Studio 21.1.1
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AUDIO & DIALOGUE

How to duck music underneath dialogue

DaVinci Resolve Studio 21.1 · Original practical guide

Ducking lowers music while someone speaks. The control should respond to the dialogue source and recover smoothly during meaningful pauses.

Before you begin

Use headphones and a short section containing speech, silence, and any music.

ACTUAL RESOLVE INTERFACEView full size ↗
Fairlight Ducker: source selection and timing controls
Fairlight Ducker: source selection and timing controls Reference example from the DaVinci Resolve 21.1 manual, page 1120. Software screenshot © Blackmagic Design. The demonstration media and selected settings may differ from your project.

Step by step

  1. Put dialogue and music on separate tracks and set a sensible music level before adding automatic ducking.
  2. In the music track’s Fairlight processing controls, enable Ducker and select the dialogue track or tracks as its detection source.
  3. Adjust reduction and timing while playing complete sentences. Aim for clear speech without obvious pumping between every word.
  4. Listen across pauses and the end of the scene. Use manual volume automation where automatic recovery does not follow the dramatic intent.

Check your result

Music steps back under speech and returns smoothly without distracting level swings.

If it doesn’t work as expected

If nothing changes, verify the selected dialogue source actually carries the voice. A muted or differently routed reference may not trigger the behavior you expected.

BUILD THE UNDERLYING SKILL

Fairlight: clear, intentional sound

Go deeper with the course’s explanations, exercises, and knowledge checks.

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Technical reference: DaVinci Resolve 21.1 Reference Manual, Blackmagic Design, September 2026. Screenshot page numbers refer to that manual. Independently written guidance; specific controls may vary by platform and build. Authorship & image credits.