Course Format

100% Self Paced

  • Video Lessons

    Easier to follow than a manual. Watch these lessons at your own speed.

  • Downloads

    If you ever get stuck, you can download the showfile I use in the lessons.

  • Resources

    Quick Reference Guides for common troubleshooting and Visual Key to Recipe Graphics.

About the Course

Recipes got a big overhaul with Version 2.4 - including the addition of PHASER RECIPES: a whole new way to make Effects!  If you've found the original Phaser Editor confusing, I think you're going to really like this new way of making Phaser Effects using Recipes. 

I designed this course by digging into all the functionality and trying to find ways to explain how to work with Recipes in plain English.  I'll take you through the details without too much technical jargon, and as always: I'll use real world examples. This isn't an overview or a set of marketing videos: I'm taking you through all the details. We'll build standard recipes and phaser recipes in cues and presets: and we'll do it together in this course.

Prerequisites:
Basic grandMA3 programming knowledge is required.  You do not need to have any experience with Recipes. The course can be completed on a computer running grandMA3 onPC. Access to console hardware is not necessary. grandMA3 software version 2.4 or greater will be required. 

Ready to start?

This course is available on demand.

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Course Curriculum

    1. How to Take This Course

    2. What's a Recipe and How Do Our Group Changes Affect Them?

    3. Two Recipe Types: Standard and Phaser

      FREE PREVIEW

    1. Adding Recipe Lines to Cues

    2. Recipe Lines in Detail

    3. Recipe Editor Window

    4. Edit Recipe Mode

    5. Heirarchy: Recipes Vs. Direct Values

    6. Recipes as Cue Only

    7. Preset Recipes

    8. Template Recipe Presets and Presets Without Fixture Selections

    9. Review: When Do I Need to Cook?

    10. When Will My Group Pool Changes Take Effect in My Recipes?

    1. Phaser Recipe QuickStart

    2. Predefined Phaser Recipes

    3. Phaser Recipes: Selection

    4. Phaser Recipes: Value Sources

    5. Phaser Recipes: Shapes

    6. Phaser Recipes: Steps

    7. Phaser Recipes: Matricks

    8. Phaser Recipes: Speeds, Measures and Playback

    9. Phaser Recipe Presets as Templates

    10. Stopping Recipe Phasers

    1. Recipe Graphics Key

    2. Basic Troubleshooting for Recipes

    3. Congrats!

About this course

  • $59.99
  • 26 lessons
  • 1.5 hours of video content

Your Instructor: Cat West

Since my first job programming lighting at a small Vegas club back in 2000, I knew that pushing buttons was the gig for me. I've been lucky enough in my career to travel the world, programming shows of all sizes. Some of the acts I've programmed for include: Danny Elfman, NKOTB, Metallica, Christina Aguilera, J. Cole, Lorde, Ok Go, Eric Church, Melanie Martinez and more. In 2007, I started consoletrainer.com as a resource of training videos, tutorials and quick start guides for lighting programmers of all skill levels.

Cat West

Lead Instructor

Topics

  • Understanding Recipes

    What are the benefits of using Recipes in our Shows?

  • Recipes in Cues

    How to create Recipes for your Cues right in the Sequence Sheet

  • Phaser Recipes

    A totally new editor that allows you to quickly create effects using Recipes

  • Recipe Editor Window

    How to work with the new Editor Interface and "Edit Recipe" Mode.

  • Recipes in Presets

    How to create and edit different types of Preset Recipes

  • Hierarchies and Cooking

    When do recipes take or lose precedence on stage?

  • Best Practices

    What happens when Groups are updated and how best to handle this organization in your show.

  • Troubleshooting

    What to do when something doesn't look quite right.

  • Showfiles

    Downloadable MA3 showfiles with the programming I show in the Video Lesson.

Should I Use Recipes in my Programming?

  • It's not a requirement, but it does give you new flexibility and the option to make changes without major reprogramming.

  • The newly implemented Phaser Recipes allow you to create Effects much quicker than before.

Easy to follow Video Lessons

Like I'm sitting next to you at your console

Manuals are great, but some things are easier to explain through video. My lessons are short: go at the pace that works for you on your schedule.
Register Now

Course Reviews

Cameron O'Rourke

5 star rating

“I've been trying to really wrap my head around GrandMA3 for several weeks now, and most of the stuff out there is either outdated, scattershot tips and tricks, poorly organized, esoteric or skips over important concepts and gotchas. Cat does an ou...”

