group master console

electronics

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Last updated

July 19, 2026

Quick Summary

A "group master console" in electronics refers to a type of control system, specifically used in stage lighting. In this system, a "grand master" control manages the output of multiple "submasters." Each submaster, in turn, regulates the intensity of a small group of individual dimmers, typically between two and eight. This setup allowed for centralized control over stage lighting intensity, evolving from earlier gas lighting control tables. While group master consoles were significant, they have largely been replaced by modern computerized control systems.1

A related term, "master station," describes the primary transmitting station in a synchronized electronic communication system that controls emissions from other stations.2

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stagecraft
Control consoles
…by the century’s final decades: group master and preset. (A combination board is sometimes identified as a separate category of control console, but it simply combined group master and preset controls.) The group master and preset boards were a direct carryover from the layouts first used on gas tables. On…
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…by the century’s final decades: group master and preset. (A combination board is sometimes identified as a separate category of control console, but it simply combined group master and preset controls.) The group master and preset boards were a direct carryover from the layouts first used on gas tables. On…
Read More