DaVinci Resolve is not just a video editor — its Fairlight page is a capable digital audio workstation built right into the same application. If you have been importing audio recorded elsewhere and wondering whether you can capture it directly inside Resolve, the answer is yes. This guide walks you through every step, from setting up your audio input in Preferences to reviewing your finished take.
What You Need Before You Start Recording
Before touching a single setting inside DaVinci Resolve, confirm you have the following in place:
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A microphone or audio interface connected and recognized by your operating system
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Correct drivers installed for your audio device (especially important for USB audio interfaces on Windows)
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DaVinci Resolve open with a project already created
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Your project’s sample rate set in advance (48 kHz is standard for video work)
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Access to the Fairlight page — all live audio recording in DaVinci Resolve happens here, not on the Edit page
That last point trips up a lot of newcomers. If you are looking for a record button on the Edit page, you will not find one. The Fairlight page is where you arm tracks, monitor input levels, and capture audio.
Step 1 — Configure Your Audio Input in DaVinci Resolve Preferences
Getting your audio device recognized by DaVinci Resolve is the most critical step. Skip it or get it wrong, and nothing downstream will work.
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Open Preferences. On macOS, go to DaVinci Resolve → Preferences. On Windows, go to DaVinci Resolve → Preferences.
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Navigate to System → Audio I/O. This tab lists all available audio input and output devices detected by your operating system.
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Select your input device. Click the dropdown under “Audio Input” and choose your microphone or audio interface from the list. If your device does not appear, check that it is properly connected and that drivers are installed, then relaunch Resolve.
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Set the sample rate. Match the sample rate in this panel to your project setting. For most video projects, this is 48 kHz. A mismatch between the device sample rate and the project sample rate causes audio drift over time — your recording will gradually fall out of sync with your video.
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Click Save and restart Resolve if prompted. Some device changes require a relaunch to take effect.
Note: Adjust your input gain at the hardware level (your audio interface or microphone gain knob) before opening Resolve. DaVinci Resolve’s Preferences panel does not provide a software gain control for input signals.
Choosing the Right Input Device
The quality of audio you record is entirely dependent on what you send into Resolve. A microphone that handles noise well before the signal hits your timeline means far less cleanup later. If you are in the market for a wireless option, the Hollyland LARK MAX 2 is worth considering — it records at 48 kHz / 32-bit Float with built-in AI Noise Cancellation, which aligns neatly with standard video project settings and reduces the amount of noise reduction work you will need to do inside Fairlight.
Step 2 — Open the Fairlight Page and Set Up a New Audio Track
With your audio device configured, it is time to move into Fairlight.
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Click the Fairlight tab. Look for the musical note icon in the row of page icons at the bottom of the DaVinci Resolve interface. Click it to enter the Fairlight environment.
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Familiarize yourself with the layout. The timeline sits in the center, the mixer panel is on the right, and the toolbar and transport controls run across the top.
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Add a new audio track. Right-click in the empty area of the track header panel on the left side of the timeline, then select Add Track → Mono (or go to Track → Add Track from the menu bar).
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Choose mono or stereo. For voiceover, narration, and ADR, always choose mono. A single microphone captures a mono signal. Creating a stereo track for a mono source wastes headroom and can cause unexpected panning behavior. Stereo tracks are appropriate when your input is genuinely stereo — such as a stereo room mic or a stereo music track.
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Assign the track input. In the Mixer, locate the input selector (it typically shows “None” by default on a new track). Click it and select the input channel that corresponds to your microphone or audio interface input — for example, “Input 1” for the first channel on your interface.
Pro Tip: If you are recording multiple voiceover takes in one session, name your track immediately by double-clicking the track name field. Clear labeling saves time during review.
Step 3 — Arm the Track and Check Input Levels
This is the step where most beginners get stuck. Arming a track tells DaVinci Resolve that this is the track you intend to record onto.
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Click the record-arm button. In the track header, find the small red “R” button and click it. The track header will highlight in red to confirm it is armed. No signal will be recorded to any track that is not armed.
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Watch the input meter. Speak or perform at your normal recording volume and watch the track’s input meter. Aim for peaks between –12 dBFS and –6 dBFS. Occasional transients pushing to –6 dBFS are fine; anything consistently hitting 0 dBFS (red) will clip and distort your recording.
