Astera at LDI 2019

Innovative wireless LED lighting manufacturer Astera will be making an impact at the 2019 LDI expo in Las Vegas next week … on the stand of its exclusive USA distributor, Inner Circle Distribution, on Booth 1205.

Astera recognizes LDI as an important hub for the US and Latam entertainment technology industry and the rental, staging, television, theater and installation sectors in particular, and is using this diverse and dynamic environment to launch, highlight and preview some exciting new and existing products from its most popular current product ranges.

V11 – a major upgrade of the hugely flexible AsteraApp – is launched at the show; there will be a preview of the brand new Wireless PixelBar wall washer to be launched in 2020 … and Astera will show its hugely popular Titan Tube range of LED battens – Helios, Titan & Hyperion Tube – together with all their ingenious accessories.

Other flagship products will include the AX1 PixelTube, the AX3 LightDrop, the AX5 TriplePAR and the AX10 SpotMax.

AsteraApp V11

The AsteraApp offers quick and intuitive control of complex lighting setups and a range of fully customizable programs and effects.

New in V11 is Layer Effects. This gives full control over all the pixels in the Astera fixtures which can be used to create beautiful, fluid, kinetic effects.

This works on rows or ‘bars’ of pixels which can be selected and have various parameters adjusted like the size and position of the bar, which can then be assigned colors and effects.

Each bar can move along at different pre-defined speeds, and with a variable ‘post-delay’ applied, this can produce complex process style effects.

The ‘bar’ can display multiple colors and an array of favorite AsteraApp effects can be applied. Handy shortcuts are available for effects like fuzz / police lights, fireworks, paparazzi, etc.

Up to eight bars can be layered on top of one another, each with a different size, speed, position, effect, etc. to produce some very cool looks.

These effects were previously only possible when using a separate lighting desk … and now they are conveniently accessible with a few taps on a smartphone or tablet!

Another important feature of V11 is Optional New Targets: this displays the targets as a list, so users can see the previous effects sent to each target and edit it directly from there, allowing a new and fully optimized workflow. Even parameters like brightness can be changed directly in the Targets list.

The AsteraApp is designed to work seamlessly with other control methods and can be used to set up DMX addresses and CRMX control footprints. Astera’s IR remote can be used to send App commands to single lighting fixtures.

Wireless PixelBar – preview

Astera is taking the opportunity of so many lighting, scenic and visual designers and professionals visiting LDI to preview its new Pixel Bar wall washing fixture for the first time in public!

This is a linear wall-washer with integral battery pack and several wireless control options.

It will be available in two lengths: 50cm / around 20 inches with 54W LED power and 8 pixels and 1m / around 40 inches with 108W LED power and 16 pixels.

It will have an ultra-high CRI through utilization of quality 5 color LED chips - red, green, blue, amber and mint. 

The beam angle is 20 degrees, and various filters will be available to change this and ensure full adaptability.

As with all Astera products, the PixelBar will be capable of being rigged and mounted in numerous ways, with a few other smart details that no other manufacturer has thought of to date!

Astera’s LED Tubes – Hyperion, Titan & Helios

Hyperion Tube

Capitalizing on the enormous success of the TitanTube, Astera created the double-length Hyperion Tube which measures 2 metres / 80 inches, offering double the LEDs, double the batteries, brightness and pixels … with the same high CRI and pure quality of light, together with App, CRMX and local on-tube control as well as a wired DMX option.

Hyperion Tubes will be prominent as part of the booth design.

Titan Tube

Astera’s best-selling 1-meter long TitanTube is designed as an invaluable lighting tool for TV, film / video / broadcast cinema and photography. It’s also featured on some highly imaginative stage lighting designs for bands like The Who, The Eurythmics etc., and has been used for fashion shows, art exhibitions and installations.

TitanTube is optimized for an ultra-high TLCI, a very high CRI and peak brightness, with beautiful colors as well as hue, saturation and intensity that can be set directly on the tube or utilizing Astera’s proprietary smartphone app.

The TitanTube can also be run wired (from mains power) and controlled via DMX using special power / data combination cables, further dramatically increasing its flexibility as a creative tool for lighting and visual designers.

Helios Tube

The fabulous new Helios tube has all the features and functionality of the TitanTube in a smaller, lighter and more transportable package – a neat and powerful little tube that can be mounted in places where a Titan or a Hyperion Tube might be too long or impractical to rig.

The super convenient Helios has 8 pixels and is half the brightness of the TitanTube but with the same high CRI ... making it perfect for areas like pop-up dressing rooms, makeup stations at fashion shows as well as for lighting rooms, sets and other spaces!

The colors, brightness, battery life and other elements are perfectly matched to those of the Titan and Hyperion Tubes so combining the different fixtures gives seamless lighting coverage.

Eight fit into Astera’s neat Helios Case which can be used for charging and transportation. It holds the same useful and practical sets of accessories as the Titan Tube case (16 eyebolts, 16 holders, 8 x floor stands, 16 x bolts, all included with the case) together with eight Wing Plates.

A Helios Handle can be screwed into the Helios Tube so the light can be held and aimed at people or objects – ‘lightsaber style‘ – when filming, and it also has a ‘babyplug’ attached for mounting to various objects.

 

These and other dynamic, flexible and extremely easy to use Astera products are making waves in the worlds of film, video, promos and television as well as in a whole range of events, rental and staging applications and some more esoteric public arts projects.

Astera is cutting a reputation for providing quality engineered, practical and hugely reliable solutions for any scenario where wireless control is the best option.