Fairlight · Index · Resolve 21
Timeline Index, Tracks and Markers in Fairlight
The Fairlight Index turns a dense session into three practical views: an Edit Index for clips, Tracks for track state and format, and Markers for timecode notes, keywords, colors and spotting tasks. This guide is built around the live Resolve 21 interface.
1. Open the Index
The Index lives in the Fairlight top panel beside Effects, Groups and Sound Library
The starting view is useful because it shows the normal Fairlight page first: timeline below, meters and mixer around it, and the Index button available at the top without replacing the session view.
One panel, three views
The live Index exposes Edit Index, Tracks and Markers as separate tabs.
Timeline remains visible
This makes the Index useful as an organizational overlay rather than a separate management screen.
2. Tracks
The Tracks tab compresses track state into one control table
Instead of scanning every track header across a tall session, the Index puts audio tracks and buses into a single list with their current controls and technical columns.
Tracks and buses together
The same table includes A-tracks and B-buses, which helps audit a session without mentally switching between timeline and mixer structures.
Technical status at a glance
Format, Monitor, ADC and VCA are visible as columns instead of being scattered across separate panels.
3. Markers
Markers become a spotting list when names, colors and notes are filled in
The Markers tab is more useful than a row of colored flags above the timeline because each marker becomes a structured record with timecode, duration, color, keyword and notes columns.
Visual reference
The list can show a frame thumbnail beside a marker, helping identify the scene before reading the text fields.
Spotting vocabulary
Names, keywords and notes let the same marker carry an editorial instruction instead of only a location.
4. Marker editor
One marker can carry timing, a task name, notes, keywords and color
The live Resolve 21 editor makes the useful fields explicit. That gives a practical way to standardize spotting notes across dialogue, SFX, music and review tasks.
Name the problem
Use Name for a compact label such as Noise, Replace line, Add SFX or Check music.
Put detail in Notes
Notes are better for the actual instruction, context or handoff comment than forcing everything into the marker name.
Use color as a category
A consistent color convention can visually separate dialogue fixes, SFX, music and review points across the timeline.
5. Notes in the list
A spotting task remains readable without reopening every marker
A filled Notes column is where the marker workflow becomes operational: the list itself can communicate what must be changed at that timecode.
Name = quick scan
Short labels make long marker lists easier to scan.
Notes = action
The action or explanation can stay visible directly in the table.
Color = grouping
Color remains available as a second visual categorization layer.
6. Edit Index
Edit Index turns the timeline into a clip table with source and record timing
This view is useful when the question is not “what marker did I leave?” but “what clips are actually in this cut, on which tracks, and at what source/record times?”
Clip inventory
Rows make it easy to see dialogue, music and SFX items in one ordered list rather than hunting across several tracks.
Source vs record time
The table exposes both source timing and where the clip sits in the edited timeline.
Useful for review
A tabular clip view is convenient when checking whether the expected media and durations made it into the current cut.
7. Index + timeline
The strongest workflow keeps the table and the picture visible together
The wide live capture demonstrates the practical layout: Edit Index on the left, meters above, and the Fairlight timeline with colored markers on the right. That is the useful mental model for a large session — list for structure, timeline for context.
List for structure
Use rows to inspect clips, track states or marker tasks without scrolling a tall timeline blindly.
Timeline for context
Keep the playhead, clip positions and colored markers visible while you work through the list.
8. Practical spotting routine
A simple routine for larger Fairlight sessions
Open Index
Keep the session visible and choose the view that matches the current task.
Audit Tracks
Check track names, states, formats and bus rows before chasing a routing problem.
Create markers
Use short names and consistent colors for dialogue, SFX, music or review.
Write the action
Put the concrete instruction into Notes and add a keyword when useful.
Review the cut
Use Edit Index and the timeline together to verify clips, timings and marked tasks.
Every interface detail on this page comes from the supplied Resolve 21 captures: the Fairlight Index button, Edit Index / Tracks / Markers tabs, track-state columns, marker list, marker editor, a marker row with a real note, and the combined Edit Index + timeline view. The page intentionally does not invent an Index menu or duration-marker screenshot that was not captured.
Continue with plug-ins & external tools
External audio processing, plugins and bounce workflow
The next gap is the handoff between Fairlight and heavier processing: external audio tools, plugin management, cache/bounce and how to return a processed result without losing the project structure.