Glossary
Operator-facing definitions for the terms you will encounter across CueSync screens, documentation, and error messages.
action — The command a cue sends when it fires. A single cue can carry multiple actions, each targeting a different output (lighting console, video system, audio playback, etc.). You define actions in the Cue Editor.
Auto Pilot — The DJ-edition engine that fires cues automatically, tied to the music's phrase and energy structure. Auto Pilot pre-computes a fire plan when a track is loaded so that beat-by-beat decisions are instant. You configure it in Auto Pilot.
circuit breaker — A connection safety mechanism. When an output fails repeatedly, CueSync stops sending to it (the breaker "opens") rather than flooding the network with failing commands. The breaker resets automatically after a cooldown. A warning chip appears in the EdgeBar whenever a breaker is open. See troubleshooting and Diagnostics.
cue — The core unit of show automation. A cue pairs a trigger (when it fires) with one or more actions (what it does). Cues live in the cue stack. Edit them in the Cues screen.
capture slot — A Show Editor toolbar chip bound to a bare number key (1–0). Pressing the key while the audio preview plays punches a new cue with the slot's label and colour at the live playhead. Configure slots via the gear on the capture toolbar; they are saved with the show.
control cue — A theatre cue that, in addition to its own actions, drives the show when it fires: Goto jumps the playhead to a target cue (once per pass, loop-safe), Group fires a set of target cues together, and Load pre-arms a target so a later GO is instant. Authored in the Show Editor inspector's Control section.
cue stack — The ordered list of cues in your show. Most sequential triggers evaluate only the next cue in the stack; the Hot Cue trigger can fire any matching cue regardless of position. Reset the stack to return to the top. The full sequential/look-ahead breakdown is in the Trigger Reference.
edition — The feature tier your license grants: DJ, Theatre, or CueSync Production. Edition gates workflows and screen access, not output protocols — every edition can connect to any of the supported protocol types. New installs start in Read-Only mode until a license is activated. See Settings.
fire plan — The pre-computed map Auto Pilot builds from a track's structure when the track loads. It maps each beat to the cues that should fire at that moment, so live playback requires no real-time analysis. A stale fire plan (e.g. after you edit a cue) is rebuilt automatically on the next track arm.
Follow / Auto — Theatre trigger modes that chain cues: a Follow cue fires a set time after the previous cue in its track fires; an Auto (autocontinue) cue fires together with it. Chains cancel on Stop, Pause, or a seek. See Show Editor.
freewheel — The mode CueSync enters when the Pioneer hardware source is disconnected during a show. The internal beat clock continues to tick at the last known tempo, keeping Auto Pilot and time-synced cues running until the source reconnects or you stop the show.
hot cue — A cue point (labelled A–H) stored on a Pioneer CDJ or XDJ. Hitting a hot cue on the hardware sends a signal CueSync can use as a trigger. Unlike sequential triggers, Hot Cue triggers can fire cues that are not currently "next" in the stack.
Look — A named lighting state saved for a connected lighting console output. Looks appear in the Looks palette and can be referenced by cue actions. Compare to Scene.
LUFS — Loudness Units relative to Full Scale, the broadcast-standard loudness measure. CueSync shows each track's integrated LUFS in Track Prep, can match playback loudness to a LUFS target (Production edition), and can fire cues when the live loudness enters a LUFS band (the Loudness Transition trigger).
pre-wait — A hold applied after a theatre cue's trigger condition is met, before its actions dispatch — the same concept as a pre-wait on a theatre desk or in QLab. Set per cue in the Show Editor inspector.
phrase — A structural section of a track identified by rekordbox analysis: INTRO, BUILD, DROP, VERSE, CHORUS, and similar labels. Phrase data drives Auto Pilot and can be used as a cue trigger (fire at the start of every DROP, for example). View phrase data in Track Prep.
Read-Only — The license state before activation. You can view the interface, load shows, and inspect configurations, but cue firing and output connections are disabled. Activate a license in Settings → Account & License to unlock your edition.
Scene — A cross-protocol snapshot that can span multiple output types simultaneously (lighting state + video clip + audio cue, for example). Scenes appear alongside Looks in the Looks & Scenes palette.
sequence part — In multi-part theatre shows where each track carries its own audio, a part is one such track. The Sequence Parts dialog lines parts up end-to-end (with a configurable gap), moving each part's cues with its audio. See Show Editor.
Session Sync — The preview workflow that moves a Theatre cue list between CueSync and a grandMA3 console: diff-aware push, read-only bridge read-back, USB macro export, and console pull. See GrandMA3 Session Sync.
trigger — The condition that causes a cue to fire. Trigger types include Beat (a specific beat number), Phrase (a structural section boundary), BPM Range (when tempo enters a range), Hot Cue (a CDJ cue point hit), MIDI (an incoming MIDI message), Timecode (a SMPTE position), Energy Level, and more. Set the trigger in the Cue Editor.
venue profile — A saved snapshot of your output connections and routing for a specific venue or rig. Load a profile to restore all output addresses and settings in one step. The number of profiles you can save depends on your edition. Manage profiles in Settings → Venues.
Related
- Cues — the cue stack screen
- Auto Pilot — music-reactive automation
- Network Outputs — output configuration
- Settings — license and edition details
Looking for a quick fix?
The Help Center has short task-focused articles and a support team that responds within 24 hours.