Images courtesy of High End Systems.
SolaHyBeam Family
Lighting designers have so many tools at their disposal. But trying to find the right one can leave you feeling lost in a myriad of moving lights that have so many unique functions and features.
The key to choosing the right moving light is not to be overwhelmed with all the bells and whistles. The main choice you must address is the type of mover you need. There are two basic types of moving lights. “Spot” fixtures feature a hard edge and can project hard-edged gobos and shutter cuts. They also feature irises, zooms, and animation wheels. “Wash” fixtures are designed to create soft-edged fields that allow the light to blend easily from one fixture to another.
All-in-one hybrid
Most designers would prefer an all-in-one light that can function as both a Spot and Wash fixture. Up until recently, manufacturers would add diffusion filters to Spot fixtures to help them blend, but this has not been so successful. So manufacturers realized that a new type of moving light was needed. They are called “Hybrid” fixtures.
High End Systems of Austin, Texas, has developed a new hybrid mover that blends in perfectly with its Sola family of moving lights. The High End Systems SolaHyBeam is a moving light that seamlessly functions as both a spot and a wash fixture, and it comes in two models--the 1000 and 2000.
1000 vs. 2000
The main difference between the two is lumens. The SolaHyBeam 2000 uses a 600W Bright White LED engine with multiple color and effects systems. (The SolaHyBeam 1000 uses a 440W Bright White LED). The LED engine is rated at 50,000 hours to 70% intensity. It has a seven-position fixed color wheel, an eight-position rotating gobo wheel, Active Thermal Control, is RDM Compatible, uses an Auto Switching Power Supply, and uses 39 DMX channels. The fixture produces 26,000 lumens (20,000 for the SolaHyBeam 1000) has a CRI or >75, and a Color Temperature of 7400K (6500K for the SolaHyBeam 1000). These are very bright lights.
The LED engine is rated at 50,000 hours to 70% intensity.
The SolaHyBeam’s zoom range is 7-38 degrees (sharp) and 10-46 degrees (soft). The SolaHyBeam 1000 has a zoom range of 8-45 degrees (sharp) and 10-50 degrees (soft). It also features a Framing System, CMY/CTO color system, a linear light and linear heavy frost, and an Iris.
SolaHyBeam 2000 beam shot, courtesy of High End Systems.
Similar to other Sola family fixtures, this light is not “light.” It weighs in at 95 pounds. That said, as a user of many Sola fixtures on professional shows, the electricians can easily handle these fixtures.
The SolaHyBeam looks like the perfect companion to High End Systems’ groundbreaking Sola family of fixtures. Along with the SolaSpot, SolaFrame, and SolaWash fixtures, the SolaHyBeam continues the new generation of extremely powerful and versatile LED powered moving lights.
We are looking forward to testing a couple of SolaHybeams in our light lab and theatres at California State University Long Beach. Look for an upcoming review in Church Production Magazine.
