ARRI Orbiter Directional High Output LED Light Announced

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by Jeff LochSeptember 11^th, 2019

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Ahead of IBC 2019, ARRI has just introduced a new high output directional LED fixture: the ARRI Orbiter. This point source is versatile, and it will be easy to shape your light beam with various optics depending on your needs. With a broad CCT range from 2000 up to 20.000K, let’s take a closer look at this robust “HMI like” LED light.

ARRI Orbiter Features

The ARRI Orbiter is the new ultra-bright, tunable, and directional LED light from the German manufacturer. Designed with versatility in mind, this unique fixture features a six-color light engine for high color rendition and accuracy. There are a red, green, blue, amber, cyan, and lime LED. Those LEDs makes it possible to go from very warm color temperatures of 2000K up to super-cold 20.000K while maintaining high color rendition through the entire range. Of course, you can also dim to light from 0 to 100% with no color changes.

The ARRI Orbiter color sensor. Image credit: ARRI

There is also a built-in color sensor for measuring the ambient light, something I’ve never seen before. This sensor will take measurements of the ambient color surrounding the fixture and reproduce the same color. It looks handy if you want to quickly match an ARRI Orbiter with other lights (of course it won’t replace a spectral meter).

Also, there are a plethora of other sensors, like a 3-axis accelerometer and magnetometer for sensing the pan, tilt, roll and heading of the fixture. There are some heat sensors for keeping the LEDs and electronics at the right temperature, and an ambient light sensor for automatically dimming the control panel display.

Image credit: ARRI

The exterior design of the Orbiter is everything you would expect from ARRI: build to last, day after day. The body is made from an aluminum cast with bumpers made of reinforced plastic, and it is weatherproof. There is a handle on the back of the unit for carrying on set.

Image credit: ARRI

One Light, Multiple Optics

What makes this light so versatile is that you can choose from a wide range of optics to suit your needs. On the front of the Orbiter, there is the ARRI Quick Lighting Mount (QLM) that allows you to switch from one light modifier to another quickly. These lighting modifiers includes an open face modifier, a projection lens, a light dome, and light banks.

Also, there is a universal QLM adapter that creates a direct mounting point for Orbiter- specific Chimera and DoPchoice products. I think more optics should come out soon.

Image credit: ARRI

ARRI Orbiter Connectivity and Control Panel

To control the light, there is a 4” full-color display, quick navigation buttons, and integrated sensors at the back of the ARRI Orbiter. The user interface looks simple and straightforward, so changing the light settings should be a breeze. Also, you can remove the control panel and use it handheld with a 5 or 15 m (16.4 or 49.2 ft) control panel cable.

Image credit: ARRI

To power the unit, you don’t need an external ballast. The Orbiter includes a lightweight internal power supply and a 3-pin XLR battery input, which is compatible with 48 V batteries. Keep in mind that this light is bright and powerful, as it draws around 400W.

This light is full of inputs and outputs:

• If you have multiple Orbiter lights, you can daisy chain them thanks to the two EtherCON ports supporting Art-Net 4, sACN, and TCP/IP.
• Two USB-A ports are used for LiOS updates and connection of third-party peripherals such as Wi-Fi USB dongles. LumenRadio’s CRMX solution is included, allowing for wireless DMX.
• Two 5-pin XLR DMX ports used for conventional DMX & RDM communication in and through.
• The 3-pin XLR DC input for 48 V power station.
• An SD Card slot to update the light’s firmware.
• A USB Type-C port for computer communication and servicing.

Image credit: ARRI

The ARRI Orbiter features a new software called LiOS (Lighting Operating System). In total, there are eight color modes including CCT, HSI, individual color, x/y coordinates, gel and source matching, lighting effects, and the new color sensor mode. Other new features in LiOS include simplified DMX modes, performance-enhancing operational modes, over 240 slots for favorites to be stored, optics recognition, multi-language support, a custom boot screen, and so on.

Pricing and Availability

There is currently no information from ARRI regarding prices. The light should be available in the first quarter of 2020, but like every ARRI product, don’t expect it to be affordable, top-quality products have a price.

What do you think about the ARRI Orbiter? Do you think this is an excellent addition next to their SkyPanels? Let us know in the comments!