Members-only course · 2026 edition
Resolume Arena
Masterclass
The complete, illustrated path from your first clip to a festival main stage. 28 modules of lessons, look recipes, labs and quizzes, built for VJs who want to perform, not just press play.
- 28 modules
- 168 lessons
- 28 look recipes
- 28 labs
- 140 quiz questions
- 170-page PDF
What's inside
Everything a VJ needs, taught like an instrument
A little theory, a lot of playing, and regular performances. Every module follows the same rhythm, so you always know where you are and what to practise next.
28 look recipes
Step-by-step builds of named visuals that become your signature library.
28 hands-on labs
Practical projects with checklists and lab notes that save as you work.
31 annotated diagrams
The interface, the signal chain, audio frequency bands, controller layouts, edge blending and LED maths.
140 quiz questions
Five self-check questions per module, with instant answers and a running score.
Progress that follows you
Completed modules, checklists and notes sync across phone, tablet and laptop.
Illustrated PDF + templates
The 170-page edition, plus advance sheets, cue sheets, media manifests and fault logs.
Look recipes
Build visuals you'll actually play
Every module ends with a named, step-by-step look you keep in your library. Here are eight of the 28.
The journey
From first clip to festival stage
Start by mixing two layers in time with music. Finish with a recorded 15–30 minute show of your own: mapped to a controller, validated on real outputs, with a fault you recover from live.
- Clips, layers, blend modes & effects
- Audio-reactive visuals & BPM sync
- MIDI & APC40 performance mapping
- DXV content, loops & generative sources
- Projection mapping, edge blending & LED walls
- OSC, DMX/Art-Net & SMPTE timecode
- Festival workflows & troubleshooting
- Your VJ identity & the business of VJing
Inside the lessons
31 original, annotated diagrams
Complex ideas drawn so they click: the interface, controller layouts, audio bands, LED pixel maps, warping, edge blending and more. Unlocked for members.
Included
The 170-page illustrated edition
Download the whole masterclass as a beautifully designed PDF for your tablet, laptop or print shop, with every lesson, diagram, recipe, lab, template and the answer key.
- Full-page artwork for every module
- Printable show templates and fault logs
- Master quick-reference and glossary
Curriculum
10 phases · 28 modules
Open any module to see what you'll be able to do by the end of it.
01Introduction to Resolume ArenaResolume is an instrument for light. You don't render a film and press play. You perform images in real time, the way a DJ performs tracks.3–5 hours
You'll be able to
- Explain what makes real-time visual mixing different from video editing
- Choose correctly between Avenue and Arena for a given job
- Describe the VJ's role alongside audio, lighting and video crew
- Name the five building blocks: clip, layer, column, deck, composition
- Trace a pixel from media file to physical display
- Plan visuals that follow musical structure
🔒 Members get: 6 illustrated lessons · a look recipe · a creative challenge · a hands-on lab · troubleshooting guide · quiz
02Computer Hardware and Performance RequirementsYour computer is the most important instrument on stage. Learn what each part does, where frames get stuck, and how to prove a machine is show-ready.2–4 hours
You'll be able to
- Explain the roles of CPU, GPU, VRAM, RAM and storage in live playback
- Estimate whether a machine can handle a given resolution and layer count
- Handle displays, adapters and EDID with confidence
- Choose audio interfaces and controllers that won't let you down
- Specify beginner, working and touring rigs
- Run and document a hardware acceptance test
🔒 Members get: 6 illustrated lessons · a look recipe · a creative challenge · a hands-on lab · troubleshooting guide · quiz
03Installing and Configuring ArenaTen minutes of setup saves hours of panic. Install cleanly, set your preferences on purpose, and build a project folder that travels.2–3 hours
You'll be able to
- Install Arena and confirm the exact version and licence
- Set preferences for video, audio, MIDI and file locations
- Create a composition with deliberate resolution and settings
- Route audio input and confirm display detection
- Use a saving and versioning system that survives any crash
- Run a five-point first-launch verification
🔒 Members get: 6 illustrated lessons · a look recipe · a creative challenge · a hands-on lab · troubleshooting guide · quiz
