Smart tube lights that can be controlled via app seem to be all the rage these days. Let’s have a look at an interesting Kickstarter campaign by TEKE
Who are TEKE?
The founders of TEKE started out by creating animated lights for their own productions, and got positive feedback from their clients and other artists. That’s why they decided to develop their solution into a product they could sell, the TEKE DMX Tube Lights are the result. Currently, they are running a Kickstarter campaign, where backers can get more than 50% off of the retail price.
The Facts about TEKE DMX Tube Lights
There are two different TEKE DMX Tube Lights: the TEKE, 20″ (~51cm), and the TEKE PRO, 50” (101cm) in length. There is also a range of accessories and mounting options, some of which are part of kit pledges and some will be available as add-ons later on.
The maximum output of the TEKE and the TEKE Pro is a flicker-free 700lm and 1400lm, respectively. The color temperature of the full-spectrum RGBW LED tubes can be adjusted from 2700°K up to 6500°K, which covers most of the situations you’ll be likely to encounter. Color rendition is at CRI 90+, which is ok, but not amazing.
The tubes feature built-in batteries that, according to the manufacturer, provide a runtime of 4 hours at 100% brightness. Unfortunately, the batteries are not exchangeable, but the lights can be charged while in use.
App Control – TEKE DMX Tube Lights
The lights can be controlled via a smartphone app without requiring a transmitter or bridge.
With the app it’s possible to control, animate and connect multiple TEKE lights for set-, stage- and even large installation purposes.
The TEKE Library within the app lets you instantly apply dynamic lighting styles and animated effects: flickering hallway, fire, lightning, police, traffic, TV static and so on.
TEKE also advertises “sound reactive lighting”, which I presume is the ability of the light to react to sound coming into the controlling smartphone’s microphone. Something that could be nice when the lights are being used to light a stage-performance or a music video.
The smartphone app also seems to be able to create color palettes, by sampling the color of an image or video. Sounds interesting!
Thoughts
I have not paid much attention to tube lighting up until now, but the recent rise of LED tube products entering the market has made me think about this type of light. It has many advantages:
- small pack size for relatively soft light
- flexible because of the ability to adjust the color
- runs on battery for an extended amount of time
- can be used as practicals, because they look cool
- can be used in tight spaces
I will have to get my hands on the TEKE DMX Tube Lights or similar offerings sooner rather than later to find out if they can make my set life easier or give me additional creative freedom for the kind of work I do.
We are saying this at the end of every crowdfunding-related article: Please be aware of the risks when backing a project on a crowdfunding platform. Please read the crowdfunding platform terms and conditions carefully and keep in mind that there can be significant delays when delivering the product. Some projects even don’t get delivered at all.
Do you think about backing TEKE? What do you look for in a LED tube-light? We’d be interested to hear your thoughts about TEKE lights and tube-lights in general in the comments below.
