Cues are the core building blocks for live control in GrandMA3. Each cue captures a specific look—built from presets and phasers—and plays a part in creating dynamic, structured moments during a service. Organizing cues well makes for smooth transitions, clean playback, and an easier experience for whoever is running the show.

Creating and Storing Cues

Start by building your look using presets—dimmer, color, position, zoom, etc. Then store it into a cue. Use Store Cue 1, or simply Store Please to create cues in sequence. From there, update fixtures between cues and create smooth visual progressions throughout your show.

Labeling and Renumbering

Name every cue with something meaningful to the operator. For example:

• “Verse – Wash Amber”

• “Chorus – Spots Center Blue”

• “Bridge – Dimmer Out”

Use two-finger edit to change names or numbers in the Sequence Sheet, and easily re-order cues without disrupting playback flow.

Timing and Transitions

Apply fade and delay values directly in the sheet or with the Time key:

• Use fade to smooth out changes (e.g., 2s fade in)

• Use delay to stagger a transition (e.g., 0.5s hold before fade)

• Combine these with cue Types like Follow to automate transitions

Using Move In Black (MIB)

Enable MIB to prep fixtures (like moving lights) while they’re at 0%. This avoids visible movement or color shifts onstage. Set the mode to Early in the sequence settings for the most natural cue transitions.

Tracking, Parts, and Update Workflow

Use the Tracking Sheet to visualize what values are active, tracked, or overridden. Colors help:

• Cyan = stored in that cue

• Magenta = tracked from earlier

• Green = values decreasing

• Teal Background = MIB active

Cue Parts let you split timing—for example, color changes fast while position moves slow. It’s great for layering intentional looks within the same cue number.

Updating, Merging, and Copying Cues

• Update = store merge of current programmer values

• Overwrite = replaces all values in the cue

• Merge = adds new values without removing old ones

• Copy = duplicate cues with options for tracking and value type (Content vs. Status)

Handling Phasers in Cues

A phaser is just a dynamic preset. To stop it, replace it with a static preset of the same attribute:

• Color phaser → use a color preset

• Dimmer phaser → use a dimmer preset

• Relative position phaser → use a preset with relative at zero

Use a “stomp” preset to reset relative values when stopping a movement.

Cues are where all your programming comes together—and the better organized they are, the easier your services will be to run live, even with a volunteer operator.