Wireless LED TitanTube

Wireless LED TitanTube

Riding the AX1 PixelTube’s wave of success, Astera has released a new tube, the Astera TitanTube. This tube is especially designed for the film and broadcasting industry and has already been awarded the ‘Plasa 2018 Gold Award’. With even more developed and optimalised TLCI and CRI values, the TitanTube is unbeatable when it comes to the quality of its light production. The AX1 Pixteltube only has one button, whereas the TitanTube comes with an illuminated display on the back of the tube. This allows you to control certain functions directly from the tube! It is of course possible to access these settings completely wirelessly via the app, but the AsteraBox is no longer always necessary. Astera’s AX1 PixtelTube was made for use at events, conventions, and conferences. This TitanTube, however, is more aimed towards use during broadcasting and filming. But what exactly can the TitanTube do that the AX1 PixelTube can’t?

Colour Palate

It is possible to change settings using the display on the back of the tube. You will also find the colour palate here. This button makes it possible to change the colour of the tube in several ways. You can perform many actions from this menu, including: Changing the colour temperature from 1750 (very warm white) to 20,000 (very cool white) Kelvins Performing a green/magenta correction by adding or subtracting the desired amount of green in order to reduce the post production workload. You can adjust the shade from 0-360 via the Hue menu. Using the ‘Saturation’ function, you can choose how much of the selected shade you wish to mix with the selected colour temperature.    

Cabled Use

Unlike the Astera PixelTubes, TitanTubes can also be used when cabled. The PowerBox is an effective aid if the TitanTubes need to be provided with power and data during an event, whilst filming, or any time you do not want to use them wirelessly. This can be very convenient for long shows or permanent installations, for example. On top of this, the PowerBox can be stored in the TitanTube flight case, so that you can charge the tubes using it. The PowerBox is provided with power using the included Neutrik True1 cable. You can also use this cable to charge the TitanTube or use it together with the Tube in cabled mode. The PowerBoalso has 5 pin XLR in- and outputs, so that multiple PowerBoxes can be linked to each other in a daisy chain. You can control your setup via the RJ45 ethernet connection using Art-Net DHCP, 2.X, 10.X, and sACN signals.

PowerBoost

The Astera TitanTube has a special ‘PowerBoost’ function especially for situations where a large amount of light is needed. This means that the tube will display white shades with 2.8X more clarity than normal mode. The one disadvantage of the PowerBoost function is that the tubes only have a 2 hour battery life when operating PowerBoost mode.

Light Source

Inside the casing of the TitanTube, you will find a 72 watt light source made up of Phillips RGBMA (Red, Green, Blue, Mint, Amber) LEDs. The light source is divided into 16 sections, which can be individually controlled. The tube has an 120 degree beam angle. Every TitanTube is calibrated before leaving the factory, so that every tube is guaranteed to have the same high quality colour mixing (TLCI>96 and CRI>96).

Battery

With all the innovations taking place today in energy conscious lighting and powerful batteries, it’s no surprise that professional lighting is also making the switch. HWC Events & Rentals is an early adopter and leader in this field, partially due to quick investments. This Astera TitanTube comes with a powerful LG Chem battery which powers the light for a whopping 20 hours. It only takes 3 hours to fully charge this tube.

Flicker Free

As the TitanTube is designed for the film and broadcasting industry, the lights from the armatures must work well together with different cameras. In the past, the combination of LED lights and cameras was sometimes problematic. Unlike old fashioned lighting, LED lights aren’t always on. They actually flicker extremely quickly- too quickly, even for the human eye, but not too quickly for cameras. In combination with the AsteraBox and the app, you can adjust the refresh rate between 200 and 1205 Hz. You can very easily adjust to the framerate your cameras will record in. The framerate will then automatically adjust. The tubes also have ‘fanless cooling’. They are completely silent when in use and will not create any disturbing white noise during filming.

Miscellaneous Functions

The Astera TitanTubes include a motion sensor. This sensor can function as an anti-theft alarm. When the alarm is turned on, this sensor will activate. If the tube is moved or removed after the sensor is activated, a siren will sound in order to deter potential thieves. Have you set up all of your lighting a day prior to the actual filming? Of course it would be tragic for the battery to drain overnight. In order to prevent this, you can use the ‘Enter and Leave Standby’ function. This will allow you to manually turn standby mode on or off for all Astera lighting, or, if desired, to program it to happen at certain times. Like other Astera armatures, you can also use these TitanTubes as emergency lighting. When the power goes out, the tubes (if attached to the grid)can automatically turn on and shine bright white. All three of the above uses can only be turned on and set up using the AsteraApp.

Tech specs

• Brand

  Astera

• Type

  TitanTube

• Type of LED

  72W - RGBMA - 785 Lm

• Strobe

  0 - 25 Hz

• Beam Angle

  120 Degrees

• Battery

  LG Chem Lithium-ion

• Battery life

  20 hours

• Battery Charge Time

  3 hours

• Control

  CMRX - W-DMX - AsteraBox

• IP Rating

  IP65

• Dimensions TitanTube

  Ø42 x 1035mm

• Weight

  1.35 KG

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