Fairlight FX · Flanger · Resolve 21
Flanger in Fairlight
A detailed guide to the current Fairlight Flanger in Resolve 21: Rate, Depth, width expansion, signed feedback, High Ratio, Dry/Wet and level, all tied to the live plug-in interface.
Rate · Depth · waveform
Amount · High Ratio
Dry/Wet · Level
1. Interface anatomy
Every visible Flanger control in Resolve 21
Control ranges are taken from the supplied live interface. Values shown on the screenshot are examples, not recommended settings. The waveform icons are intentionally described as visible selectable shapes without assigning undocumented names.
Input Format
The supplied UI is set to Stereo, which is consistent with the separate L/R timing displays and Width Expansion control.
Waveform selector
Three waveform-style buttons are visible. Use them to audition different movement shapes; this guide does not guess Blackmagic's internal labels from icons alone.
Rate · 0.01–4.00 Hz
Controls how fast the sweep moves. Slow settings create long evolving motion; faster settings make the flanging cycle more obvious and periodic.
Depth · 0–100%
Controls modulation depth. Increase it when you want the moving notch structure to travel more dramatically; reduce it when the source should retain more tonal stability.
Width Expansion · −99…+99%
The Flanger exposes a bipolar Width Expansion control. Signed width can substantially alter stereo impression, so compare stereo and mono rather than relying on the numerical sign alone.
Feedback Amount · −99…+99%
Signed feedback is the main resonance-intensity control visible in the Feedback block. High absolute values can make the comb-filter character much more pronounced.
High Ratio · 0–100%
The live UI groups High Ratio with feedback. Treat it as feedback-spectrum shaping and judge the brightness/resonance of the sweep by ear instead of copying a generic value.
Dry/Wet
Controls how much processed flanger is mixed with the dry source. This is often the safest first control for making an exaggerated preset usable in a real mix.
Output Level · −24…+6 dB
Use Level for loudness matching after the effect is built. Always compare processed and bypassed signal at similar perceived level.
2. What Flanger is for
Motion, metallic resonance and sweeping color
Sound design
Use a pronounced sweep on transitions, machines, drones and synthetic effects when tonal motion is part of the design.
Music texture
Flanger can animate guitars, synths, pads and percussion, but dense arrangements often need a restrained Dry/Wet value.
Transition emphasis
Automate Dry/Wet, Rate or Depth around an edit to make the sweep appear only where the picture needs a designed movement.
Narrow-band color
The moving comb-filter response can make a source feel more hollow, metallic or phasey without adding a reverb tail.
3. Practical workflow
Control the sweep before you increase feedback
Set Dry/Wet
Start below an exaggerated effect level so the original source remains readable.
Choose motion
Select one of the visible waveform shapes and set Rate to match the desired pace.
Set Depth
Increase Depth until the sweep is obvious enough, then back off if pitch/phase motion distracts.
Shape width
Use Width Expansion with mono checks, especially on material that must survive fold-down.
Add feedback
Raise Feedback Amount and High Ratio last; level-match Output against bypass.
4. Flanger vs Chorus
They are related, but the current controls reveal different priorities
Flanger
Rate + Depth + signed feedback + High Ratio make the sweep and resonance the center of the effect. Choose it when a moving comb-filter color is desirable.
Chorus
Delay Time, Voice Separation, Width, Pitch and Blend point toward thickness and multi-voice movement rather than an overt resonant sweep.
Current Blackmagic Fairlight documentation confirms more than 25 Fairlight FX for repair, creative sound design and mixing, clip/channel application and up to six plug-ins per track. Exact Flanger controls and ranges on this page are documented from the supplied live Resolve 21 interface; waveform icons are not assigned names that are not visible or confirmed.