04Navigating the InterfaceArena's screen looks dense until you see its logic: a clip grid on top, and below it a library, property panels and two monitors. Learn the map once and you'll never feel lost.3–5 hours
You'll be able to
- Read the clip grid and trigger clips, columns and decks
- Tell the Preview monitor from the Composition output
- Find any parameter in the Clip, Layer, Group or Composition panels
- Use sliders, cogwheels and right-click menus fluently
- Set up the Dashboard and learn essential shortcuts
- Pass three timed workspace drills
🔒 Members get: 6 illustrated lessons · a look recipe · a creative challenge · a hands-on lab · troubleshooting guide · quiz
05Clips, Layers and CompositionsThis is where you start playing. Triggering, stacking, blending and scene design are the core moves of every VJ set. Master them and everything else is detail.4–6 hours
You'll be able to
- Import media and choose the right trigger style for each clip
- Build a layer stack with a clear job for each layer
- Design columns as complete, fireable scenes
- Choose blend modes and transitions with intent
- Control loop, direction and beat-snapped playback
- Organise decks for a whole set
🔒 Members get: 6 illustrated lessons · a look recipe · a creative challenge · a hands-on lab · troubleshooting guide · quiz
06Effects and Visual ManipulationEffects are seasoning, not the meal. Learn the main effect families, why order changes everything, and how to keep heavy chains running smoothly.4–6 hours
You'll be able to
- Position, scale and rotate content with Transform
- Grade colour and contrast for mood and legibility
- Use blur, distortion and feedback-style effects tastefully
- Predict how effect order changes the result
- Animate effect parameters with BPM and audio
- Build low-load versions of heavy chains
🔒 Members get: 6 illustrated lessons · a look recipe · a creative challenge · a hands-on lab · troubleshooting guide · quiz
07Audio Reactivity FundamentalsWhen the kick hits and the screen breathes with it, the room feels it. Learn how Arena listens, what it can and can't hear, and how to make reactions feel musical, not twitchy.3–5 hours
You'll be able to
- Route a clean audio feed into Arena
- Explain what FFT analysis measures, and what it doesn't
- Assign low, mid and high bands to the right visual jobs
- Map audio to any parameter with the cogwheel
- Tune Gain and Fall for a stable response
- Build a reactive composition that works on quiet and loud tracks
🔒 Members get: 6 illustrated lessons · a look recipe · a creative challenge · a hands-on lab · troubleshooting guide · quiz
08Advanced Audio-Reactive ProgrammingBeginners make everything bounce. Professionals choose what bounces, how far, and when to take control back by hand.4–6 hours
You'll be able to
- Build looks that switch character with the bass
- Design snappy transient responses without jitter
- Split a composition into independent multi-band behaviours
- Drive colour and scale reactively within safe ranges
- Keep manual override for every reactive system
- Validate reactive patches with a reference-track library
🔒 Members get: 6 illustrated lessons · a look recipe · a creative challenge · a hands-on lab · troubleshooting guide · quiz
09BPM and Musical SynchronizationAudio reactivity hears energy. BPM sync knows time. Combine them and your visuals don't just react to the music, they anticipate it.3–5 hours
You'll be able to
- Count beats, bars and phrases in dance music
- Set and correct tempo with Tap, Resync and Nudge
- Choose between Timeline and BPM-synced playback per clip
- Build beat-synced effects and transitions
- Plan and land changes on drops and breakdowns
- Use Ableton Link, MIDI clock and DJ-player sync appropriately
🔒 Members get: 6 illustrated lessons · a look recipe · a creative challenge · a hands-on lab · troubleshooting guide · quiz
10MIDI Controller FundamentalsA mouse lets you do one thing at a time. A controller lets you play. Learn what controllers send, how Arena listens, and how to build mappings that survive a sweaty, dark stage.3–5 hours
You'll be able to
- Read MIDI Notes and CCs and confirm them in the MIDI monitor
- Enable and identify controllers in Preferences
- Map buttons and faders with the right mode (Toggle, Piano, Value, Range)
- Choose Absolute, Relative or Fake Relative for knobs
- Configure LED feedback so pads show clip state
- Save, share and reload shortcut presets
🔒 Members get: 6 illustrated lessons · a look recipe · a creative challenge · a hands-on lab · troubleshooting guide · quiz
