Blackmagic Design ships DaVinci Resolve 14
Originally posted on 25 April 2017. Scroll down for news of the official release.
Blackmagic Design has unveiled DaVinci Resolve 14, the new version of its grading and editing software.
The company describes the update – which was announced at NAB 2017, and is currently in public beta – as the “biggest release in the history of the product” and a “complete revolution in post-production”.
The release adds a new set of Fairlight audio mixing and mastering tools, a multi-user collaboration system, a new high-performance playback engine, a new facial-tracking system, and over 20 new effects filters.
The price of the commercial edition of the software has also been cut from $995 to $299.
Fairlight: a complete new audio mixing and mastering toolset
The biggest change in DaVinci Resolve 14 is the integration of Fairlight’s audio technology, which Blackmagic Design acquired in 2016.
Designed specifically for movie rather than music production, the technology provides a complete set of audio mixing and mastering tools capable of output to 3D formats like 5.1, 7.1, 22.2 and Dolby.
The audio timeline can be zoomed in to display individual samples, and is supplemented by a mixer featuring six-band parametric EQ; expander/gate, compressor and limiter dynamics; and clip time warping.
It supports VST plugins, and every parameter can be automated using a variety of preset modes.
On a standard modern workstation, the software can process “more than 60” tracks simultaneously in real time, rising to 1,000 if you buy one of Blackmagic’s – as yet unpriced – Fairlight Audio Accelerator cards.
New collaboration features
There is also a new set of collaboration features, enabling multiple editors, colorists, and sound editors to work on a project simultaneously without overwriting one another’s changes.
Project bins are now automatically locked when one user is working on them, although other users can still view their contents.
Timelines can also be locked, although editors and colorists can work on the same timeline simultaneously; and multiple colorists can work on separate shots within a single timeline.
When merging individual users’ timelines back together, changes are displayed visually, and may be accepted on a per-edit basis.
There is also a new secure chat system built into the software; although not, as far as we can see, support for formal notes and annotations, as you might get in a visual effects shot review system.
New filters and effects, including automated facial tracking and adjustment
Colorists get 20 new filters in the software’s Resolve FX toolset, including a new Dehaze filter for reducing fog and glare, and Warper, an image-warping system designed for reframing footage.
However, the highlight is the Face Refinement filter, which autodetects and tracks facial features, making it possible to perform common tasks like smoothing skin or brightening eyes without manual rotoscoping.
Improved editing workflow, playback ‘up to 10 times’ faster
Editors get a range of workflow improvements, including audio- and video-only edit tools, colour-coding for tracks, new marker overlays, and the options to view multiple clip bins and to save custom UI layouts.
The update also introduces a new playback engine with better support for CPU threading and GPU pipelining, and described by Blackmagic Design as “up to 10 times faster than before”.
According to the firm, scrubbing and JKL playback are “instantaneous”, and acceleration of “processor-intensive formats like H.265 [makes] it possible to edit 4K images on a laptop”.
Pricing and availability
Updated 8 September 2017: DaVinci Resolve 14 is now shipping for Windows, Linux and Mac OS X. The base edition of the software, which masters up to UHD-resolution footage, is free.
Blackmagic Design has also cut the price of the Studio edition – which masters up to 4K footage, and adds support for multiple GPUs, HDR grading, and the multi-user and advanced effects tools – from $995 to $299.
Read more about the new features in DaVinci Resolve 14 in Blackmagic Design’s press release
Visit the DaVinci Resolve product website
(Includes download link for the free DaVinci Resolve 14 public beta)