ChamSys MagicQ
MagicQ speed programming cheat sheet
Every shortcut and keypad trick from the MagicQ manual and the latest release notes, on one page. Covers stable 1.9.8.3 (27 May 2026) and beta 1.9.9.0 (22 Sep 2026). Print it with Ctrl+P.
16 October 2026 · Peter Van Engelandt
+ between keys = hold the first, press the second. S = a playback's SELECT button.- On PC:
> = THRU, # = FULL. SHIFT/CTRL on your keyboard work like the console buttons.
- Keypad level/time syntax with
/ needs Setup option Auto Enter on Keypad Intensity Set = No.
- Items marked (1.9.8+) or (1.9.9 beta) only work on that version or newer.
1. Selecting
| Keys |
Does |
1 THRU 4 + 8 THRU 11 ENTER |
Select ranges; - 7 removes a head |
1 THRU ENTER |
All heads of the same type upward from 1 |
101 @@ |
Select head 101 whatever the setup |
0 ENTER |
Deselect all |
GROUP 1 THRU 4 - 3 ENTER |
Select groups by number |
name ** |
Select group by (part of) its name |
GROUP 1 * 2 ENTER |
AND ONLY: heads in both groups |
| SHIFT + touch head/group |
Toggle in/out of selection |
| ALL (nothing selected) |
Reselect heads from the last CLEAR |
| SHIFT + ALL |
All heads of the last type selected |
| ALT + ALL |
All heads of the selected type, or snap colour (manual says both; test it) |
| CTRL + ALL |
All heads active in the programmer |
Hold ALL + palette / 50 ENTER / @ 60 ENTER / S |
Reselect heads using that palette / at 50%+ / at exactly 60% / in that playback step |
| Hold ALL |
Selection order toolbar (normal, reverse, centre in/out) |
| SHIFT + RANDOM SELECT |
Shuffle selection order |
| NEXT HEAD / PREV HEAD |
Single mode, one head at a time; ALL exits |
| SHIFT + SINGLE |
PAIR mode (symmetric pairs) |
| ODD/EVEN, then NEXT HEAD |
Odds, then evens |
| Hold ODD/EVEN (PC: SHIFT + ODD/EVEN) |
Toolbar: 3s, 4s, segments, groups, chunks, col tags |
1+2 NEXT HEAD / 3 THRU 5 NEXT HEAD |
Sub-select by position in the selection |
0 NEXT HEAD |
Invert the sub-selection |
| Hold NEXT HEAD + palette |
Sub-select heads using that palette |
| SHIFT + NEXT/PREV HEAD |
Step through elements (1.9.8+) |
101.2 ENTER, .1 > 3 ENTER, .> ENTER |
Elements: head 101 el. 2 / el. 1-3 / all; . ENTER cancels |
10 . 1 . 2 THRU 5 ENTER |
Elements 2-5 of function 1 on head 10 |
2. Intensity, times and attributes
| Keys |
Does |
1 THRU 4 @ 40 / @ FULL / @ +10 |
Set level / full / relative |
@ 4 = 40%, @ .4 or @ 04 = 4% |
Level shorthand |
@ 80 / 5 |
Level with 5 s fade |
@ / 2 / 5 |
2 s delay, 5 s fade |
@ FULL / 3 * |
Fade split over 3 s across heads |
/ 0 > 5 (or / 5 > 0) |
Spread fades 0 to 5 s (reverse order works) |
GROUP 2 @ 10 THRU 20 |
Intensity FX between 10% and 20% |
* 1 . 50 @ FULL |
Raw DMX channels 1-50 to full |
- - after a selection |
REM DIM: all other programmer heads to 0 |
| LOCATE / hold POS+LOCATE |
Locate all / only that attribute |
| SHIFT / CTRL / CTRL+SHIFT + LOCATE |
Lamp on / reset / lamp off |
| HIGHLIGHT / SHIFT + HIGHLIGHT / CTRL + HIGHLIGHT |
Highlight / lowlight / solo |
| SHIFT + encoder |
Fine (16-bit) |
| Encoder push / SHIFT + push |
Next / previous wheel slot |
SET 3500 + CTC soft button |
Type an exact attribute value |
SET - + rotate soft button |
Reverse rotation |
| FLIP / MIRROR soft buttons |
Flip pan+tilt / invert pan only |
| Hold FAN (PC: SHIFT + FAN toolbar) |
Fan mode: parts, segments, groups, chunks |
| FAN + NEXT/PREV HEAD |
Cycle fan type: asymmetric, symmetric, end |
| FAN + LOCATE |
Fan back to asymmetric |
GROUP 8 COL 4 BEAM 5 ENTER |
Apply palettes from the keypad |
GROUP 8 @ FULL FX 3 ENTER |
Full plus FX palette 3 |
| SHIFT + SQUARE OFF (Intensity window) |
Invert levels (SQUARE OFF snaps to 0/full) |
