{"id":72979,"date":"2021-08-24T10:00:19","date_gmt":"2021-08-24T14:00:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.adorama.com\/alc\/?p=72979"},"modified":"2023-05-22T14:49:38","modified_gmt":"2023-05-22T18:49:38","slug":"fairlight-audio-overview","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.adorama.com\/alc\/fairlight-audio-overview\/","title":{"rendered":"Fairlight Audio Software: An Overview"},"content":{"rendered":"

Blackmagic Design is responsible for some of the industry’s most talked-about products. This is thanks in part to its belief in nurturing real creativity. With considerable experience in high-end telecine, film, and post-production \u2014 as well as a genuine desire for perfection \u2014 Blackmagic set out to change things by creating affordable, high-end software and hardware. One particular software and console brand that was founded in 1979 and acquired by Blackmagic Design<\/a> in 2016 is <\/span>Fairlight<\/b>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Fairlight is the world\u2019s first and only audio post production program that\u2019s integrated within it\u2019s NLE (non-linear video editor.) That means you can seamlessly move between sound and picture without ever having to leave DaVinci Resolve. While it is both hardware and software, let\u2019s jump into a brief overview of the Fairlight panel.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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Screenshot of Fairlight by Chris Piccione<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

To know about Fairlight, you first need to know…<\/h4>\n

About DaVinci Resolve<\/h2>\n

DaVinci Resolve<\/span><\/a> by Blackmagic Design is both a free and intuitive piece of post-production software for Windows, MAC, and Linux. It combines editing, coloring, and audio capabilities into a single user-friendly program.\u00a0<\/span>While the DaVinci Resolve program is free to download, the complete Studio version (which includes a few extra features) requires a one-time payment of $299.\u00a0<\/span>One of the main features that\u2019s been gaining steam over the years with creators is Fairlight \u2014 the audio suite within Resolve.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Fairlight was first released in Resolve 14 and has had significant improvements since then. While you can adjust your audio in the video editing window, the Fairlight panel is solely for audio editing, mixing, and mastering. After you’ve launched Resolve and created a new project, you’ll see the panel at the bottom of the screen, denoted by a music icon.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Screenshot of Fairlight by Chris Piccione<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

About Fairlight<\/h2>\n

Interface<\/h3>\n

Fairlight is simple to use for novices and those with some experience in audio post production. The interface and program logic doesn\u2019t have the same type of drag that you may have experienced with other audio editors. If moving from another DAW, the flow should just click and feel right after some time spent getting used to it.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The Fairlight panel offers you access to all of the mixing and effects that are in a digital audio workstation. They are all just a click away. It is a terrific all-in-one application with a ton of features for creatives and smaller budget productions.<\/span><\/p>\n

Tools<\/h3>\n

Professional tools are available for recording, editing, mixing, ADR, noise reduction and repair, eq, dynamics processing, and mastering in all of today’s common formats, ranging from stereo and surround sound to immersive 3D audio. Aside from the built-in sound library, you can import and index all of your external sound libraries through the Fairlight interface.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Plug-Ins<\/h3>\n

However, you may require some third-party plug-ins to handle specific kinds of audio restoration or special effects. If you need to use an external audio editor \u2014 such as Izotope RX \u2014 you can do it without leaving the Fairlight timeline, allowing you even more creative freedom.<\/span><\/p>\n

Fairlight can be a standalone DAW in your workflow for recording, editing, and cleaning up your podcast. If you’re editing short videos, you can utilize all of Fairlight’s capabilities to perform noise reduction, compression, eq, mix down, and master your audio’s LUFs requirements for any platform. It does have a very basic midi implementation, mostly meant for Foley samplers. However, there is no midi editing. Fairlight is for audio, not music.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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Screenshot of Fairlight by Chris Piccione<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Many of the plug-ins required for everyday use are already integrated into Fairlight.\u00a0<\/span>If you\u2019re someone who bounces from one NLE or DAW to Resolve and back again, consider making the full switch to Resolve and take advantage of getting everything done in one place. Once you\u2019re done editing your video and have picture lock, you can bounce over to the panel to get your audio in check \u2014 instead of using a different DAW. It’s a time saver.<\/span><\/p>\n

Key Features of Fairlight<\/b><\/h2>\n