ARRI kicked-off the doors of IBC 2017 with a massive new SkyPanel S360-C just hours ago and the show’s not officially even starting until tomorrow morning. The latest addition to the already burgeoning SkyPanel LED family is quite the behemoth – Unlike other tuneable fixtures, SkyPanel makes no sacrifice when it comes to light output. SkyPanel puts out a tremendous amount of light, in a soft and uniform beam field.
The new ARRI S360-C is twice as bright as a 4kW tungsten soft light or three times as bright as a 12kW tungsten space light. At the same time, the lamp head is able to perform beautifully at lower light levels. This range of illumination and colour gives users an unprecedented amount of control.
The surface area of the S360-C is over 5.8 times larger than the S60 and produces beautiful soft light in a wide 105º beam angle. The light will wrap around large objects and throw much farther than the smaller SkyPanels, making the S360-C perfectly at home on TV and feature film sets.
Achieving an energy efficiency of over 80 lumens per watt, the S360-C is also one of the most eco-friendly LED soft lights available while also being one of the brightest. The latest addition to the SkyPanel family is one of the most versatile LED fixtures on the market, boasting advanced features such as full colour control, lighting effects on a huge aperture, wireless DMX built in, a unique carbon fibre yoke, and much more. The S360-C is truly a beast of a light.
SkyPanel has always had a multitude of ways to control the light output; DMX, RDM, Art-Net, sACN, 5-Pin XLR, and Ethernet. The S360-C adds another important communication method, and this one does not involve any wires: Wireless DMX by LumenRadio.
Built into every S360-C, the CMRX chip allows for DMX and RDM communication without the hassle of cables and distribution equipment. Simply link a compatible LumenRadio transmitter to the S360-C and you’re good to go. Using the 5-Pin DMX output on the S360-C also allows for daisy chaining other non-wireless SkyPanels to the DMX network.
As with all ARRI LED lamp heads, the S360-C is fully tuneable. Easily adjust the CCT from 2800 K to 10,000 K with plus/minus green control and access the full colour gamut with hue and saturation, RGBW mixing, digital gels, source matching, or CIE x, y coordinates. Achieving over 85% of the colours within the Rec 2020 colour space, it is now easy to create the look and colour you want right on set.
Check out ARRI’s video from NAB 2017 on Firmware 3.0 and the features it brings to the Skypanel line-up:
SkyPanel is one of the only LED soft lights to allow for the changing of diffusion panels in front of the LEDs. This feature is also offered with the S360-C. The diffusion panels are exchangeable and come in Lite, Standard, Heavy, and Intensifier. The Intensifier increases S360’s brightness by 50%, allowing the light to be thrown even farther.
The S360-C housing features a SkyPanel Remote docking port. Able to control the S360-C via a USB cable, the SkyPanel Remote can be attached to the docking port on the back of the fixture using the remote’s rear magnet. The docking port provides a space for the remote to rest or, if the fixture is upside-down, a place for an extra set of controls closer to arm’s reach.
The second announcement by ARRI is their collaboration with Innovative Dimmers, which gave birth to SkyLink: a two-part system that allows for wireless DMX and RDM communication to SkyPanels. The SkyLink Receiver and the SkyLink Base Station use LumenRadio for DMX/RDM communication and a WiFi chip in the Base Station allows for direct control from a DMX control application on a tablet or computer. Setting up a control network has never been easier.
The SkyLink Receiver plugs directly into the DMX port on the back of any SkyPanel and receives power from the USB port directly below the DMX. This compatibility allows for SkyLink to work with all SkyPanel models including the S30, S60, and S120, offering a wireless solution for the entire SkyPanel family. The new SkyPanel S360 already has Wireless DMX built in and works seamlessly with the SkyLink products.
The SkyLink Base Station has two wireless chips enabling it to facilitate LumenRadio’s Wireless DMX and the international standard of WiFi. Therefore, a tablet or computer can communicate, via WiFi, to the SkyLink Base Station which can, in turn, communicate the reliable CRMX standard to the SkyLink Receiver on the SkyPanel. This communication chain supports new and simple ways of controlling one or many SkyPanels
ARRI LED products have always included an excellent implementation of RDM (Remote Device Management) in addition to the DMX protocols. RDM allows for two-way communication with the fixture and enables the ability to change all settings on the lamp head remotely. The SkyLink system is fully RDM capable and allows for complete control over all aspects of the SkyPanel.
The SkyLink Receiver has a unique, compact, and robust design that fits perfectly within the SkyPanel family. The SkyLink is one of the smallest Wireless DMX receivers on the market and is designed specifically with the SkyPanel in mind. The swivel DMX connector allows for the SkyLink Receiver to be rotated 180º in order to achieve the best signal strength regardless of the SkyPanel’s orientation.
The reliable Wireless DMX in SkyLink allows for strong and consistent communication with an outstanding range of 150 m (500 ft.). In optimal conditions, for example direct line-of-sight, the SkyLink can receive a signal up to 400 m (1300 ft.) away. This allows for dramatically increased freedom on set while still maintaining complete control over the SkyPanels.
Pricing has yet to be confirmed, but expect $$$. For full specs head over to ARRI.
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