Robe is a top name in entertainment lighting and they continue to deliver new and innovative products to the market. Robe has their successful line of LEDWash and LEDBeam fixtures. In 2016, they released their first “LED WashBeam,” called the Spikie (See Road Test, PLSN, Nov. 2017, page 72). After its immediate success, Robe began developing a second LED WashBeam fixture, the Spiider. Let’s explore this fixture to learn why it’s different from the competition.
Colored Wash
If you are using the fixture as a wash, there are 19 30W RGBW multi-chips. The center is actually a 60W multi-chip (but more on this later) and can operate as a 30W for consistency with the others pixels.
The LEDs are rated for a minimum life expectancy of 20,000 hours, which is the 70 percent lumen maintenance of the fixture (L70). I prefer products that use this type of additive LED color mixing system versus the traditional white light with CMY dichroic filters to subtractive color mix. It is a more efficient system and provides the brightest saturated colors possible. Operationally, there is a color-mixing mode which changes to a CMY subtractive style, which allows you to program these fixtures seamlessly with discharge units.
And by the way, the color mixing is smooth and vast. I was able to create all colors with the exception of a Congo/UV, but the blue is a saturated deep blue. The motorized zoom was speedy and can be used as an effect in itself. It is impressive to see a tight thick colored beam transform quickly — almost disappearing — into a soft wash. Or the other way — a beam quickly appears out of the soft wash.
Aside from the color mixing is a tungsten emulation mode which allows you to set the beam color temperature at 2,700K or 3,200K. If that’s not enough, then there is a variable color temperature orange (CTO) channel which adjusts the white color temperature from 2,700K all the way to 8,000K. Also included is a dedicated virtual color wheel channel which has a ton of preprogrammed colors from the LEE swatch book; they also match the color wheels in the BMFL and Spikie.
Flowery Beams
I asked myself, “How can a wash fixture produce a beam?” The Spiider does it exceptionally well and does so in a number of different methods. The first beam type is likely familiar to any LD. Tighten the zoom to a narrow 4° and you’ve just created a focused tight beam of light. A second beam type can be created by using the 90-channel control mode, which allows for individual pixel control. Then, you can turn various pixels on/off or change the color to create different beam looks. This allows for numerous shapes and patterns (perhaps we can call these gobos) of beams or for eye candy. Alternately, you could pixel map the fixture, or use one of the numerous built-in pixel effects (available from any of the four control modes).
The third way to generate a beam from this luminaire is to engage the unique feature Robe calls the “Flower Effect.” This is where the magic happens and why the center pixel is a brighter than the rest. When the effect is enabled, the power of the center pixel increases to a full 60 watts and a multi-facet prism enters the beam path. The prism fills the beam field with static LED squares, arranged in a 2×2 square matrix. Adjusting the color varies the number of squares and their orientation, which creates interesting color breakups. The zoom allows you to have the squares in or out of focus as desired. If that was not cool enough, the prism can rotate at any speed in either direction, which finishes off what I call a digital gobo that looks incredible as an aerial effect, and it’s also useful to texturize a wash.
On the Move
The 16-bit pan and tilt are smooth and accurate. And there are plenty of user options in the control channel like the ability to turn the display on/off, change the dimmer curve, adjust the cooling fan speed, set the tungsten emulation brightness (750 to 2500 watts) and set the fixture to blackout while moving (useful for theatrical applications).
Both dimming and strobe are electronic. The dimming curve was flawless and faded out all the way to 0 percent. The strobe flashes at a maximum 20Hz (times per second) or can pulse or be set to a random flash pattern. Users have their choice of four operating modes with different channel counts and levels of control: 27, 33, 49, or 90 channels. One person can rig the 29-pound fixture quickly with two clamps with omega style brackets.
Arachnophobia
Personally, spiders give me the chills, but I just keep calm when I see one in the house, I smash it with a shoe. My wife, on the other hand, screams for me, but when I arrive on the scene the spider has already run away to escape her loud cry. He will live for another day as I head back to the couch. But, the Robe Spiider is nothing to be afraid of. It is unique, fast, colorful and punchy. The flower effect is innovative and a new appealing effect not seen before (except on the Robe Spikie). Spiider is packed with a feature-set that makes it desirable to all. I’m confident this fixture will be showing up on riders, plots and LD’s wish lists.
At a Glance
Versatile, Compact and Quick
Spiider is a new mid-sized 2-in-1 LED WashBeam moving light. The wash is generated from 18 powerful 30W RGBW multi-chips. And the beam is generated from a single 60W LED RGBW center pixel with the innovative Flower Effect. Supporting the Wash and Beam combination is a fast motorized 4°-50° zoom. The fixture is a pleasant blend of versatility and uniqueness — surely a “go to” instrument for any lighting rig.
PROS: Cool flower effect, center LED is 60W, sooth dimming and movement, tungsten lamp emulation, compact size, fast movement.
CONS: None
- FEATURES:
- 1x 60W RGBW and 18 x 30W RGBW LED multichips
- L70 @ 20,000 hours
- 11,000 lumens
- 12:1 Zoom System providing 4°-50° Zoom
- Variable CTO 2700-8000K
- Tungsten Emulation 2700/3200K (with red shift when dimming)
- Neutrik PowerCON True1 in connector
- Network in/out RJ-45 (sACN, Art-Net, MA Net, MA Net2, Kling-Net)
- 3&5 Pin DMX in/out
- Optional wireless DMX (Lumen Radio CRMX)
- Optional top hat
- RDM compliant
STATS:
- Size: 18.7” x 15.3” x 11.3” (HxWxD)
- Weight: 29.2 lbs.
- Wattage: 600 maximum
- Voltage: 100-240, 50/60Hz (auto-ranging)
- MSRP: Call dealer
- Manufacturer: Robe
- More info: https://www.robe.cz/spiider/
