ATG Audiovisueel is a busy event technical services and rental company based in Vuren, near Gorinchem (the Netherlands). It supplies full production packages to a wide range of professional performing arts and corporate/business projects across the Netherlands and throughout Europe.
In spring 2025, the company decided to make a major commitment to Astera products, explains operations manager Harmen Daniels. The first step was the purchase of 64 Titan Tubes, 16 Hyperion Tubes, and 24 Helios Tubes.
These fixtures were purchased as general rental stock.
We’d had our eye on the brand for a while. Our core business is event production, and we saw how popular Astera Tubes were in this sector, where they have become an ‘industry standard’, comments Harmen.
After speaking with numerous lighting designers and technicians already using Astera, Harmen and his team concluded that they were robust, well engineered, and highly user-friendly. They made the investment and soon saw the Tubes going out on all kinds of ATG projects.
Soon after, guided by Controllux, Astera’s Benelux distributor, they began looking at Astera’s more recently launched products—particularly QuikSpot and QuikPunch—as ideal tools to replace their aging battery-powered up-lighters, which were nearly a decade old. As Harmen notes, during that time “both LED and wireless technology for the live event industry have advanced significantly”.
QuikSpot is a battery-powered up-lighter launched by Astera in 2025, featuring a precision zoomable Fresnel lens and an adjustable beam angle from 13º to 60º, while also serving as a compact and versatile spotlight. QuikPunch is also a wireless spotlight with a Fresnel lens and additional output, delivering 8,000 lux at 3 metres while consuming just 75 W of power—equivalent to a 650 W fixture. Both models are completely different fixtures from the Tubes.
Harmen admits they also considered some alternatives, but both QuikSpot and QuikPunch “looked by far the best on the market” in terms of power and versatility, and this was confirmed by subsequent real-world testing.
As a result, an order was placed for 72 QuikSpots and 64 QuikPunches—strong numbers that underline ATG’s commitment to Astera and their belief in the real value these products will deliver to clients.
Harmen highlights that a key differentiator—the quality of the Fresnel lens—was decisive, as the fixtures can be used to light anything from performers on stage to building façades, trees and foliage, interiors, set pieces, and more. “The products are incredibly versatile. That works for us… and so far, they’ve been brilliant!” he says enthusiastically.
According to Harmen, both fixtures have already been used on multiple shows and events and have been very well received by the ATG crew. They enjoy using the Astera App for essential control and, once you explore its functionality and the wider Astera ecosystem in depth, it becomes “brilliant to use and straightforward, with all fixtures sharing the same menu system”. He also mentions Astera’s broadcast and camera-friendly features, which further enhance their appeal, as almost every event involves some type of live recording, streaming, or camera element. In addition, they value the accessories supplied with the products:
The systems are smart and very well thought through, with details like detachable barn doors and the angle indicator on the QuikPunch… clearly designed by people who work in the field!
Beyond their own experience, ATG has received very positive feedback from lighting designers about QuikSpot and QuikPunch. Harmen concludes by emphasising that after-sales service and support are another essential part of the investment equation, highlighting their 25-year relationship with Controllux as a solid foundation for this partnership, now and into the future.
Photos: courtesy of ATG Audiovisueel
