DaVinci Resolve Fairlight Essentials: Audio Cleanup, Levels, and Basic Mixing

Fairlight Workflow Overview: Dialogue, Music, and Effects

In Fairlight, think in three layers: Dialogue (the message), Music (emotion), and Effects/Ambience (space and realism). A beginner-friendly workflow is: (1) get dialogue clean and consistent, (2) set music underneath it, (3) add/shape effects, (4) do final level checks for headroom and clipping.

Identify and label your audio roles

• Dialogue tracks: spoken voice, interviews, narration.
• Music tracks: score, songs, beds.
• Effects tracks: SFX, room tone, ambience, whooshes.

Practical tip: keep one “type” per track whenever possible (e.g., all dialogue on D1/D2). This makes EQ, compression, and automation predictable.

Clip vs Track Level Control (and When to Use Each)

Resolve gives you two main places to change volume:

• Clip level (per clip): best for fixing one-off problems (a single line too quiet, a noisy clip you want lower before processing).
• Track level (whole track): best for overall balancing (all dialogue slightly louder, music bed slightly lower).

Recommended approach

• Use clip gain to get dialogue clips in the same ballpark before adding dynamics processing.
• Use track fader to set the overall mix balance between dialogue, music, and effects.
• Use automation/keyframes for moment-to-moment changes (music ducking under lines, fades, transitions).

Dialogue Loudness Targets and Metering (Practical Targets)

For beginner mixes, aim for dialogue that is consistently understandable without pushing the master into clipping. Common practical targets:

• Dialogue average: roughly around -18 to -12 dBFS on typical peak-style meters (spoken lines vary, but should feel consistent).
• Dialogue peaks: often around -6 to -3 dBFS for louder syllables (avoid hitting 0 dBFS).
• Master bus peak headroom: keep peaks at least -1 dBFS (safer for exports and encoding).

If you use loudness metering (LUFS), a common web-friendly target is around -14 LUFS integrated for the full program, but don’t chase numbers at the expense of clarity—prioritize intelligible dialogue and clean headroom.

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Where to watch levels

• Track meters: check dialogue track is healthy and not constantly near the top.
• Bus/master meters: ensure the combined mix never clips.
• Listen at a consistent monitoring level: changing speaker volume mid-mix can trick you into wrong balances.

EQ Basics for Clarity (Dialogue First)

EQ is your main tool for making dialogue clearer without simply turning it up. Keep moves small and purposeful.

Common dialogue EQ moves (starting points)

• High-pass filter (HPF): remove rumble and handling noise. Start around 70–100 Hz for many voices (lower for deep voices, higher for thin voices).
• Mud reduction: if dialogue sounds boxy/boomy, gently cut around 150–350 Hz.
• Presence/clarity: a small boost around 2–5 kHz can improve intelligibility (be careful—too much gets harsh).
• Air: a gentle lift around 10–12 kHz can add brightness, but it can also raise hiss.

Step-by-step: apply basic EQ on a dialogue track

1. Open the Mixer on the Fairlight page and locate your dialogue track channel strip.
2. Enable the track EQ.
3. Turn on an HPF and slowly raise the cutoff until rumble reduces, then back off slightly so the voice doesn’t thin out.
4. If the voice sounds boxy, apply a small cut (e.g., -2 to -4 dB) with a medium Q around 200–300 Hz and adjust by ear.
5. If needed, add a gentle presence boost (e.g., +1 to +3 dB) around 3 kHz.
6. Bypass the EQ on/off to confirm it’s an improvement, not just “different.”

Light Compression for Consistency (Not Loudness)

Compression reduces dynamic swings so dialogue stays intelligible. For beginners, use it lightly: you want consistency, not a “squashed” sound.

Beginner-friendly dialogue compression settings (starting points)

Step-by-step: compress dialogue on the track

1. Enable the Dynamics section on the dialogue track in the Mixer.
2. Turn on Compressor.
3. Set ratio to about 2.5:1.
4. Lower the threshold until you see gain reduction on louder words (aim for roughly 2–4 dB reduction on peaks).
5. Adjust attack/release so the voice stays natural (no obvious pumping).
6. Use a small amount of makeup gain only if needed, then re-check your track and master meters.

Tip: If you find yourself adding lots of makeup gain, you may be compressing too hard or your clip gain is too low. Fix clip gain first.

Noise Reduction Basics (Use Cautiously)

Noise reduction can help with steady background noise (air conditioner, computer fan), but aggressive settings can create watery, metallic artifacts. The goal is to reduce distraction, not to create “perfect silence.”

What noise reduction is good for

• Constant, steady noise under dialogue
• Light hiss or room tone buildup

What it struggles with

• Changing noise (passing cars, intermittent clicks)
• Reverb/echo in a room (that’s not “noise”)

Step-by-step: gentle noise reduction on a dialogue clip

1. Solo the dialogue track and find a section where the person is not speaking (just background noise).
2. Apply a noise reduction tool available in your Resolve version (often as an audio effect on the clip or track).
3. Start with the lowest strength setting and increase slowly until the noise is less noticeable.
4. Toggle bypass frequently. If the voice starts sounding phasey, underwater, or dull, back off.
5. After noise reduction, re-check EQ: you may need less high-frequency boost because noise is reduced.

