Aputure’s Sidus Four Wireless Transmitter Offers Pro Lighting Control

Aug 12, 2024

Close-up of a person’s hand plugging a cable into an Aputure Sidus Four device. The device displays a screen with various menu options and settings, and a large red dial is visible on the right side. The background is out of focus and lit with blue light.

Aputure’s new Sidus Four is an all-in-one device for control of up to eight lighting universes, designed for demanding lighting environments.

Aputure announced the Sidus Four wireless transmitter today, describing it as “the most robust and capable CRMX/DMX lighting control system on the market.” The device is capable of supporting transmission of up to four CRMX universes and four wired DMX universes, allowing for complicated lighting systems to be controlled from a single unit.

A “universe” is a group of 512 channels of data, each with unique values. “Traditionally, each channels represents a different light in the system. However, in modern lighting systems with more complex fixtures, individual DMX channels often map to specific parameters of an automated lighting luminaire,” explains Harman.

The release follows Aputure’s Sidus One, which the lighting company calls its entry-level model.

“Everyone has been asking for a solution that brings wireless DMX to a film set, but makes it easy to use,” says Ted Sim, Aputure co-founder and President in a press release. “By itself, Sidus Four is now the most powerful wireless networking node. Paired with Sidus Link Pro, the Aputure ecosystem now leverages both CRMX and Bluetooth to make the most complicated lighting setups not only possible, but also simple to set up and manage.

A small electronic device with antennas is mounted on a stand, illuminated by soft overhead lighting. The background is dark and blurry, giving a mysterious atmosphere. Colored lights can be seen on the device's display.

The Sidus Four comes with the ability to link multiple devices together via Ethernet, expanding the network capabilities of integrated lighting systems. There is no cap on the number of universes, so the device’s capabilities can easily scale depending on the size of the production.

A dimly lit room with several pieces of tech equipment featuring multiple antennas. The main focus is on one device with a digital display screen showing various colored indicators. Other similar devices are partially visible in the background, and vertical lights create an ambient glow.

It features a large, color-coded TFT display for easy heads-up operation and monitoring. Aputure claims the display will not be affected by burn-in like OLED and LED display panels.

Aputure is positioning this as not just a studio device, but one that’s more than capable for location shoots as well. It comes with an IP65 dust and weather resistance rating, making it a strong option for lighting-heavy field work. The unit has dual-band antennas with a range of 800 meters; and includes a V-Mount battery plate — a nice touch that’s consistent with the rest of Aputure’s ecosystem. The Sidus Four also includes a 80-minute backup battery for peace of mind on long days.

The Sidus Four can be controlled from the device itself, but also from Aputure’s Sidus Link Pro app. From a smartphone, users can configure all of the settings, assign the universes for each of the transmitters, send link commands, configure networks, and more.

Aputure will have the Sidus Four available for demo at IBC 2024 in September, and the unit is available for purchase today for $2,490.

Image credits: Aputure