DaVinci Resolve Fairlight Audio Not Playing or Recording Fix

In this tutorial, you'll learn about DaVinci Resolve Fairlight Audio Not Playing or Recording Fix. We cover key concepts, practical examples, and best practices.

The Problem

You open the Fairlight page in DaVinci Resolve but hear no audio, the level meters do not move, or you cannot record new audio tracks.

Quick Fix

Step 1: Check audio output configuration

Fairlight needs correct output device.

Wrong — no output device selected:

Fairlight → no audio → output device not set

Right — configure audio output:

Fairlight → Workspace → Audio Output Settings
Select your audio interface or Built-in Output
Set sample rate to match your project (48kHz default)
Test with tone: Generate → Audio Test Tone

Expected output: Audio plays through selected output.

Step 2: Check track routing and mute/solo

Tracks may be muted or misrouted.

Wrong — track muted:

Audio track shows M (muted) → no sound

Right — check track state:

Fairlight → track headers
Check M (mute), S (solo), R (record) buttons
Mute must be off (not highlighted)
Solo on any track silences others

Expected output: Audio plays from unmuted tracks.

Step 3: Set up recording correctly

Recording requires proper input.

Wrong — no input selected:

Click R (record arm) → no input source → nothing recorded

Right — configure recording:

Fairlight → Track → 'Add Track' → choose Mono/Stereo
Click R on the track → select input source
Check levels in the meter before recording
Click Record in transport controls

Expected output: Audio records to the track.

Step 4: Fix audio sync issues

Audio may drift from video.

Fairlight → select clip
Clip Attributes → change offset to adjust sync
Or use the 'Sync' tool to realign by waveform

Expected output: Audio syncs with video.

Prevention

• Always check audio output device settings
• Watch track mute/solo states when audio is missing
• Test input levels before recording important takes
• Use waveform alignment for sync fixes

Common Mistakes with fairlight audio

1. Using foldl instead of foldl' causing stack overflow on large lists
2. Forgetting deriving (Show, Eq) on custom data types needed for debugging
3. Placing the wildcard pattern first in case expressions, making all subsequent patterns unreachable

These mistakes appear frequently in real-world DAVINCI code. DodaTech's contributors have identified these patterns through analysis of open-source projects and production systems.

Practice Exercise

Write a pure function that safely divides two integers using Maybe, then test it with edge cases like division by zero and negative numbers.

This exercise reinforces the concepts covered in this guide. Try implementing it before checking online solutions.

FAQ