Learn the fundamentals of audio editing in DaVinci Resolve using the powerful Fairlight page. This guide will walk you through adjusting levels, adding effects, and using keyframes to achieve professional-sounding audio for your video projects.
Open your project in DaVinci Resolve and click the Fairlight icon (a musical note) at the bottom of the screen. This is the dedicated workspace for all audio post-production.
In the timeline, find the audio clip you want to adjust. Hover your mouse over the horizontal line on the clip until the cursor changes to up/down arrows. Click and drag up to increase volume or down to decrease it.
To adjust the volume for an entire track, open the Mixer panel. Each audio track has a corresponding channel strip with a fader. Drag the fader up or down to control the overall volume of that track.
Open the Effects Library from the top-left corner. Under 'Audio FX', you'll find effects like EQ, compression, and noise reduction. Drag and drop an effect onto a clip or an entire track in the Mixer to apply it.
To make dynamic volume changes (like fading out music), hold Alt (Windows) or Option (Mac) and click on the volume line on a clip to add a keyframe. Add two or more keyframes and drag them to create fades or specific volume adjustments over time.
Pro Tips for Better Audio Editing
Always edit audio using a good pair of headphones or studio monitors to hear subtle details, noise, and imperfections that laptop speakers might miss.
Keep an eye on the audio meters in the Mixer. Aim for your main audio to peak around -6dB to -12dB to avoid digital clipping (distortion), which is indicated by the meter turning red.
Speed up your workflow with shortcuts. Use + and - to zoom in/out of the timeline, and Shift + Alt/Option + Click to add a keyframe without changing the level.
Right-click an audio clip and select 'Normalize Audio Levels...' to automatically adjust its peak or loudness to a standard level, which is great for balancing dialogue.
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