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Using Submasters for Last-Minute Cue Adjustments
Source: | Author:佚名 | Published time: 2025-07-10 | 3 Views | Share:

Understanding the Need for Flexibility in Live Lighting

Live performances are dynamic by nature. Whether it’s a concert, theatrical production, or outdoor event, show elements often shift on the fly—timings change, performers improvise, or unexpected cues emerge. In these situations, lighting operators need fast, reliable control without rebuilding cue stacks from scratch. This is where submasters become invaluable.

Submasters are programmable faders or buttons on a lighting console used to control specific fixture groups, effects, or cues independently from the main playback. They offer quick access to key looks and give designers and operators room for real-time creativity and responsive adjustments.


What Exactly Is a Submaster?

A submaster is a user-defined controller, typically assigned to a physical fader, that brings up pre-programmed lighting states, intensities, or effect parameters. Unlike the main cue stack, which follows a linear sequence, submasters allow parallel or spontaneous changes.

Submasters may be configured to control:

  • Dimmer levels for a fixture group

  • Effects or chases

  • Color palettes

  • Scene overrides

  • Flash or bump cues

  • Movement or beam parameter shifts

What makes submasters powerful is their ability to override or supplement programmed cues without disrupting the overall show structure.


Types of Submasters and Their Common Uses

Submasters can be categorized based on their function:

  1. Intensity Submasters: Control brightness levels for selected channels or groups—useful for live adjustments to front light or audience wash.

  2. Effect Submasters: Trigger color chases, strobes, or movement effects—ideal for syncing to music manually.

  3. Cue List Submasters: Play through a short list of cues independently of the main stack—useful for pre-show lighting, transitions, or dance breaks.

  4. Palette Submasters: Load color, gobo, or position palettes—helpful for fast look switches mid-performance.


Why Submasters Are Essential for Last-Minute Adjustments

Submasters allow the operator to make nuanced changes during live operation. For example, if an actor steps forward more than planned and lighting needs to be rebalanced instantly, a front-light submaster lets you gently boost intensity without affecting programmed backlight cues.

Other use cases include:

  • Fading in audience blinders during spontaneous applause

  • Cutting haze output temporarily if ventilation issues arise

  • Reacting to encore performances by re-triggering prior looks

  • Softening harsh beam angles for late-arriving camera operators

Submasters ensure the show remains visually cohesive even under unplanned circumstances.


How to Set Up Submasters Effectively

To make the most of submasters, it’s important to plan their function ahead of showtime:

  • Label Clearly: Whether on physical faders or touchscreen UI, label each submaster for fast recognition.

  • Prioritize Access: Assign critical groups—such as key light, haze, or FX strobes—to easily reachable controls.

  • Use Cue Tracking Intelligently: Some consoles allow submasters to be included or excluded from cue tracking. This determines whether submaster overrides are persistent or temporary.

  • Build Previews: Use visualization software or pre-show time to simulate submaster interactions with existing cues.


Submasters vs. Playback Overrides

While some operators use the “Release” or “Blackout” functions to stop playback for override, this approach is less elegant than using submasters. Playback overrides tend to interrupt cue progressions, whereas submasters allow layered interaction. They behave more like a live musician improvising over a base track rather than resetting the song.


Best Practices for Touring or Festival Environments

In unpredictable venues—like touring houses or outdoor stages—submasters offer valuable control redundancy:

  • Assign venue-specific elements (e.g., side truss blinders or local LED walls) to submasters for site-specific tweaks.

  • Load base looks into submasters for power-up testing without relying on full cue sequences.

  • Integrate temporary fixtures into submaster control when local suppliers or rental gear vary.

Submasters offer a modular, flexible layer that complements a structured show file.


Submasters and Busking: Controlled Improvisation

In live music settings where busking is common, submasters become even more critical. A busking operator may assign:

  • Drum hits to white strobes

  • Chorus sections to color chase effects

  • Vocal solos to center beam enhancements

Submasters allow musicality to drive visual changes. Since busking relies on operator intuition and timing, submasters function as essential instruments for live visual performance.


Submaster Safety: Avoiding Conflict and Overwrites

Using submasters introduces the risk of conflicting states if not programmed carefully. To minimize issues:

  • Use HTP (Highest Takes Precedence) or LTP (Latest Takes Precedence) rules consistently.

  • Avoid assigning overlapping fixture groups across multiple submasters.

  • Use console-provided priority rules to define whether cues or submasters take control in case of conflict.

  • Include submasters in rehearsals to verify cue transitions behave as expected.


Future Trends: Smart Submasters and Automation

Newer consoles are incorporating “smart submasters” with contextual logic—faders that behave differently based on cue status or fixture availability. Future developments may include:

  • Submasters that auto-disable when a fixture enters a specific cue

  • Fader banks that remap in real time based on show mode (pre-show, performance, post-show)

  • App-based submasters for assistants to manage atmospherics or effects remotely

As lighting systems become smarter, submasters may evolve from passive faders to interactive, logic-driven components of a flexible show control ecosystem.


Conclusion: Control Meets Creativity

Submasters are not just backup tools—they’re creative instruments that empower designers and operators with responsive control. For last-minute cue adjustments, they provide flexibility without compromising the artistic integrity of a show.

Whether fine-tuning front light intensity, pulsing a chase in time with music, or recovering from a misfire during a live show, submasters make high-pressure moments manageable. In the fast-paced world of live entertainment, that kind of control isn’t just useful—it’s essential.


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