Studio 21.1.1
← All 100 how-to guidesGUIDE 046 / 100
AUDIO & DIALOGUE · STUDIO REQUIRED

How to reduce background noise with Voice Isolation

DaVinci Resolve Studio 21.1 · Original practical guide

Voice Isolation can suppress unwanted sound around speech. The most useful setting is often less than maximum because aggressive processing can damage the voice.

Before you begin

Use headphones and a short section containing speech, silence, and any music. This workflow uses a Studio-only feature.

ACTUAL RESOLVE INTERFACEView full size ↗
Voice Isolation control and Amount setting
Voice Isolation control and Amount setting Reference example from the DaVinci Resolve 21.1 manual, page 1115. Software screenshot © Blackmagic Design. The demonstration media and selected settings may differ from your project.

Step by step

  1. Select a dialogue clip and open its Audio Inspector, or use the appropriate Fairlight track processing controls.
  2. Enable Voice Isolation and play a section containing both speech and background noise.
  3. Increase the Amount only as far as needed. Compare breaths, word endings, and quiet syllables against the bypassed recording.
  4. Listen at matched volume in the complete mix and render a short test before applying the same setting to many clips.

Check your result

The words are clearer while the speaker still sounds natural and intelligible.

If it doesn’t work as expected

If the voice becomes watery or clipped, reduce the amount and combine gentler cleanup with editing. Isolation cannot restore detail that was never recorded.

BUILD THE UNDERLYING SKILL

Fairlight: clear, intentional sound

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

Open module 11 →
← PREVIOUS GUIDENormalize audio clipsNEXT GUIDE →Sync external audio using waveforms

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.