Over 10 years ago the Claypaky B-EYE was introduced, its optical unit enhanced the uniformity and efficiency of the light output, while the rotating front lens and the possibility to control each single LED individually made kaleidoscopic projections and eye candy effects possible.
An effect engine made it easier to routinely use macro effects. These technological innovations made the B-EYE a high-performance LED wash light, a beam light, and a visual effect projector all in one. In April 2019 Claypaky launched the HY B-EYE, which was twice more powerful and bright than B-EYE.
In mid-2019, Rammstein made a stadium tour in Europe with Claypaky HY B-EYE K25, selected by Lighting Designers Ronald Greil and Patrick Woodroffe. From a complement of some 128 HY B-EYE K25 fixtures Greil integrated about 40 of the LED wash lights into the scenic pieces’ circular light fittings, where they served primarily as aesthetic lighting. “We were one of the first shows that used a large quantity of K25s,” said Greil. “We were positively surprised by their brightness and reliability. The band loved a lot of brightness and fire power, and the K25s did a good job.”
A few months later several K25 were used at the final stage of Russia’s 10th Night Hockey League National Amateur Teams Hockey Festival kicked off in Sochi in gala fashion and Singapore’s Bicentennial National Day Celebrations.
Following the success of the HY B-EYE, in 2020 Claypaky introduced the HY B-EYE K25 TEATRO, a special version of the HY B-EYE K25, designed for venues that need silent operation without sacrificing bright colours.
Claypaky HY B-EYE K25 Teatro units were installed at the Comédie de Genève and at the LAC Lugano Arte e Cultura. The Volkstheater in Munich had been fitted with HY B-EYE K25 Teatro as well. The annual ARTE Concert Festival went virtual with three days of music live streamed to audiences worldwide. Lighting Designer Pierre Claude deployed two dozen Claypaky HY B-EYE K25 LED washes for the live musical performances shot at La Gaite Lyrique in Paris.
The Black Sea Arena Georgia hosted several big shows with Bruno Mars, Imagine Dragons and The Killers, all illuminated by hundreds of Claypaky lights. The lighting rig included a large number of Claypaky HY B-Eye K25.
Claypaky fixtures were also utilised on the design for Bagossy Brothers Company’s tenth anniversary concert in Budapest. The band’s LD, Ádám Pintér, selected Claypaky B-EYE K20 and HY B-EYE K25 fixtures for the rig. Lighting Designer Simon Trottet selected 25 Claypaky HY B-EYE K25 LED for the Puccini’s “Turandot” reimagined at the Tokyo Nikikai Opera Theatre.
In 2022 again, the ESC Juniors took place in Armenia using 1000 Claypaky moving heads. The rig included 90 HY B-EYE K25 and 80 B-EYE K20 plus many other Claypaky fixtures– tallying up to what is for Claypaky one of the largest supplies ever made.
In 2023 Tim Routledge, Lighting Designer for the show, utilised 40 Hy B-EYE K25s to illuminate the set of the Eurovision Song Contest. Spanish duo Estopa embarked on a tour that set new benchmarks in every city they visited where Claypaky B-EYE K20 and Claypaky HY B-EYE K25 fixtures played a pivotal role.
This year 350 Hy B-EYE K25 fixtures were used to illuminate the Opening and Closing Celebrations of the Olympic Games in Paris in 2024 as well as on some playing fields, such as the stands at Roland Garros, to illuminate the changeovers and the ceremonial moments of the matches.
For the Vasco Rossi’s 2023 Tour, the LD Giovanni Pinna used 148 Claypaky Hy B-EYE K25 units. “The Hy B-EYE K25 units were a very important part of the line-up; you could even say they made the show on their own for several pieces,” Pinna commented. “The tour started in May, so there was a lot of sunlight throughout the first part of the show, for about an hour. Therefore, I really needed a spotlight that would ‘shine a lot of light’. I used Hy B-EYE units with white light for the first six pieces. Then, as darkness came, I added colour. I was really impressed with their power and flexibility”.
In 2024, Pinna lighted Vasco Rossi’s 2024 tour again with Claypaky HY B-EYE K25s: “We used the same rig and the same kinds and number of lighting fixtures as last year; However, we made a significant improvement in light programming and overall use,” he commented. “I used the Claypaky K25s as the foundational lighting for all scenes; they were the only wash lights on the set. Additionally, I used them extensively for textured lighting and special effects, taking full advantage of the quality of their pixel mapping and rotating optical unit.”
The LED wall was divided into multiple triangular sections, outlined by battens, and unlike in previous years, it was used exclusively to project live images of Vasco, with no visual effects that would interfere with the lighting. “In these conditions, the beams from the K25s were incredibly penetrating and thick,” Pinna said. “Moreover, the K25s perfectly balanced the light output from the enormous LED wall, which was larger than ever before this year.”
In total, 148 Claypaky HY B-EYE K25 units were used extensively: 48 above the band, 80 at the front of the stage at a height of 20 metres, and 24 on the ground for scenic and audience lighting.
“With the K25s, you have the unique ability to manage wash lighting, even with the most saturated colours,” Pinna added. “I worked a lot with red and dark blue because these lights handle them exceptionally well. In fact, the ‘wow’ factor was often achieved more through powerful washes than through other special effects.”