11Akai APC40 Performance MappingThe APC40 family is a favourite among VJs: a clip grid, faders and knobs in one box. Turn it into a performance surface where every zone has one job and the panic button is always in reach.4–6 hours
You'll be able to
- Identify your exact APC40 model and its behaviour
- Map the clip grid with meaningful LED feedback
- Assign channel faders and the master to layers and composition
- Use track and device knobs for effects and Dashboards
- Navigate banks and pages without losing your place
- Rehearse and troubleshoot the mapping under show conditions
🔒 Members get: 6 illustrated lessons · a look recipe · a creative challenge · a hands-on lab · troubleshooting guide · quiz
12Advanced Live VJ PerformanceTechnique gets you to the stage. Performance keeps people watching. This module is about taste, timing, restraint, and recovering so smoothly that nobody notices.5–8 hours plus rehearsal
You'll be able to
- Prepare a set library by energy and colour
- Mix layer-by-layer instead of only firing scenes
- Shape an energy arc across a full set
- Use restraint and negative space deliberately
- Improvise inside a structure, and recover from mistakes
- Structure and perform a 60-minute set
🔒 Members get: 6 illustrated lessons · a look recipe · a creative challenge · a hands-on lab · troubleshooting guide · quiz
13Preparing VJ ContentGreat shows are won before the show. Files at the right size, in the right codec, with clean loops, honest licences and names you can read in the dark.4–6 hours
You'll be able to
- Choose resolution and frame rate from the output
- Encode to DXV with Alley or an encoder plugin
- Produce and test alpha-channel overlays
- Make loops with invisible seams
- Name and organise files for speed under pressure
- Track licences for every third-party asset
🔒 Members get: 6 illustrated lessons · a look recipe · a creative challenge · a hands-on lab · troubleshooting guide · quiz
14Generative Visuals and SourcesYou don't need a single video file to make a show. Arena's built-in sources and effects can generate endless, resolution-independent visuals that react to music.4–6 hours
You'll be able to
- Use Arena's built-in sources as raw material
- Build patterns from simple shapes and lines
- Create organic textures with noise- and feedback-style effects
- Combine effects into new visual languages
- Make generative patches respond to audio and BPM
- Build and name a reusable preset library
🔒 Members get: 6 illustrated lessons · a look recipe · a creative challenge · a hands-on lab · troubleshooting guide · quiz
15Genre-Specific Visual DesignTechno isn't psytrance, and ambient isn't dubstep. Each scene has its own visual language: tempo, density, colour and attitude. Learn the dialects, then break the rules on purpose.3–5 hours
You'll be able to
- Design techno visuals with restraint and rhythm
- Capture house music's warmth and groove
- Build psytrance geometry and colour
- Hit dubstep's impacts and drops
- Keep up with drum and bass pacing
- Hold attention with ambient minimalism
🔒 Members get: 6 illustrated lessons · a look recipe · a creative challenge · a hands-on lab · troubleshooting guide · quiz
16Advanced Output FundamentalsYour composition is a canvas. Advanced Output is the scissors and glue: it cuts the canvas into slices and places each one exactly where it belongs on projectors, LED walls and virtual outputs.4–6 hours
You'll be able to
- Explain screens, slices, Input Selection and Output Transformation
- Route one composition to multiple outputs
- Transform, flip, mask and colour-correct slices
- Save, load and share output presets
- Describe the edge-blending workflow (Arena)
- Validate any output with test patterns before showing content
🔒 Members get: 6 illustrated lessons · a look recipe · a creative challenge · a hands-on lab · troubleshooting guide · quiz
17Projection MappingProjection mapping turns buildings, stages and sculptures into screens. It starts with a tape measure, not with effects.5–8 hours
You'll be able to
- Understand throw, brightness and projector placement
- Measure and model a surface before mapping it
- Use slices and masks to fit content to objects
- Perspective-, linear- and bezier-warp slices (Arena)
- Map multi-faced and irregular objects
- Verify an installation from the audience's viewpoint
🔒 Members get: 6 illustrated lessons · a look recipe · a creative challenge · a hands-on lab · troubleshooting guide · quiz