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“I've been trying to really wrap my head around GrandMA3 for several weeks now, and most of the stuff out there is either outdated, scattershot tips and tricks, poorly organized, esoteric or skips over important concepts and gotchas. Cat does an outstanding job with the coursework aspect, organized while also pointing out potential trouble spots, and succinct while explaining important concepts. I'm hoping for more courses from her on GrandMA3 show file organization and best practices especially for OnPC.”

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SeonHo Yang

5 star rating

“It's the best education I've ever heard!! I'm so satisfied with the overall understanding and utilization of the recipe.”

“It's the best education I've ever heard!! I'm so satisfied with the overall understanding and utilization of the recipe.”

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JASON WAUGH

5 star rating

“Been using GrandMA3 console on shows since software version 1.4, so been on them for a while. Cat's courses are very well though out. Every time I jump in on one I learn something I hadn't discovered yet. Saves me time trying to fumble through th...”

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“Been using GrandMA3 console on shows since software version 1.4, so been on them for a while. Cat's courses are very well though out. Every time I jump in on one I learn something I hadn't discovered yet. Saves me time trying to fumble through things on my own. I like the more advanced stuff and she always comes through with something cool for a better work flow. Looking forward to the next one! :-)”

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Carter Adams

5 star rating

“Easy to follow at your own pace. Great Overview of both styles of Recipes. Looking forward to more classes from ConsoleTrainer soon!”

“Easy to follow at your own pace. Great Overview of both styles of Recipes. Looking forward to more classes from ConsoleTrainer soon!”

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Denis Natalis

5 star rating

“Great course! Even though I was already familiar with a large part of the subject, I still learned several details and techniques that I didn't know before. The content is clear, well structured, and packed with useful information. If I had taken ...”

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“Great course! Even though I was already familiar with a large part of the subject, I still learned several details and techniques that I didn't know before. The content is clear, well structured, and packed with useful information. If I had taken this course as a beginner, it honestly would have been life-changing. Highly recommended!”

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Victor Olivera

5 star rating

“The course is excellent and includes examples to help understand the tools. I would add a section for specific questions to expand the content a bit more. Thank you very much.”

“The course is excellent and includes examples to help understand the tools. I would add a section for specific questions to expand the content a bit more. Thank you very much.”

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Kevin Lawson

5 star rating

“I had resisted fully adopting recipe workflows until the release of MA3 2.4. I'm now a convert and this course helped me wrap my head around the new phaser recipes and general recipes very quickly. Cat's courses are well organized deep dives and I...”

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“I had resisted fully adopting recipe workflows until the release of MA3 2.4. I'm now a convert and this course helped me wrap my head around the new phaser recipes and general recipes very quickly. Cat's courses are well organized deep dives and I appreciate them both as a programmer and educator. Finally, I appreciate her willingness to communicate the things that can still be improved in the software (Edit Recipe mode for Phaser Recipes. for example) and hopes for future refinements. Great course, well worth it!”

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Roberto Bento

5 star rating

“EXELENTE AND SO VRY HELP FULL.”

“EXELENTE AND SO VRY HELP FULL.”

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Marcos Martins

5 star rating

“NICE!!!!!!!!!”

“NICE!!!!!!!!!”

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FAQ

  • Do I need to have any experience using Recipes on grandMA3?

    Not at all. Although, you should already have a basic working knowledge of how to create stage looks and store them as cues in grandMA3. I'll take you through everything about creating, editing and using Recipes, but it is not an introduction to basic programming on grandMA3.

  • Do Recipes Replace Cloning?

    Recipes are handy for moving programming around between fixtures, but it doesn't replace cloning. Just adding the new fixtures to your showfile and updating the groups won't be enough. The new fixtures will still need to have data in the presets you used in your recipes if you want to them to work. But, as long as you update the presets, the recipes are going to give you a lot of flexibility.

  • Do I need a console for this course?

    Nope. But I would recommend a computer that can run the free grandMA3 onPC software. And if you don't want to build your own showfile along with me - you can just watch the lessons.

  • Is there a money back guarantee?

    Yes. If you find that the course is not for you, you can contact me within 7 days of signing up to request a refund: no questions asked.

  • Do I need to complete this course within a set amount of time?

    Nope! This course is self paced and available on demand. Go at your own speed.

  • Are the videos subtitled?

    Yes! English and Spanish subtitles can be turned on for each video using the CC option in the Video Playback Controls

Ready to Learn About MA3 Recipes?

Interested in Timecode for grandMA3?

I've got the course for that!