NAB 2026: Blackmagic Design [LIVE REUPLOAD]

Summary of technical concepts & product features (NAB 2026 — Blackmagic Design: Fairlight live panels)

Product overview

• Product: New Fairlight Live audio control surfaces/panels

• Channel variants: 10 / 20 / 40 channels (No “30” iteration is mentioned.)

• Form factor: A touchscreen panel with fixed display (see “Screen mechanics” below).

Software-based audio processing (Mac-driven)

• Audio processing happens entirely in software on the connected Mac.
• There is no internal computer/CPU inside the hardware panel.
• Supported Mac types include:
  • Mac mini
  • Mac Studio
  • Even MacBook
• Performance is dependent on CPU headroom (because the Mac does the processing).

Audio input options

• The panel “operates off” the Mac’s Core Audio:
  • Any compatible USB/Thunderbolt audio interface can be used as the audio source for the Mac.
• Alternate discussed path:
  • Using an ATM microphone together with Blackmagic A/V converters (as referenced in the discussion).

Networking / connectivity

• Connects to the Mac via Ethernet only.
• Integration considerations discussed:
  • Blackmagic does not make Dante hardware directly, but you can integrate through Dante Virtual Soundcard (DVS) on the computer.
  • Dante Domain Manager can transition into 2110 signals, and Blackmagic operates with 2110.

Software foundation (Fairlight extracted from Resolve)

• The panel runs a “cherry-picked” Fairlight page from DaVinci Resolve as a standalone live-audio application.
• It does not require the full post-production pipeline to run.

Live audio processing chain included

• Live EQ
• Compression
• Gate / expander
• Limiter
• Panning, including surround-style panning (and possibly Atmos-style setups)
• Third-party plugin support in the live pipeline
• Bus assignment / routing
• Session overview “home page”

Live session operation / controls

• Supports banks of channels and transport controls.
• Example layout for larger models:
  • Left bank = live bank
  • Right bank = master bank
• Snapshots / cues can be saved and recalled.
• Smaller mixer mention:
  • 10 faders per bank

Touchscreen behavior

• The panel includes a touch screen, but touch control is currently limited to certain windows.
• Expanded touch functionality is expected via beta firmware.

Built-in dynamics / feedback notes

• The workflow includes compressor limiters and is described as having a full Fairlight dynamics feature set for live use.
• Auto anti-feedback: Asked about built-in feedback suppression; the response suggested it was not confirmed and may come later.

Performance / CPU usage (example from the demo)

• In the demo (“live air hockey game”), the reported usage was about:
  • ~27% of one core on a Mac mini
• This implies low baseline CPU load in that particular session.

---

Hardware I/O & physical details

Power

• Uses IEC power (standard AC).

Rear I/O (as described)

• Two mic inputs
• Speaker mic outs (talkback/speakers referenced)
• HDMI out for monitoring
• Multiple Ethernet ports allowing daisy chaining

Front I/O

• Headphone ports

Screen mechanics

• The display does not fold down / detach at present.
• A detachable/fold-down design was said to be in demand, but current units are one-piece.

Travel / cases

• Expectation to use third-party hard cases (SKB and others mentioned).

---

Beta / release timing & feedback loop

• The software is described as pre-production / beta.
• At NAB time, it is not widely available yet.
• More finalized availability is expected around:
  • July / August
• Audience is encouraged to:
  • Download the free beta
  • Test live setups
  • Report issues and wishlist items before public release.

---

Platform considerations (Mac-first)

• Current statement: Mac only.
• Discussion suggests Windows/Linux support could be possible later, but nothing concrete was promised.
• Latency is dependent on CPU/network setup; no fixed latency specification was provided.

---

Interoperability & workflow integration

Relationship to other panels / post-production

• The panel is described as tied to Blackmagic software/ecosystem.
• It was implied it’s not fully open to other panels, even if interoperability protocols might exist.
• Notes included:
  • Things like Mackie/HUI were mentioned as possible but not ideal unless you’re coding.

Live switching / recording workflows (pairing with ATEM)

• Audio can be used standalone or alongside video workflows.
• Suggested pairing with ATEM:
  • Provides a live rough mix for directors/editors
  • Aims to include audio in ISO files to improve the dailies/line-cut workflow

Audio-only field scenario

• If using audio-only, you may be able to feed audio directly into the Mac via the panel.
• In that case, a separate mixer may be redundant.

---

Power/variant request (DC powering)

• A question was asked about a DC-powered version for smaller control surface use.
• Not confirmed, but the speaker indicated Blackmagic listens to customer demand and prioritizes accordingly.

---

Reviews / guides / tutorials

• Presented as a live product walkthrough (hands-on NAB coverage) focusing on feature explanation.
• No step-by-step tutorial is provided.
• Includes a beta testing call-to-action: download beta, test, and report feedback.

---

Main speakers / sources

• Peter — Blackmagic Design (main interviewee)
• Host / NAB coverage team — Gotham Sounds coverage (interviewer; names not provided in subtitles)
• “Peter from behind the camera” — additional person facilitating/holding mic for questions (name not provided)