18LED Walls and Multi-Screen SystemsLED walls are the screens of modern stages: bright, modular and very precise. They reward one thing above all: knowing exactly how many pixels you're feeding.4–6 hours
You'll be able to
- Calculate pixel canvases from cabinet size and pitch
- Read a processor map and match your output to it
- Design for tall, wide and irregular LED shapes
- Drive several walls and outputs from one composition
- Avoid scaling and minimise latency
- Hand over cleanly to LED technicians
🔒 Members get: 6 illustrated lessons · a look recipe · a creative challenge · a hands-on lab · troubleshooting guide · quiz
19OSC and Network ControlOSC lets anything on the network press Arena's buttons: tablets, Stream Decks, show-control software, even other computers. Build a remote control that's fast, safe and reliable.3–5 hours
You'll be able to
- Read and write Resolume OSC addresses
- Design a simple, isolated show network
- Configure IPs and ports with confidence
- Build a tablet or button-box remote
- Protect show control from accidents and outsiders
- Diagnose network control problems quickly
🔒 Members get: 6 illustrated lessons · a look recipe · a creative challenge · a hands-on lab · troubleshooting guide · quiz
20DMX, Art-Net and LightingVideo and lighting are converging. Arena can take orders from a lighting desk and can drive LED fixtures with pixels. Speak the lighting team's language and you'll be invited back.4–6 hours
You'll be able to
- Explain DMX channels, universes and addresses
- Explain how Art-Net carries DMX over a network
- Let a lighting console control Arena (Arena)
- Drive LED fixtures and strips from Arena's pixels (Arena)
- Plan pixel-mapping capacity
- Coordinate safely with the lighting department
🔒 Members get: 6 illustrated lessons · a look recipe · a creative challenge · a hands-on lab · troubleshooting guide · quiz
21Timecode and Show ControlSome shows must be identical every night: the same frame on the same lyric. Timecode turns Arena from an instrument into a precise playback machine, with a human ready to take over.3–5 hours
You'll be able to
- Read timecode and choose it over BPM when it fits
- Lock clips to SMPTE timecode (Arena)
- Write a usable cue sheet
- Integrate with external show-control systems
- Plan fallbacks for lost timecode
- Rehearse a timecoded show properly
🔒 Members get: 6 illustrated lessons · a look recipe · a creative challenge · a hands-on lab · troubleshooting guide · quiz
22Designing a Complete VJ ShowA show is a designed experience, not a folder of clips. Go from an artist's brief to a moodboard, a show arc, a scene library and a rehearsed, documented production.6–10 hours
You'll be able to
- Turn an artist conversation into a one-page visual brief
- Build moodboards that guide every content decision
- Structure the show's arc from opening to encore
- Build a scene library with energy variants
- Run rehearsals and capture useful notes
- Package professional show deliverables
🔒 Members get: 6 illustrated lessons · a look recipe · a creative challenge · a hands-on lab · troubleshooting guide · quiz
23Festival and Stage WorkflowsFestivals are fast, loud and shared. You'll get twenty minutes on a stage you've never seen, on a system someone else built. Preparation is the only way to be calm.4–6 hours
You'll be able to
- Request and read advance documents
- Draw and verify signal diagrams
- Work within festival crew roles and etiquette
- Run efficient soundchecks and line checks
- Execute fast, clean changeovers
- Design redundancy that actually saves shows
🔒 Members get: 6 illustrated lessons · a look recipe · a creative challenge · a hands-on lab · troubleshooting guide · quiz
24Performance Optimization and TroubleshootingEvery VJ has a horror story. The professionals are the ones whose audiences never noticed. Learn a calm, repeatable method for diagnosing anything.4–6 hours
You'll be able to
- Find and fix the causes of dropped frames
- Resolve codec and storage bottlenecks
- Diagnose black output methodically
- Recover from audio and MIDI failures mid-show
- Troubleshoot network control faults
- Write and use recovery checklists
🔒 Members get: 6 illustrated lessons · a look recipe · a creative challenge · a hands-on lab · troubleshooting guide · quiz
25Developing Your VJ IdentityAnyone can buy the same software. Your taste, your choices and your story are what people book. Find a signature, then show it to the world honestly.3–5 hours plus ongoing
You'll be able to
- Define a recognisable visual signature
- Build a simple, consistent brand
