NAB 2026: Blackmagic Design Announces Fairlight Live Software Audio Mixer

Blackmagic Design has announced Fairlight Live, a software-based live audio mixer with SMPTE 2110 support and spatial audio mixing. A public beta is available now as a free download from the Blackmagic Design website. Fairlight Live will be demonstrated at NAB Show 2026 (Booth N2502).

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, CEO, Blackmagic Design. 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!

Mixer and Routing

Fairlight Live supports hundreds to thousands of input channels across stereo, 5.1 surround, and immersive audio formats. Inputs and busses can be added, modified, or rearranged at any time. The application includes factory templates for common workflows and layouts matched to supported ATEM live production switchers. Productions are saved as complete show files including mixer layout, routing, processing, cue player, and snapshots.

Bus types include main, sub, aux, and mix-minus, with automatic up/down conversion for cross-format compatibility. Up to eight simultaneous output matrix mixes support separate destinations such as stage monitors, translation feeds, and recording devices. Up to 128 VCA groups are supported, including nested VCAs.

Processing and Effects

Each channel includes a 6-band EQ, expander/gate, compressor, limiter, and panner. Format-based panning supports 1D, 2D, 3D, and spherical ambisonics. Four effects slots per channel support ChainFX hosting up to six plugins per slot, for up to 24 plugins per channel. Fairlight Live includes 30 native plugins and supports third-party AU and VST plugins.

Broadcast Features

Fairlight Live includes four talkback groups, cue/conference mode, mix-minus for remote guests, on-air mode, remote gain control, input delay for timing alignment, audio follows video (AFV), and dual inputs for redundancy.

Cue Player and Snapshots

The built-in cue player supports 16 audio cues for jingles and stingers and 16 MIDI cues for controlling external hardware. Cues can be triggered via keyboard shortcuts, a Fairlight Live console button, or third-party MIDI control. Snapshots save and recall the entire mixer state with transition controls for fades between segments.

Recording and Virtual Soundcheck

Fairlight Live includes built-in record and playback for virtual soundcheck (VSC), allowing engineers to replay recordings of rehearsals for level, EQ, dynamics, and cue adjustments before broadcast.

SMPTE 2110 and ATEM Integration

Fairlight Live supports SMPTE 2110 primary I/O with PTP clock synchronization. It connects to ATEM live production switchers via USB-C, supporting AFV camera selection for up to 100 cameras and bi-directional microphone gain control. On Mac, the system uses Core Audio; on Windows it supports System Audio and ASIO drivers.

Fairlight Live Audio Panels

Three hardware panel models are available, designed for home studios, small suites, and large live broadcasts. Each group of 10 faders includes a touchscreen display showing channel strip information, levels, EQ, dynamics, and plugin interfaces.

LINK:	https://www.sportsvideo.org/2026/04/20/nab-2026-blackmagic-design-anno...
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