Record Perfect Voiceovers in DaVinci Resolve | Step-by-step Guide

DaVinci Resolve is not just a titan in video editing and color grading. You might be surprised to learn that it also features a complete audio production kit. Yes, you can record a voiceover without leaving this wonder of tech.

Nestled within its vast array of tools is the Fairlight audio workstation, an all-in-one suite from Blackmagic Design that lets users not only tweak but truly master their project’s sound. This integration transforms DaVinci Resolve into a multifunctional tool for post-production, equipping you with everything you need to handle comprehensive audio tasks without ever leaving the interface. 

How to Record a Voiceover: Initial Setup

To get started with recording a voiceover in DaVinci Resolve, let’s first talk about the very basics.

1. Grab a good-quality mic for clear audio. This will make a huge difference in how your voice-over sounds.

2. You will need a pop filter to cut the pops in your recording, such as “p” and “b” sounds, and make everything smooth.

3. Second, a decent pair of headphones will help monitor your audio, therefore you’ll be able to catch problems while recording it.

4. Be sure to be in a quiet environment. Even the best microphones can’t mask background noise, so find a spot free from interruptions.

With these basic tools in place, you will be all set to begin recording great-sounding voiceovers directly into DaVinci Resolve.

Setting Up Your Audio Track

Go to the Fairlight page by selecting it from the workspace options. As a rule of thumb, if you’re looking for something audio-related, it’s probably there.

Creating a designated track for your voiceover keeps your project organized and focused. Right-click in the track area, select ‘Add Track‘, and opt for a ‘Mono’ track. If you’re just using one mic, stick with Mono. But if you’re plugging in two mics or using a stereo mic, go for Stereo. Most of the time, Mono’s all you need for a voiceover.

Naming this track ‘Voiceover’ makes its purpose clear, it’s to record a voicover on it (duh!).

Microphone Configuration

Assigning the correct input source ensures your microphone’s audio is properly directed to the right track. This prevents issues such as recording on the wrong track or not capturing any audio at all, saving you time and frustration during post-production.

First, open the Mixer Panel. It is where you control your audio. To assign your microphone to the track you want to record on, you’ll have to find the input box on that track.

Look for the track labeled “Voiceover” or whatever you’ve named it, and you’ll notice it says ‘No Input.’ Click that and a window will pop up with various input options.

In this window, choose your microphone as the input source for your voiceover track. This tells DaVinci Resolve to record sound from your mic to that specific track. After selecting your mic, hit ‘Patch‘ to confirm, linking your mic to the voiceover track, and you’re ready to begin recording.

Recording a Voiceover

Recording a voiceover in DaVinci Resolve involves a few key steps to ensure your audio is captured perfectly:

Arm the Track for Recording

On your Voiceover track, you’ll see an ‘R‘ icon, which stands for “Record Arm.” Clicking this button prepares the track to record the audio input from your microphone. It’s like telling DaVinci Resolve, “Hey, I’m about to record something important here, so keep track of it!”

Check and Adjust Levels

Before hitting the record, doing a quick sound check can save you from headaches later. Keep an eye on the audio meters in the Mixer Panel, adjusting the input level to ensure the sound is clear without hitting distortion.

When you speak, the meter will show green, yellow, and red zones. You’ll want to keep the color green-yellow and below 0. If you go over 0, the levels will show red, and your voiceover will clip, causing unwanted distortion.

Hit Record

Once your levels are set, find the place in your timeline where you want to begin to record the voiceover. This is controlled by the playhead, which you can move to the exact starting point. Then, press the record button to start capturing. If other tracks like background music are distracting, mute them temporarily to focus on your voice track.

Fine-Tune Your Take

Once you’ve recorded your first take, stop and listen to what you’ve captured. You can easily do this by stopping the recording and playing back the track. Listen critically — check for any audio issues like pops, distortion, or sections where the delivery might not sound quite right.

If you decide that part of your recording isn’t up to par, simply go back to that specific part of your project timeline. You’ll want to arm the track for recording again — just like you did initially. This sets the track back into recording mode, ready to overwrite the previous take or add a new one. 

Then, position the playhead right before the section you want to improve and hit record again. This process allows you to replace only the necessary segments without having to re-record a voiceover or its parts.

Adjusting the Audio Levels

So, once you begin working with your audio clips in DaVinci Resolve, you have a couple of options to get everything sounding just right.

First up, you can adjust the volume of each clip. This is super handy if some clips are a bit softer or louder than others — you can tweak each one to make sure the audio flows smoothly and everything sounds consistent.

Now, if you want to adjust the overall volume of your track, you can head over to the mixer panel. Here, you get to control the global level, meaning you can turn the volume up or down for everything on that track all at once. It’s a great way to manage the mix without having to go clip by clip.

When you switch from the mixer panel back to the edit page, all those changes you made stick with you. So, you can see how your tweaks are working out in the grand scheme of your project.

Balancing individual clip volumes ensures that each segment of audio is consistent, preventing jumps in loudness or quietness between sections. Adjusting the overall track level helps maintain harmony with other audio elements like background music or sound effects, ensuring your voiceover stands out without overwhelming the mix.

Enabling Audio Preview in the Fairlight Page

To hear what your audio clips sound like while you’re working on the Fairlight page, you need to enable audio preview. This lets you listen to the audio in real-time as you edit, mix, or apply effects, which is crucial for making precise adjustments.

• Auto: Automatically switches monitoring between input and playback based on whether the track is armed for recording.
• Input: Always hear the input signal, useful for setups where live monitoring is needed.
• Off: No input monitoring, you only hear playback from the track, not live input.

To adjust these settings, go to Fairlight > Input Monitor Style in the menu, and select the option that best suits your needs during recording or mixing.

Setting up and troubleshooting your audio preview in Fairlight is key to ensuring that what you hear is exactly what you intend, making your editing and mixing efforts more effective.

Troubleshooting 

If you’ve enabled the audio preview but still can’t hear anything, here are a few things you can check:

1. Make sure that your audio output is correctly configured in the Fairlight settings. You need to ensure the output is routed to the correct device, like your speakers or headphones.
2. Double-check that none of the tracks are muted and that the volume levels are set appropriately high enough to hear.
3. Sometimes, the simplest issues like loose cables or the wrong output selected on your audio interface can be the culprit. Make sure everything is plugged in correctly.
4. Verify that DaVinci Resolve is allowed to use your audio hardware in your computer’s system preferences. Any restrictions present there can prevent output.