- Curate a portfolio around real work
- Cut a demo reel that gets opened and finished
- Run a website and social presence that books gigs
- Collaborate and credit others properly
🔒 Members get: 6 illustrated lessons · a look recipe · a creative challenge · a hands-on lab · troubleshooting guide · quiz
26Business of Professional VJingBeing brilliant on stage is half the job. The other half is finding work, quoting fairly, agreeing terms, travelling smart and being the person clients want back.3–5 hours
You'll be able to
- Find gigs through networks, venues and agencies
- Quote from scope, not guesswork
- Write a technical rider that matches your real kit
- Understand the basics of contracts and content licensing
- Plan travel and logistics for gigs
- Build long-term client relationships
🔒 Members get: 6 illustrated lessons · a look recipe · a creative challenge · a hands-on lab · troubleshooting guide · quiz
27Guided Practical ProjectsSix projects, each building on the last. This is where knowledge becomes skill. Complete them in order, record everything, and compare your first attempt with your last.10–20 hours
You'll be able to
- Mix ten clips musically for five minutes
- Design a three-layer signature look
- Build a fully audio-reactive visualiser
- Map a controller for a complete performance
- Map a small stage set with projection
- Perform a 30-minute show end to end
🔒 Members get: 6 illustrated lessons · a look recipe · a creative challenge · a hands-on lab · troubleshooting guide · quiz
28Final Capstone and AssessmentThe finale: a complete, original show built from a brief, mapped to a controller, validated on real outputs, and performed live, including a fault you recover from in front of the camera.6 weeks
You'll be able to
- Write a creative brief and moodboard for an original show
- Build a licensed, documented media library
- Construct a performance-ready composition
- Deliver a complete control mapping
- Validate outputs to professional standard
- Perform, record and critically review a 15–30 minute set
🔒 Members get: 6 illustrated lessons · a look recipe · a creative challenge · a hands-on lab · troubleshooting guide · quiz
Membership
Unlock the whole masterclass
Full access to every module, lab, recipe, quiz, template and the PDF edition. Cancel anytime from your account.
Monthly
$19/month
Flexible. Cancel anytime.
Subscribe monthly- All 28 modules and 168 illustrated lessons
- 28 look recipes and creative challenges
- 28 hands-on labs with saving checklists
- 140-question self-check quizzes
- Toolkit: templates, quick reference, glossary
- 170-page illustrated PDF edition
- Progress sync across your devices
- Future updates and new video lessons
Yearly
$149/year
Best value for the full 12–20 week journey.
Subscribe yearly- All 28 modules and 168 illustrated lessons
- 28 look recipes and creative challenges
- 28 hands-on labs with saving checklists
- 140-question self-check quizzes
- Toolkit: templates, quick reference, glossary
- 170-page illustrated PDF edition
- Progress sync across your devices
- Future updates and new video lessons
🔒 Secure payments by Stripe. Prices shown in your local checkout currency where applicable.
FAQ
Questions, answered
Do I need to own Resolume Arena?
You need a computer that can run Arena. Resolume's trial version watermarks the output but has every feature, which is fine for working through the course. A licence is needed before you perform paid shows.
Is this for beginners or working VJs?
Both. Phases 1–4 take a complete beginner to confident live mixing with a controller. Phases 5–10 cover content creation, projection mapping, LED walls, OSC, DMX, timecode, festival workflows and the business side.
How does billing work?
You subscribe through Stripe's secure checkout. Your membership renews automatically until you cancel. You can update your card, download invoices or cancel at any time from your Account page, and you keep access until the end of the period you've paid for.
What happens to my progress if I cancel?
Your account and progress are kept. Re-subscribe at any time and pick up exactly where you left off.
Can I share my login?
Memberships are for one person. Please don't share your login or redistribute the course materials or PDF.
Is this an official Resolume course?
No. It's independent educational material, not affiliated with or endorsed by Resolume. It was written against Arena 7 and checked against the official manual.
What's your refund policy?
Please see our Terms, or email support@yoursite.com.