Astera has a growing portfolio of live events and production lighting solutions, which includes not only its core range of lights but a selection of add-on accessories that maximize the creative potential of the range as a whole.

Complimenting the established selection of LED products, LED bars and Tube lights — including the Helion, Titan and Hyperion Tube — comes the newly introduced HydraPanel, a portable 1300-lumen light that fits in the palm of your hand. Watertight and weighing 600 grams, the HydraPanel can be mounted anywhere — indoors or outdoors — with a battery life of 1:45 hours. But what really sets the HydraPanel apart is the creative control it grants gaffers. With beam shaping and six interchangeable light modifiers that click on and off instantly, lighting professionals are granted full flexibility without compromising their workflow efficiency. Wireless DMX, CRMX and BluetoothBridge allow for quick, intuitive app-based control of color mix and dimming, with a 750 to 20,000 Kelvin range and Full Spectrum RGB+Mint+Amber color. As with the entire Astera lighting range, a Titan LED Engine powers the lights and ensures color fidelity and lighting consistency, meaning many different Astera products can be easily coordinated to produce seamless lighting on any set.

Building on these technical specs, the creative potential of the HydraPanel has yet further been extended with the addition of the new 2 up to 4 HydraPanel SnapBag, a softbox that allows the incorporation of up to four HydraPanels. The SnapBag uses DoPchoice’s Snapshape material to ensure a wrinkle-free setup and a bright and even output. It can also be combined with a SnapGrid to provide directional focus. With this addition, the application of the HydraPanel is taken even further, allowing for a diverse range of creative applications.

Logistical flexibility is also increased for the entire lighting range through Astera’s newly launched RuntimeExtender. Ideal for gaffers and event lighting coordinators, the RuntimeExtender allows lighting engineers to leverage their existing battery sources — both 14.4-volt and 26-volt, using either ‘V-mount’ or ‘Gold Mount’ connections. The full portfolio of Astera 24V lights is supported, with the RuntimeExtender maintaining a rating of 24-volt 100-watt shared across two DC outputs, and any potential future expansions are accommodated with the additional inclusion of a 3-pin XLR socket with unregulated output.