Fairlight · Loudness & Mastering
Loudness and Final Mastering in Fairlight
Use Fairlight's program loudness meters, live main-bus history graph and offline clip analysis to judge the mix against the metering standard you actually need, then deliver the correct buses, tracks and formats from Resolve.
Meter the program, watch the history, analyze clips
1. Loudness monitoring
Measure the program with the standard your delivery requires
Blackmagic documents three Fairlight loudness-monitoring methods. Program loudness meters sit on the right side of the monitoring panel; you choose the preferred metering standard from the options menu. The meters are color-coded: blue when the program meets the selected standard, yellow in tolerance, and red when it exceeds tolerance.
A live loudness graph for the main bus can also be shown in the timeline when automation controls are active. It updates during playback, helping you locate where loudness leaves the desired range instead of judging the whole program from one final number.
Program meter
Use it for continuous loudness feedback while mixing and choose the delivery standard from the options menu.
Main-bus history
The timeline graph shows how loudness behaves across playback so problem areas are easier to find.
Analyze Audio Level
Blackmagic also provides an offline loudness analysis from a clip's right-click menu.
Do not hard-code one web target
The correct target depends on the chosen metering/delivery standard. Select the requirement first, then judge the mix against it.
Live Resolve 21 metering
The diagrams explain the logic; the live meters show what the final bus is doing
The current Resolve 21 capture puts Bus 1, Control Room True Peak and programme Loudness side by side. During playback the panel fills with real values; at idle the same interface stays visible but measurement fields return to dashes. The values in the capture are examples of one playback moment, not delivery targets.
2. Mastering mindset
Final loudness is the result of the mix, not a rescue operation
Balance first
Fix dialogue, music and SFX relationships before chasing final loudness.
Control peaks intentionally
Use dynamics because the mix needs them, not because the meter looks scary.
Measure the main bus
Judge the program at the point that represents the delivery mix.
Listen after measurement
Meters reveal compliance and problems; listening still decides whether the mix actually works.
3. Delivering the mix
Deliver can render the mix you actually built
For a simple finished video with a stereo mix, Blackmagic points to Quick Export. For more control, the Deliver page lets you render video or audio-only and use Audio Settings to choose audio format, buses and tracks to render.
Fairlight supports multi-format mastering in the same project, from mono and stereo through 5.1, 7.1 and 22.2. Current Blackmagic documentation reserves the advanced immersive 3D audio workflow for DaVinci Resolve Studio.
Choose what you render, not just where you render
4. Bounce versus delivery
Bounce is a workflow tool; Deliver is the final output stage
Blackmagic provides bounce options for clips, selected tracks and complete mixes. These are useful for reducing realtime processing load, consolidating material or creating intermediate audio files. A bounced mix keeps the channel configuration of its source bus.
Do not confuse that with delivery. The final render decision belongs on the Deliver page, where you decide which buses/tracks, format and media output are required.
Mastering ends with verification, not with the last limiter move
Fairlight core complete
From editing to final master, the main Fairlight map is now connected
Return to the Fairlight entry page to move between basics, dialogue, EQ/dynamics, FX, routing, recording, automation and mastering.
Current Fairlight documentation is the source for the three loudness-monitoring methods, color-coded program meters, live main-bus history graph, offline Analyze Audio Level, Deliver audio settings, multi-format mastering and bounce behavior. Immersive 3D audio is marked as Studio where Blackmagic marks it as Studio.