable access screen manipulated by an arrow menu with a center input button; access to the fixture can be copper DMX cable, Art-Net via the Ethernet port, RDM, or Webserver. The fixture communicates via DMX512.
There are two accessories that are optional, for the front of the fixture: a top hat shaper that adjusts with the movement of the zoom train, and a frame for using color and frost media on the cells. I didn’t experiment with the color filter accessory, but I can imagine having a ring or two of cells slightly diffused with one of my favorite two frost densities, the look would be tremendous.
Claypaky will be exhibiting new products this year at the 2018 LDI Show, make sure to stop by Booth 1538 to see this year’s new offerings.
At a Glance
A Color Mixing Standout
The K-Eye K20 HCR is designed for LDs who have found other LED fixture lacking in the color mixing department with 6-in-1 RGBCAL LEDs. Promising to deliver total control over the quality of all forms of white and colored light, this fixture also offers impressive brightness, zoom functionality and quiet operation.
K-Eye K20 HCR
PROS: Unique color mixing system takes this light to another level. RGBCAL mixing, good zoom range, built in macros. Rugged construction.
CONS: None
FEATURES
- 6-in-1 LEDs (RGB + cyan, amber, lime)
- 2500K-8000K linear color temperature range
- 7°- 53° linear & motorized zoom
- 24 fps strobe
- IP20 protection rating
- CE, cETLus certifications
SPECS
- LEDs: 37/19 (K20/K10)
- Output (Lumens): 11,000/5,500 (K20/K10)
- CRI: >97 (to 99)
- Size: 23.8” x 19.2” x 13.1” (HxWxD)
- Weight: 49.6 lbs.
- MSRP: Contact Dealer
Manufacturer: Claypaky
More Info: www.claypaky.it