Practical rule: if you can clearly hear the noise reduction working, it’s probably too much.

De-essing: Taming Harsh “S” Sounds

De-essing reduces sharp sibilance (S, SH, T) that can become painful after EQ boosts or compression.

Where sibilance usually lives

• Often around 5–9 kHz (varies by voice and mic)

Step-by-step: basic de-essing

1. Add a De-Esser effect on the dialogue track (or on a problem clip).
2. Play a section with strong “S” sounds.
3. Set the detection frequency range around 6–8 kHz as a starting point.
4. Lower the threshold until the harshness reduces, but the voice doesn’t become lisped or dull.
5. Bypass on/off to confirm improvement.

Tip: If you boosted 6–8 kHz heavily with EQ, consider reducing that boost before pushing de-essing harder.

Keyframing (Automation) for Smooth Transitions and Music Ducking

Automation lets you change volume over time without cutting clips into tiny pieces. This is essential for transitions, fades, and keeping music under dialogue.

Common automation moves

• Fade in/out music at scene changes
• Ducking music under dialogue lines
• Lift music between lines (subtle, not distracting)

Step-by-step: duck music under dialogue with keyframes

1. Locate the music track and enable volume automation (or show volume curve/keyframes for the track).
2. Place keyframes just before the dialogue begins and just after it ends.
3. Lower the music level between those keyframes (a common starting dip is -6 to -12 dB, depending on the music density).
4. Add short ramps (a few frames to a second) so the dip feels natural rather than abrupt.
5. Play the section while watching dialogue intelligibility; adjust the dip depth and ramp length.

Practical listening check: you should understand every word without straining, and the music should still feel present—just not competing.

Checklist: Avoid Clipping and Keep Headroom

• Master peak stays below -1 dBFS (safer for encoding and playback).
• No red clipping indicators on track or master meters; if you see them, lower levels and re-check.
• Dialogue is consistent: similar loudness across lines; no sudden jumps between takes.
• Compression is light: gain reduction is occasional and controlled, not constantly slamming.
• EQ is purposeful: HPF for rumble, small cuts/boosts for clarity; avoid extreme boosts.
• Noise reduction is subtle: no watery artifacts; room tone still feels natural.
• De-essing only when needed: sibilance controlled without lisping.
• Music ducking is smooth: ramps in/out; no obvious “pumping” unless stylistic.
• Check quiet and loud playback: low volume reveals balance issues; louder volume reveals harshness.

Guided Exercise: Clean Dialogue, Balance Against Music, Export a Mix Preview

Goal

Clean a noisy dialogue clip, make it consistent, place music underneath without masking speech, then export a short preview of the mix.

Setup

• One dialogue clip with noticeable background noise (HVAC, hiss, room tone).
• One music clip that overlaps the dialogue for at least 20–30 seconds.
• A short timeline region (30–60 seconds) to export as a preview.

Part A — Dialogue cleanup (step-by-step)

1. Solo dialogue and listen for the main problem: rumble, hiss, harsh S sounds, uneven level, or all of these.
2. Clip gain: adjust the dialogue clip level so it sits in a workable range (not tiny on the meter, not near clipping).
3. EQ on the dialogue track: enable HPF (start 80–100 Hz), then reduce muddiness (150–350 Hz) if needed, then add a small presence boost (2–5 kHz) if the voice is dull.
4. Compression: enable light compression (2:1–3:1). Set threshold for about 2–4 dB gain reduction on louder words.
5. Noise reduction (if needed): apply gently. Increase strength only until the noise is less distracting; stop before artifacts appear.
6. De-esser (if needed): target 6–8 kHz and reduce harshness without lisping.
7. Re-check levels: ensure dialogue peaks are controlled and the track isn’t clipping.

Part B — Balance music against dialogue (step-by-step)

1. Un-solo and bring in the music.
2. Set a starting music level with the track fader so it supports the scene but doesn’t compete.
3. Automate ducking: add keyframes around each dialogue section and dip music by about 6–12 dB while the person speaks.
4. Refine ramps so the music moves smoothly (no sudden jumps).
5. Play through and adjust until every word is clear without making the music disappear.

Part C — Export a short mix preview

1. Set an in/out range (or choose a short section) of 30–60 seconds that includes both dialogue and music.
2. On the Deliver page, export an audio preview (or a video file with the mixed audio) using a common format such as WAV or AAC depending on your needs.
3. Before exporting, confirm the master peak is below -1 dBFS and there are no clipping indicators.
4. Listen to the exported preview on a second device (phone/laptop) to confirm dialogue clarity and music balance translate.