3. Record, clear, include, copy
| Keys |
Does |
| RECORD + S |
Record to a playback |
6/2.0 ENTER after RECORD |
Record to playback 6, cue 2.0 |
| name + RECORD |
Record and name in one go |
| SHIFT + RECORD |
Record options (REC TYPE, masks, LOCK MASK) |
Hold S + RECORD (or REC 0 ENTER) |
Merge into the current cue |
Hold + / - + RECORD |
Record merge / record remove, then pick target |
| Hold UPDATE + RECORD |
Update, then pick target |
Hold / + RECORD |
Record cue only |
Hold * + RECORD |
Selected heads only (* + merge, * - remove) |
| ALL + RECORD |
Record entire state |
| THRU + RECORD |
Snapshot of the whole output |
| Hold POS/COL/BEAM/INT + RECORD |
Record only that attribute type |
| CTRL + RECORD |
Record DMX input (Art-Net capture) |
CLEAR / SHIFT + CLEAR / 5 CLEAR |
Clear all / selected heads only / over 5 s |
| SHIFT + CTRL + CLEAR |
Force all LTP channels to 0 |
10 BLIND |
Enter blind over 10 s |
* + SET / Hold SET + soft button |
Make attributes active |
* + REMOVE / REMOVE + encoder |
Knock out all / one attribute from programmer |
| SHIFT + ACTIVE (Prog window) |
Load all attributes of selected heads |
INC S / INC 2 S / INC POS COL S |
Include current cue / cue 2 / only pos+col |
GROUP 1 INC S |
Include just those heads from the cue |
| ALL + INCLUDE |
Include entire state |
INCLUDE @ 40 + S |
Include at 40% |
| CTRL + INCLUDE, ENTER |
Include DMX input for selected heads |
| UPDATE / SHIFT + UPDATE |
Re-record last included / force update |
1 THRU 2 COPY 5 THRU 8 ENTER |
Copy programmer data between heads |
1 THRU 2 COPY POS COL 5 THRU 8 ENTER |
Copy only position and colour |
GROUP 1 COPY GROUP 2 + S |
Copy heads inside a cue |
| CTRL + Z / CTRL + Y (PC), SHIFT + UNDO |
Undo / redo |
4. Palettes and fan timing
| Keys |
Does |
| RECORD + palette entry |
Store selected heads (merges with what is there) |
RECORD COL 5 ENTER |
Record palette from keypad |
| SHIFT + RECORD, REC INT |
Put intensity into a palette |
| CTRL + ALL, then RECORD |
Re-record so every changed head updates |
| UPDATE + RECORD |
Update only attributes already in the palette |
| INCLUDE + entry, then UPDATE |
Edit a palette |
| CTRL + RECORD + entry |
Capture palette from DMX input |
| name + SET + entry |
Name a palette |
3 + palette |
Apply with 3 s fade |
0 THRU 3 + palette |
Delay spread 0-3 s over heads |
0 THRU 3 / 1 + palette |
Spread delay with 1 s fade |
3 * + palette |
Fan the time across heads |
3 */ / 3 *+ / 3 *- / 3 *. |
Reverse / into centre / centre out / random |
* alone + palette |
Reuse the last fan time |
2+4 + palette |
Fades from 2 s up to 4 s across heads |
*.. / *// / *++ / *-- |
Group grid: left-right / right-left / out-in / in-out |
COL 5 / 4 * ENTER |
Keypad palette with fanned time |
| SHIFT + STEAL PALETTE |
Update palettes matched by name/icon |
| SHIFT + UNLINK ALL PALETTE |
Unlink all palettes of that type |
X/Y + SET CIE (1.9.7+) |
Store CIE xy colour in a palette |
5. FX
| Keys |
Does |
| Encoder X / X button |
Speed / stop-start FX |
| Encoder Y / Y button |
Crossfade / tap tempo |
| SHIFT + Y |
Attack / decay |
| Encoder C |
Width |
| Encoder D / SHIFT + D |
Size / oversize up to 800% |
| Encoder F / SHIFT + F |
Segments / chunks |
.2 in Segments field |
2 chunks; 0 back to segments |
| ADD FX / ADD GROUP FX / CHANGE FX |
Add FX / group FX / swap waveform |
| SHIFT + ADD FX 0 SIZE |
Zero-size FX to override other playbacks |
| SHIFT + MAKE FX |
Turn a chase into an FX |
| SHIFT + JOIN FX / SPLIT FX |
Join / split multiple FX |
| BLIND BLIND |
Restart FX |
| Press and release BLIND |
Busk an FX in and out |
| CTRL + any TAP |
Resync FX to start |
