Phasers are dynamic presets—anything that moves, shifts, pulses, or transitions between values over time. They’re one of the most powerful and creative tools in GrandMA3, and they can be applied to any attribute: dimmer, position, color, zoom, you name it. Understanding how to build and store them properly sets you up for flexible, repeatable looks throughout your show file.

How Phasers Work

A static preset (like "Red") is just a one-step phaser. But when you add a second step—like "Red → Blue"—you now have motion. You’ll see step indicators (1/1, 2/2, etc.) appear in the encoder bar. From here, you can adjust speed, shape, width, transition, and more.

Phaser Views and Controls

There are two main phaser-related views:

• Phaser Editor: Visual editor for 2D movement, color changes, etc.

• Encoder Toolbar: Access to overall and per-step controls

Phaser properties are grouped into:

• Phaser Overall: Speed, phase, measure

• Phaser Steps: In/out curvature (Xl/Dcell), transition, width

Use MATricks to apply symmetry, wings, or spread values out across fixtures for synchronized or staggered effects.

Storing and Updating Phasers

You can store phasers into:

• Dedicated phaser presets

• Dimmer/Color/Position pools

• Or better yet, use a dedicated All Pool just for phasers

Watch for icons:

• Three purple dots = dynamic preset (phaser)

• Green brackets = MATricks data

• Pink tick = relative values

• Cyan arrow = embedded presets inside the phaser

Building Common Phaser Types

• Dimmer Chase: Snap on/off with short width, low transition, phase across X

• Circle Movement: Use relative mode in the phaser editor, add pan/tilt points

• Color Fade: Use presets + MA + Step to build color transitions quickly

Use filters when storing to ensure you're only capturing the attribute you want (e.g., just color, not dimmer or position).

Speed Masters

Assign a phaser to a Speed Master to adjust tempo in real-time:

• Add a speed fader or tap tempo button to any executor

• Great for syncing chases or effects with live band dynamics

Base Phasers for Faster Programming

Create a library of base phasers (e.g., generic circles, fly-ins, strobes) to reuse and adapt each week. These reduce setup time and encourage consistency across services or campuses.

Phasers are where your programming can really come to life. With the right setup and intentional storage, you’ll build looks that are bold, synchronized, and easy to reuse or refine week after week.