Fairlight FX · Modulation · Resolve 21
Modulation in Fairlight
A control-by-control guide to the current Resolve 21 Modulation plug-in: waveform shape and Rate, Frequency and Amplitude modulation, Filter and Rotation blocks, phase relationships and final Dry/Wet control.
Level · Phase
Level · Phase
Filter · Tone · Phase
Rotate · Offset · Phase
1. Interface anatomy
What every visible block controls
The control names and visible ranges below come from the supplied live Resolve 21 interface. Where the UI exposes an unlabeled bipolar slider, this page deliberately calls it exactly that instead of inventing an undocumented function name.
Shape · 6 visible waveforms
The Modulator block exposes six waveform-style buttons. They define the shape of the modulation cycle. The guide does not assign icon names that are not printed or confirmed by Blackmagic.
Rate · 0.05 Hz–2 kHz
The live scale runs from slow sub-Hz movement to an audio-rate extreme marked 2k. Low rates create gradual movement; very high rates can become timbral rather than simply rhythmic.
Frequency · Level 0–100%
Sets the visible depth/amount of the Frequency modulation section. Start near zero when you only want movement elsewhere in the plug-in, then increase until the pitch/frequency motion is intentional.
Frequency · Phase 0–270°
Offsets the Frequency modulation cycle relative to the shared modulator. Phase relationships matter when Frequency and Amplitude/Filter movement are active together.
Frequency · unlabeled bipolar control −1…+1
A vertical −1/0/+1 control is clearly visible but has no text label in the supplied UI. It is documented here as a visible control only; its exact internal role is not guessed.
Amplitude · Level 0–100%
Controls the depth of amplitude movement. At higher values the modulation changes level more audibly; use it carefully on dialogue or material where intelligibility must stay stable.
Amplitude · Phase 0–270°
Offsets the amplitude cycle. Combined with Frequency Phase, it lets the different modulation dimensions stop rising and falling at the same moment.
Amplitude · two mode icons + unlabeled −1…+1
Two visible mode icons sit beside the amplitude block, plus another unlabeled bipolar vertical control. Their exact labels are not inferred from graphics alone.
Filter · visible range bar 10 Hz–16 kHz
The Filter area shows a horizontal frequency range from 10 Hz to 16 kHz. The live UI does not print a separate name on that bar, so the guide treats it as the visible frequency-range control rather than renaming it.
Filter · 0–100%
Sets the amount/depth of filter modulation visible in the current UI. Use small values for motion that should be felt rather than heard as an obvious sweep.
Tone · 200 Hz–10 kHz
Moves the tonal center shown in the Filter block. The supplied screenshot is set to 2 kHz; that screenshot value is an example, not a recommended setting.
Filter Phase · 0–270°
Offsets the filter movement relative to the other modulation paths. This is useful when you want the tonal sweep to lead or trail the level/frequency movement.
Rotation · L ↔ C ↔ R range
The Rotation area includes a horizontal L/C/R position scale. It makes the spatial dimension explicit rather than hiding it behind a generic stereo-width control.
Rotate · 0–180°
Controls the visible rotation amount. Treat it as a spatial-motion control and always check stereo/mono compatibility when using large values.
Offset · L ↔ R
Moves the rotation offset between left and right. It is separate from Rotate, so you can shift the center of the motion without necessarily increasing the rotation amount.
Rotation Phase · 0–270°
Offsets the rotation cycle relative to the master modulator and the other destinations.
Output · Dry/Wet 0–100%
The final parallel balance. With a complex modulation effect this is one of the safest first controls to set, because it limits how much processed motion reaches the mix.
Output Level · −24…+24 dB
Use output level for fair bypass comparison. Louder often sounds more impressive, so level-match before deciding that a modulation setting is actually better.
2. Mental model
Think of Modulation as a shared motion source feeding four domains
Frequency
Movement in the frequency/pitch dimension. Use Level and Phase to decide how strongly and when that motion occurs.
Amplitude
Level movement. It can add pulse or tremolo-like energy, but too much can fight dialogue intelligibility and mix balance.
Filter
Tonal motion. Filter amount, Tone and Phase let the spectrum move independently from raw amplitude or frequency motion.
Rotation
Spatial motion. Rotate, Offset and Phase create an explicit left/center/right movement dimension.
3. Practical workflow
Build one motion dimension at a time
Set Dry/Wet
Start lower than the final target so the source remains recognizable while you design movement.
Choose Shape + Rate
Pick a waveform by audition and set how fast the master motion runs.
Enable one domain
Start with Frequency, Amplitude, Filter or Rotation — not all four at once.
Set Level + Phase
Establish the amount, then offset its phase only when a relationship with another domain matters.
Add a second domain
Introduce another movement dimension and listen for masking, pumping, phase collapse or distraction.
Level-match Output
Match bypass loudness, check mono/stereo, then automate only if the scene needs time-varying intensity.
4. Where it is useful
A motion-design processor, not a default insert
SFX movement
Layer frequency, filter and rotation movement onto drones, transitions and synthetic effects when a static source feels disconnected from picture motion.
Music texture
Use low-depth modulation on pads, ambiences or sustained instruments to add evolution without needing a long delay or reverb tail.
Designed transitions
Automation can bring the processor in only around a cut, reveal or graphics move, then return the source to a stable state.
Extreme timbral design
Because the visible Rate scale extends to 2 kHz, the high end can enter audio-rate territory. Treat that region as sound design rather than ordinary slow modulation.
5. Modulation vs Chorus vs Flanger
Three related tools, three different levels of control
Modulation
The broadest architecture: one modulator can drive frequency, amplitude, filtering and spatial rotation with separate phases and levels.
Chorus
Focused on short delay, multiple-voice thickness, width, pitch movement and blend.
Flanger
Focused on a moving comb-filter sweep, Depth and resonant signed feedback.
Blackmagic's current Fairlight documentation confirms more than 25 Fairlight FX for repair, creative sound design and mixing, clip/channel application and up to six plug-ins on a track. The exact Modulation control names and visible ranges on this page are documented from the supplied live Resolve 21 interface. Unlabeled UI elements remain explicitly unlabeled here instead of being reverse-engineered from memory.