| One Shot, Bounce, PosDimCol FX (1.9.8+) |
1-4 shot FX, bounce directions, combined pos/dim/col |
6. Cue stacks and editing cues
| Keys |
Does |
| S x2 / S x3 |
Open Cue Stack window / its options |
| SHIFT + S double press |
Cue window at the current cue |
COPY CUE 1 THRU 2 @ 5 ENTER |
Copy cues 1-2 to cue 5 |
COPY CUE 3 THRU 5 @ ENTER |
Copy cues to the end of the stack |
MOVE CUE 1 THRU 2 @ 5 ENTER |
Move cues |
REMOVE CUE 1 THRU 2 ENTER |
Remove cues |
INCLUDE CUE 2 ENTER |
Include cue 2 into programmer |
| SHIFT + COPY |
Unlinked copy (default copy is linked) |
| Hold COPY, select several, release |
Multi-copy |
RECORD MERGE 2 THRU 4 + S |
Merge programmer into cues 2-4 |
Hold S, 1 @ FULL THRU |
Head 1 to full in all cues |
Hold S, 1 @ .. THRU |
Remove head 1 intensity from all cues |
| SHIFT + LINK / UNLINK CUE |
Link / unlink cue at cursor |
| SHIFT + BLOCK CUE / UNBLOCK CUE |
Block / unblock tracking |
1 THRU 5 THRU in fade field |
Symmetric fade times into centre |
SET CUE 1 TIME 2 ENTER (1.9.8+) |
2 s fade on cue 1 from keypad |
SET CUE 1 TIME COL 2 ENTER (1.9.8+) |
Fade time for one attribute |
SET CUE 1 THRU 5 TIME 3 ENTER (1.9.8+) |
Time on a range of cues |
SET CUE TIME 5 ENTER (1.9.8+) |
Release time |
| CTRL + cue/stack in Store |
Restart it |
| SHIFT + ENTER on Halt field |
Advanced halt: timecode, scheduled, remote |
7. Playback, release and busking
| Keys |
Does |
| S + GO / S + PAUSE |
Step forward / back with no fade |
| SHIFT + GO (wing) |
Pause |
| S + FLASH |
Make this stack latest-touched (take back control) |
| SHIFT + FLASH |
Toggle a fader-less playback |
| Cue ID, then manual GO |
Jump to a cue |
SHIFT + RELEASE / 3 SHIFT + RELEASE |
Release all / over 3 s |
| Hold one S + SHIFT + RELEASE |
Release all except that one |
| ALT + RELEASE |
Release holdover playbacks |
| CTRL + RELEASE |
Release all test playbacks |
3 RELEASE (playback selected) |
Release that playback over 3 s |
| SHIFT + SEL, S source, S target |
Move an active playback |
| Hold S + crossfader |
Manual crossfade |
PAGE 5 / PAGE 34 * |
Go to page / preload page |
| Hold S + soft button Y |
Tap to time on that playback |
| Hold S + encoder X |
Playback rate |
| RESET ALL RATE |
All rates back to 100% |
| Speed master: FLASH / GO / PAUSE |
Tap / run / halt |
| Speed master: SHIFT + GO / SHIFT + PAUSE |
Double / halve |
| Speed master: CTRL + FLASH |
Resync all its FX |
[time] + palette |
Busk a palette in with a fade |
| CTRL + BIG GO |
Record a Live Macro; BIG GO runs it |
| Programmer master: FLASH |
Bump programmer to 100% |
| Prog Store: REC PS / ACT PS |
Store / recall programmer states (PS1-10) |
| DBO |
Hold: HTP to zero (LTP stays) |
| Hold Next Page + press Prev Page on a bank (1.9.8+) |
Swap that bank only |
8. Timecode and timeline
| Keys |
Does |
| SHIFT + RECORD TC |
Learn timing: press GO along with the music |
/ in the Wait field |
Set cue to the current incoming timecode |
| SHIFT + encoder Y |
Nudge all selected timecodes |
| SHIFT + encoder D |
Timecode offset |
| SHIFT + soft button D |
Timecode on/off without confirm |
| Encoder X press (timeline) |
Play / pause |
| Encoder E |
Zoom |
| SHIFT + click-drag |
Box-select items |
| COPY, then click timeline |
Paste at that point |
| SHIFT + CONFIG TC LOOP |
Set up a timecode loop |
| REC double press (1.9.8+) |
Record a cue at the playhead |
| AUTO/MANUAL BEATS (1.9.8+) |
Beat grid: A/B start-end, C BPM, D insert |
| Record new TC Track |
Record live GOs, flashes and faders to a track |
9. Patching
| Keys |
Does |
| ENTER at address prompt |
Next free address |
10@20 |
10 heads from address 20 |
10@2-20 |
10 heads, universe 2 address 20 |
