Blackmagic Design announces Fairlight Live, a new software-based live audio mixer with spatial audio mixing and SMPTE-2110 broadcast workflows. Fairlight Live handles thousands of audio channels, working with standard computer audio or USB audio from ATEM live production switchers. Fully customizable, it has built-in effects and professional features such as a cue player, talkback busses, snapshots and more. Fairlight Live public beta is available immediately from the Blackmagic Design website free of charge.
Fairlight Live will be demonstrated on the Blackmagic Design NAB 2026 booth #N2502.
“Fairlight Live makes it easy to design a custom mixer with flexible audio workflows that are perfect for any project from stereo to 5.1 surround or immersive formats,” the announcement states. “Add, modify or move inputs and busses at any time. Customers can easily change a four host panel show into a remote guest setup, or route a stereo input to an ambisonics bus in seconds. Audio channels can be managed in the tracks index to show, hide or rearrange inputs and busses.”
All productions can be saved as a complete show including the mixer layout, routing, processing, cue player, snapshots and more. The file menu lets customers open existing shows or create a new one. To accelerate setup, factory templates for common workflows are included and there are layouts to match supported ATEM live production switchers. Unique productions can be custom built in the new show dialog. Shows also include virtual soundcheck setups and media, plus key system settings such as solo mode.
Fairlight Live supports thousands of input channels across a variety of formats. Each channel has built-in EQ, dynamics and panning options to control input levels, placement and clarity. Versatile format-based panning includes 1D, 2D, 3D, and a spherical panner for ambisonics and spatial audio. If user’s workflows include plug-ins, customers will find four effects slots per channel with ChainFX hosting six-plugins per slot for up to 24 plugins per channel for native and 3rd party VST and AU effects.
Customers can create a customized bussing structure in Fairlight Live with flexible signal paths in standard formats that can be added, changed or rearranged dynamically as the show evolves. They can use the bus management window via the window menu to add main, sub, aux or mix-minus busses, and choose format, name and color. Assign input-to-bus or bus-to-bus routing in the bus assign window or right in the mixer. Save time by assigning multiple mixer channels simultaneously. Built-in intelligence offers automatic up/down bus conversion for cross format compatibility.
Customers can use the output matrix busses for distributing unique mixes to multiple, separate destinations like stage monitors, translation feeds or recording devices without touching the main program mix. Supporting up to eight simultaneous output mixes, Fairlight Live offers quick matrix setup and routing with precise level controls so customers can balance and feed a mix to the live stream, another to the broadcast truck and a third to the remote production teams.
Fairlight Live supports up to 128 VCA groups with options in the show settings dialog to move faders and allow mute or solo override. There’s support for nested VCAs so one VCA master can adjust all commentator mics together, while nested VCAs allow independent control of play-by-play commentators.
Every channel in Fairlight Live includes a full set of built-in effects, giving customers faster access to essential processing. Each input or bus features a 6-band EQ, expander/gate, compressor, limiter and panner for detailed control over tone and dynamics. Fairlight Live also has an extensive library of 30 native plug-ins covering de-essers, reverb, delay and more. 3rd-party AU and VST plug-ins are also supported. The ChainFX plug-in can expand 4 effects slots to 24 plug-ins.
Fairlight Live has a complete set of broadcast features for live production reliability and control. Customers can manage four talkback groups, communicate with talent using cue/conference mode and use mix-minus to deliver clean feeds to remote guests. On-air mode locks critical functions, while remote gain allows adjustment of mic preamps at the source. Input delay aligns signals for timing accuracy. Customers get audio follows video (AFV) for switching channels and busses, plus dual inputs for redundancy.
Fairlight Live features a built-in cue player that provides two types of cues, supporting 16 audio cues for jingles, carts and stingers, and 16 MIDI cues for controlling hardware such as lighting and smoke machines. Each cue can be triggered via a user defined keyboard shortcut, cue button on a Fairlight Live console or 3rd party MIDI control. This allows more precise timing during live productions.
“Capture the live performance and rehearsal using Fairlight Live’s built-in record and playback system. Customers can use these recordings for virtual sound check (VSC), allowing their talent and crew to rehearse with an accurate playback of the live mix, saving time and reducing on-air errors. A band’s rehearsal can be recorded and replayed via VSC, letting audio engineers fine tune levels, EQ, dynamics, panning and cues ahead of the broadcast,” the announcement continues.
Snapshots let customers save and recall the entire mixer state, providing a powerful tool for show setup and real-time control. Fairlight Live snapshots can be sequenced between different segments such as broadcast commentary, half time performances or musical acts. Transition controls create smooth fades between snapshots. Each snapshot can store specific configurations for individual acts, while excluding parameters from recall when needed to retain flexibility.
Designed for SMPTE 2110 workflows, Fairlight Live provides full 2110 audio integration for modern IP-based broadcast production. The application supports primary I/O for seamless connection to 2110 networks, allowing engineers to extract specific audio streams from any source. PTP clock synchronization is designed for precise timing across all devices, while sample level delay compensation keeps audio aligned with video and other streams.
Fairlight Live connects to ATEM live production switchers via USB-C for direct control and audio exchange. It supports audio follows video (AFV) camera selection for up to 100 cameras, routing audio from the switcher into the mixer for processing and mixing before returning it to the program output. Customers can manage talkback and solo monitoring, with bi-directional microphone gain control ensuring consistent levels between systems. Supported ATEM models include default mixer settings and templates, along with full on-air status control.
Customers can connect to a wide range of audio systems using either USB or Thunderbolt, including Fairlight Live Audio Panels and supported 3rd-party devices. On Mac, the system uses Core Audio for low latency performance and broad compatibility, while on Windows it supports System Audio and ASIO drivers for professional routing and control. This means that customers can connect microphones, interfaces and playback sources directly into the mixer with minimal setup.
“Designed in collaboration with professional sound engineers, Fairlight Live Audio Panels streamline workflow, acting as a natural extension of the software,” the release states. “The intuitive, task-based design puts the controls customers need right at their fingertips. There’s a large touchscreen for every group of 10 faders so customers see a graphical display of everything happening on the panel. Customers can see channel strip information, levels, EQ, dynamics processing, plug-in interfaces and more. With three models to choose from, they are ideal for home studios, small suites or large live broadcasts.”
“Fairlight Live is the world’s most powerful live audio mixer. Being software-based means it is free from the limitations of traditional hardware systems, the only limitation is the power of your computer,” says Grant Petty, Blackmagic Design CEO. "Whether you are a podcaster using a professional audio mixer for the first time or a sound engineer used to working with hundreds of channels, Fairlight Live has everything you need. You can even add a professional Fairlight Live Audio Panel. It’s going to be crazy seeing how customers use the power of Fairlight Live!”
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