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Adjust gain at the source, not inside Resolve. If levels are too hot or too quiet, turn the gain knob on your audio interface or adjust the output level on your microphone. Do not try to compensate with fader positions in Fairlight at this stage — you want the cleanest possible signal hitting the track.
No signal on the meter? Check these two things first: (1) Confirm the track is armed — the R button should be lit red. (2) Confirm the track input selector matches the device and channel you configured in Preferences. These two mismatches account for the vast majority of “no signal” problems.
Step 4 — Record Your Audio
With the track armed and levels set, you are ready to capture.
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Position the playhead. Click in the timeline ruler to place the playhead at the point where you want recording to begin. Leave a few seconds of silence at the top so you have room to trim.
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Start recording. Press Shift+Space to begin recording, or click the red Record button in the transport controls at the top of the Fairlight page. The transport will start rolling and a red recording region will appear on your armed track.
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Perform your take. Speak your narration, deliver your voiceover, or perform your ADR line. You do not need to stop playback between takes unless you want to.
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Stop recording. Press Space to stop. The recorded audio will immediately appear as a waveform clip on your track.
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Record additional takes if needed. Move the playhead to the start point again and repeat the process. Each take is recorded as a separate clip. You can comp the best sections later using Fairlight’s timeline tools or by switching to the Edit page.
Where are my recorded files saved? DaVinci Resolve saves recorded audio as .wav files in the capture location defined in your project settings. To check or change this path, go to File → Project Settings → Master Settings → Working Folders → Capture and Playback Location. Knowing this folder path is useful if you ever need to back up raw takes.
Step 5 — Review and Trim Your Recording
Play back your recorded clip by pressing Space with the track no longer armed. Listen for any issues — background noise, pops, or sections you want to remove. To trim the clip in Fairlight, hover over the start or end of the waveform until the trim cursor appears, then drag inward to shorten it. For more detailed editing, switch to the Edit page, where the familiar razor and selection tools are easier to work with for clip-level trimming.
If your overall clip volume needs a quick adjustment without going into the full mixer, grab the clip gain handle — the thin horizontal line that runs across the top of the waveform — and drag it up or down. This is a non-destructive gain adjustment that does not affect the underlying audio file. Once your take is cleaned up and trimmed, it is ready for any further processing in the Fairlight mixer.
Troubleshooting Common Recording Issues
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Issue |
Likely Cause |
Fix |
|---|---|---|
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No waveform appears after recording |
Track was not armed, or input was set to “None” |
Arm the track (red R) and assign the correct input channel before recording |
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Audio recorded but silent on playback |
Playback routing or bus assignment is incorrect |
Check that the track’s output bus is routed to your main output in the Fairlight mixer |
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Recorded audio sounds distorted or clipped |
Input gain was too high |
Reduce gain at the interface or microphone, then re-record the take |
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Sample rate mismatch warning on launch |
Device sample rate differs from project sample rate |
Match both values in Preferences → Audio I/O and in Project Settings → Master Settings |
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I record audio directly on the Edit page in DaVinci Resolve?
No. Live audio recording requires the Fairlight page. The Edit page is designed for importing and arranging pre-recorded audio clips. If you try to find a record button on the Edit page, you will not find one — switch to Fairlight to access all recording functionality.
Does DaVinci Resolve Free support audio recording?
Yes. The free version of DaVinci Resolve includes full Fairlight audio recording functionality. You can arm tracks, record takes, and review waveforms without a paid Studio license. Some advanced Fairlight features like certain third-party plugin formats require Studio, but the core recording workflow is fully available for free.
What file format does DaVinci Resolve save recorded audio in?
Recorded audio is saved as a .wav file by default, stored in the capture folder specified in your project settings. WAV is an uncompressed format, which keeps your recorded takes at full quality and makes them easy to export or share if needed.
Can I record multiple tracks simultaneously in DaVinci Resolve?
Yes. Arm multiple tracks, assign a different input to each one, and press Record — DaVinci Resolve will capture all armed tracks at the same time. The free version supports multi-track recording, though the total number of simultaneous inputs is limited by your audio interface’s channel count.
Conclusion
Recording audio in DaVinci Resolve comes down to five steps: configure your audio input in Preferences, open the Fairlight page and add a track, arm that track and set your levels, hit record, and review what you captured. Once your takes are recorded and trimmed, the logical next step is shaping that audio — explore Fairlight’s noise reduction tools or dive into mixing and bus routing to finish your track properly. The cleaner your input signal going in, the less work you will need to do on the other side.
