One of the most exciting technological developments in the field of lighting over the past decade has been the evolution of LED instruments powerful enough to be used in cinematic and live production settings. With the introduction of their L-series LED Fresnels and Skypanels, ARRI has established themselves as an industry leader in this developing field.
In late 2019 ARRI announced a new approach to high-end LED light with their ARRI Orbiter, a fixture they see as the next big step in the evolution of cinema and studio lighting. While we haven actually yet had the chance to put the fixture through its paces, in this first look article we’ll explore the features that makes it so unique.
An Overview
Right away it’s clear that the ARRI Orbiter was envisioned as an entirely novel style of LED lighting fixture, designed to be equally at home on a film set, studio environment or in a live performance venue. Utilizing a distinctive ‘open-face’ approach, the Orbiter can be fitted with interchangeable lenses, domes and softboxes to focus and shape the light for a wide variety of use cases.
By borrowing a design aesthetic from cinema cameras which allow for a myriad of unique lenses and modifiers, this new approach provides wider flexibility beyond what has typically been possible with Fresnel fixtures. ARRI is also reportedly investigating additional light-shaping options for the Orbiter moving into the future.
ARRI Spectra
A second new technology featured in the Orbiter is ARRI’s new light engine, Spectra, which is comprised of six shades of LED, including red, green, blue, amber, cyan and lime. This engine combines these shades to accurately achieve what ARRI boasts are even more colors across a wider gamut than ever before.
The Orbiter produces a larger CCT range, from 2,000-20,000K, than the previous L-series Fresnels or Skypanels, with easily adjustable green-magenta balancing. ARRI has also included a new ambient color sensor built directly into the light, allowing the fixture to actually detect and reproduce the unique color temperature already present at a specific location.
The new Orbiter boasts vastly improved electronics, with four times more processing power and 125 times more memory compared to their previous LED fixtures. These improved specs are designed to not only allow users to take immediate advantage of the light’s responsiveness and utility, but also provide space for future firmware and feature upgrades.
Technology Highlights
Another major new feature of the Orbiter is its new operating system called the LiOS. This new OS includes eight new color modes for achieving the exact look designers are wanting to achieve, using the methodology they’re most comfortable with. These modes include color selection via CCT, HSI, get selection, source matching, color matching or even special effects.
The LiOS also feature unique modes that balance the output levels of the light against the amount of ambient noise created by the fixtures cooling fans. These are the kinds of small but critical features that separate companies like ARRI from less mature lighting fixture producers.
Two other areas where the Orbiter benefits from lessons learned on previous ARRI technologies are the control and connectivity features. For instance, the Orbiter’s four-inch full-color control panel can be physically removed and tethered to a more accessible part of a lighting stand. This ability will make it far easier for cinematographers to precisely dial in the look they’re going for without continually having to raise and lower the fixture.
The Orbiter also features significant data input and throughput connectivity options, including USB-C, USB-A, EtherCON LAN, camera sync, DMX, wireless DMX and even an SD card reader. These connections make it easier than ever to incorporate the light into current workflows while also providing a significant level of future-proofing.
In Conclusion
When it comes to high-end lighting instruments like the ARRI Orbiter, one of the key questions cinematographers will ask is just how much brightness a fixture will produce. A lux or lumin rating for the Orbiter hasn’t yet been posted to ARRI’s website or Photometrics app, so it’s hard to compare it to a similar fixture like the L-10c without actually testing in in person.
The use cases and demonstration materials seem to indicate that the fixture should provide significant power in challenging settings, but that precise amount of output will make a be an important consideration when investing in the ARRI Orbiter, which currently lists for $6,300.
Again, this article is a First Impression; we haven’t yet had the chance to get our hands on the LED itself. With that in mind, we’re thrilled by ARRI’s promise of a new, powerful LED fixture that can switch hit between a spot, a par, a soft box or a dome in a matter of moments. We’re also interested in seeing how the incorporated light sensor and control schemes work in real-world contexts.
The L-Series Fresnels and Skypanels were both game changing devices that set the standard for cinematic film lighting. If the ARRI Orbiter proves to be as revolutionary this new technology it could prove to be a similar kind of standard-setting fixture. We’re excited to follow up with a proper review once we’ve had a chance to really put it through its paces.
