The IP65-rated Arianne 6 wash fixture was born from two observations: simplifying a luminaire whose advanced effects were rarely used in the field, and adopting RGB Lime LEDs to address a broader range of applications. Robe Technical Director Vincent Bouquet explains the thinking behind the development of this new product.
The Arianne 6 is a direct response to real-world user feedback
“In most festival applications, the Spiider’s effects are never used. Rental companies run the fixture in Mode 2, the simplest mode: all the LEDs come on together, you choose a colour, zoom in, zoom out, and that’s it,” explains Vincent Bouquet.
The same comment kept coming back: why pay for features that are never used? There was also a second limitation: the Spiider is not weatherproof, a drawback for an industry constantly exposed to unpredictable weather conditions. Robe already offered a weatherproof wash fixture, the iSpiider X, but it retained all of the Spiider’s effects—and its price tag. The Arianne 6 follows the opposite philosophy: a chassis almost identical to the iSpiider X, with virtually the same dimensions, but stripped of the features that add complexity without delivering real value for festival or touring applications.
RGB Lime: The Missing Link
The second innovation is technological. Until now, Robe offered two LED source families. RGBW fixtures, widely used in touring for their high output but with a CRI of around 70. And RGBA fixtures, preferred by theatres for their superior colour rendering and CRI above 92, although less powerful in cool white. “Theatres often struggled to source rental fixtures because the LED technologies didn’t match,” Vincent Bouquet explains.
The arrival of RGB Lime LEDs opened up a third option. With a CRI of 86, they deliver significantly better colour rendering than RGBW without sacrificing output. The Arianne 6 uses nineteen 55 W multi-chip LEDs producing up to 100,000 lux at 5 metres roughly twice the output of an RGBA fixture of similar size. “For the same footprint, we’re twice as powerful,” says Vincent Bouquet. For the first time, a single fixture can satisfy both touring rental companies and theatre technical directors.
Concentric Control Rather Than Pixel-by-Pixel
The Arianne 6 nevertheless retains a degree of flexibility in controlling its LED array. The centre LED, the second ring and the outer ring can each be controlled independently via a dedicated DMX mode. However, it abandons the Spiider’s individual LED pixel control a deliberate choice. “The goal was to create a straightforward wash fixture range,” confirms Vincent Bouquet. In standard mode, the entire LED array responds to a single command, significantly speeding up programming where setup time is limited.
The motorised zoom covers a 3.8° to 60° range, allowing the fixture to transition from a tight beam to a wide, even wash. Its L3 dimming system provides exceptionally smooth, imperceptible fades to black, an essential requirement for theatre applications. A variable CTO from 1,800 K to 10,000 K, combined with tungsten emulation, enables seamless integration into mixed lighting rigs without visible colour differences.
The IP65/66 weatherproof rating is maintained by Robe’s RAINS system, which automatically regulates humidity, temperature and internal pressure without manual intervention. An automatic pressure test, completed in less than three minutes, confirms the fixture has been correctly sealed before every outdoor deployment.
The Arianne 6 embodies a simple philosophy: robustness combined with ease of operation.
More information with the Robe website
