Presets, Cues, Cue Stacks/Lists, Sequences, and Executors
- Steven Visser
- Apr 13
- 2 min read
These terms are most commonly used in professional lighting consoles such as those from MA Lighting (e.g., grandMA3) and ETC (e.g., Eos).
The exact terminology varies slightly by brand, but the core concepts are similar.
Here’s a clear breakdown of each term and how they relate to each other:
1. Presets
Definition: Building blocks (raw ingredients).
A preset stores a specific value for one parameter (or a group of related parameters) that you can reuse.
Examples:
A specific red color
A pan/tilt position called “Downstage Center”
A gobo selection
A beam look
Instead of recreating values every time, you reference the preset. If you update the preset, every cue using it updates too (if stored by reference).
Think of presets like: 🎨 Paint colors in a palette
2. Cues
Definition: A snapshot of the stage at one moment in time.
A cue stores the state of fixtures (intensity, color, position, etc.) plus timing information.
Examples:
Cue 1: Stage wash at 50%
Cue 2: Spotlight on Actor A
Cue 3: Blue night look
Cues typically include:
Fade times
Delay times
Follow times
Think of a cue like: 📸 A photograph of the stage look
3. Cue Stack/List
Definition: A list of cues that play in order.
A cue stack (sometimes just called a “sequence” depending on console) is an ordered list of cues that you step through during a show.
Example: Cue 1 → Cue 2 → Cue 3 → Cue 4
You can:
Go to next cue
Go back
Jump to a specific cue
Auto-follow cues
Think of a cue stack like:🎬 A scene list in a script
4. Sequence
Definition: This term depends on the console.
On consoles like grandMA:
A sequence contains a cue stack.
On consoles like ETC Eos:
A cue list is similar to a sequence. The term “sequence” isn’t commonly used the same way.
So, in most modern systems:
Sequence ≈ Cue stack
5. Executors
The playback controls.
An executor is a physical or virtual control (fader or button) that runs a sequence/cue stack.
An executor can:
Play a cue stack
Control intensity via fader
Trigger effects
Run chases
Toggle sequences on/off
On a console like the grandMA3, you assign a sequence to an executor. The executor is what you actually press during the show.
Think of executors like: 🎛 The playback buttons/faders that “drive” the cue stack
6. How They All Connect
Here’s the hierarchy:
Presets → used inside cues → Cues → arranged inside cue stacks → Cue Stack / Sequence → assigned to executor → Executor → controlled by operator → Operator
Simple Real-World Example:
Imagine programming a theatre show.
You create presets.
You build several cues.
You store those cues into cue stacks.
You assign Sequence 1 to: executor fader 1.
During the show, you press “Go” on that executor to move through the cues.
You now know the key differences between presets, cues, sequences, and executors.
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