Blackmagic Design introduce Fairlight Live

Blackmagic Design is best known for its high-end video hardware and the popular DaVinci Resolve software, but within Resolve lies Fairlight — a powerful, fully integrated audio post-production suite. Now, the company is stepping further into the live audio space with the announcement of **Fairlight Live**, a brand-new software mixer built for broadcast and high-end live production.

Unveiled at NAB 2026, Fairlight Live is designed to handle **thousands of audio channels**, working seamlessly with standard computer audio or USB audio via Blackmagic’s ATEM switchers. It delivers extensive flexibility, supporting everything from simple stereo setups to advanced immersive audio formats, and integrates smoothly into modern broadcast environments with **SMPTE-2110 workflow support**.

Each input channel comes equipped with built-in EQ and dynamics processing, while advanced panning tools cover 1D, 2D, and 3D spaces — including a spherical panner for Ambisonics and immersive formats. The internal effects suite features de-essers, reverbs, delays, and more, and users can expand their setup further with third-party plug-ins. In fact, every channel can host up to **24 VST or AU plug-ins**, offering serious processing power.

Routing is highly flexible, with up to **eight independent output mixes** available for quickly creating dedicated feeds for different destinations. Fairlight Live also includes a built-in cue player with **16 audio cues** for jingles, carts, and stingers, plus **16 MIDI cues** for triggering external hardware like lighting or effects systems. These cues can be fired via keyboard shortcuts, hardware panels, or MIDI controllers — ideal for tight, real-time production control.

### Key Features

* Full-featured software-based broadcast mixer for live audio
* Supports hundreds (even thousands) of channels and complex mixes
* Works with mono, stereo, LCR, 5.1, immersive, and ASAF formats
* Optimized for low-latency performance on macOS and Windows
* Configurable redundancy and fail-safe systems
* Direct USB integration with ATEM switchers
* Compatible with standalone setups, Fairlight panels, and MCU controllers
* Supports Core Audio, ASIO, and SMPTE-2110 interfaces
* Native support for surround, immersive, and spatial audio workflows
* Snapshot recall for live mixing scenarios
* Virtual Sound Check with ISO recording for rehearsals
* Dedicated cue player for audio and MIDI triggers
* Extensive support for AU and VST plug-ins
* Remote control via iOS and Android tablets

Grant Petty, CEO of Blackmagic Design, describes Fairlight Live as “the world’s most powerful live audio mixer,” highlighting the freedom that comes with a software-based system. Without the physical limitations of traditional hardware, performance scales with your computer’s capabilities — making it equally appealing for beginners and seasoned audio engineers alike.

### Pricing & Availability

Fairlight Live is currently available as a **free public beta**, with more details available on Blackmagic Design’s official website.