10@+2-1 |
First free address on universe 2 |
4/40 |
4 heads, 40 channels apart |
10 @ 7-2 * 201 |
Head numbers start at 201 |
@ 0 |
Patch without address |
2-1/ |
Readdress selection keeping gaps |
u or REMOVE in DMX field |
Unpatch, keep programming |
| SHIFT + cursor, CLONE HEAD |
Clone heads with programming |
1 THRU 4 SHIFT COPY 10 THRU 20 ENTER |
Copy head programming |
| SHIFT + ADD VDIM / REMOVE VDIM |
Add / remove virtual dimmers |
| SHIFT + EDIT HEAD |
Open Head Editor for that head |
10. Windows, navigation and PC keyboard
| Keys |
Does |
| SHIFT + CLOSE |
Close all windows |
| CTRL + top soft button |
Recall layouts 1-12 |
| RECORD + CTRL + top soft button |
Record a layout |
| CTRL + PROG / CTRL + OUT |
Programmer info / Output info window |
2 OUT, 2 EXEC, 2 GROUP |
Second copy of a window |
| CTRL + SETUP |
Net Manager |
| CTRL + BEAM (1.9.7+) |
Framing blades window |
| SET SET |
On-screen keyboard |
| SHIFT + SET |
Icon chooser |
| SHIFT + MOVE |
Drag-move mode |
| SHIFT / CTRL + cursors |
Multi-select in any window |
| ALT + cursors |
Page up/down/left/right |
| Double-click window title |
Window size dialog |
| CTRL + C / V / A (PC) |
Copy / paste / select all |
| CTRL + F (PC, Normal keyboard mode) |
Find |
| CTRL + Q (PC) |
Exit full-screen Execute |
| CTRL + BACKSPACE |
Clear the command line |
| ALT + ADD/SWAP |
Screenshot to screenshots folder |
| Hold SELECT + Execute item |
View that item (FX/chase speed) |
| CTRL + SHIFT (Output heads view) |
Raw 16-bit DMX values |
11. New speed tricks in 1.9.7 to 1.9.9
| Version |
Keys / feature |
Does |
| 1.9.9 beta |
chase#100 in name keyboard |
Auto-numbered names: chase100, chase101... |
| 1.9.9 beta |
Assign Special, Prog Store |
All PS1-PS10 on an Execute grid in one go |
| 1.9.9 beta |
Assign Special, Live Macro |
Rec / End / Go buttons in Execute |
| 1.9.9 beta |
Setup, Always Show Record Options = No (Rec Rec) |
REC REC records into the window, not to playbacks |
| 1.9.8 |
SET CUE n TIME ... |
Cue times from the keypad (see section 6) |
| 1.9.8 |
. NEXT HEAD / SHIFT + NEXT HEAD |
Step global elements / head elements |
| 1.9.8 |
Record over a group or palette in Execute |
Re-records the item itself |
| 1.9.8 |
SHIFT + EDIT HEAD (Group window) |
Head Editor for selected head |
| 1.9.8 |
Hold bank Next Page + Prev Page |
Swap one bank's page only |
| 1.9.8 |
<num> @ 0 in patch |
Patch that many unpatched heads |
| 1.9.8 |
One Shot / Bounce FX, chunks in FX |
Hits that stop after 1-4 shots |
| 1.9.8 |
Speed masters on Exec faders, named |
Faster BPM busking |
| 1.9.7 |
Hold ODD/EVEN (PC: SHIFT + ODD/EVEN) |
Odd/even toolbar: parts, segments, chunks, pairs, grid order |
| 1.9.7 |
Hold ALL / SHIFT + ALL |
Select order toolbar (normal after random) |
| 1.9.7 |
name ** |
Select group by name |
| 1.9.7 |
Macro 998R |
Release all except the current playback |
| 1.9.7 |
Type % on a Playbacks window fader |
Set fader level directly |
Sources and caveats
- The manual itself contradicts on two points: CTRL + CLEAR (all heads to 0 vs. all channels to defaults) and ALT + ALL (all heads of the selected type vs. snap colour). Test these on your version.
- No F1-F12 keyboard table was reachable; the PC keys above are the ones the manual mentions.
- 1.9.9.0 is beta at the time of writing.
Manual (1.9.9.x): Programmer · Selecting · Intensity · Attributes · Palettes · FX · Editing cues · Cue stacks · Playback · Busking · Patching · Layout
Change notes: 1.9.9 · 1.9.8 · 1.9.7 · Downloads
MagicQ and ChamSys are trademarks of ChamSys Ltd. This sheet is an independent summary and is not affiliated with ChamSys.
Published by
Peter Van Engelandt
