What does a scoring mixer do?

A scoring mixer balances, shapes, and enhances the recorded elements of a film score. This includes orchestral recordings, soloists, electronic elements, and more. The goal is to translate the composer’s intention into a cohesive, emotionally powerful mix that works both musically and technically for the cinema (as part of the overall soundtrack including dialogue and sound effects), and also standalone for the soundtrack album.

How is film score mixing different from album or pop mixing?

Film score mixing combines both classical and pop techniques with a sensitivity to the need to integrate with dialogue, sound design, and overall narrative. This includes mixing in parallel for both the film and the soundtrack release, in surround/immersive and stereo. Deliverables include multichannel stems for the film’s re-recording mixers, as well as soundtrack album masters in multiple formats.

Can you mix my score even if it was recorded elsewhere?

Yes. I regularly mix projects recorded elsewhere — it is not uncommon for a project to be recorded remotely and even in multiple locations by a variety of engineers, depending on the music’s content, project budget, and other factors.

Do you offer remote mixing?

Yes. Many film, TV, and game projects are mixed remotely. Deliverables, approvals, and revisions can all be handled online, and real-time review sessions are available with picture sync as needed.

What formats do you mix in?

Stereo, 5.1, 7.1, Dolby Atmos (ADM BWF), and Sony 360 Reality Audio. I also provide Apple Digital Masters deliverables and immersive mixes that meet UMG and Apple specifications. For film mixes I typically deliver a set of 7.1.2 stems (+ object tracks if applicable).

How do I deliver my sessions for mixing?

Either as a Pro Tools session, or as a set of .wav audio files (if .wav files also include tempo maps and start timecode). Good documentation and labelling is key in either case. If delivering .wav files for a given cue/piece, all files should be the same length with the same start time (even if that means some files are 99% silence). I can also work from other DAW sessions if it makes the most sense for the project at hand.

How long does it take to mix a film score?

On average, I mix around 10 minutes of score per day, depending on orchestration complexity, revisions, and deliverables.

Do you record classical and acoustic music on location?

Yes. I record chamber groups, large ensembles, soloists, and contemporary classical works on location using high-resolution immersive techniques. I also produce, edit, mix, and master classical albums.

Do you offer Dolby Atmos for classical projects?

Absolutely, classical projects can greatly benefit from Dolby Atmos releases, which help remove the listener from their own environment and create the sense of being in the room with the artist — providing a greater sense of connection with the performance.

Do you work internationally?

Yes, I work with clients around the world, both remotely and onsite.

“On the recording, the orchestral and choral textures are subjected to refined engineering, the end result bearing sonorous clarity and attention to detail … Instrumental solos emerge from the fabric with pristine focus, and the orchestral tuttis unfold in gorgeously layered interlock.”

— AIM - Adventures In Music

Film Scoring Mixer & Classical Recording Engineer

Grammy®-winning engineer Mark Willsher works internationally as a film scoring mixer, classical recording engineer, music editor, and producer. Based in London, he specialises in high-end score mixing, orchestral and chamber recording, and immersive formats such as Dolby Atmos for film, streaming, and classical labels.

Grammy®-winning engineer Mark Willsher moves seamlessly between roles as scoring mixer, classical recording engineer, producer, and supervising music editor. His expertise spans a wide range of genres, from film to classical, folk, and hip-hop – with a discography that includes: The Lord of the Rings Trilogy, Re-releases of the Original Star Wars soundtracks, Lyle Lovett, Michael Franti and Spearhead, Downton Abbey, The St. Lawrence & Kronos String Quartets, and the San Francisco Symphony.

Recent projects include: New Line Cinema’s The Lord of the Rings: War of the Rohirrim (composer Stephen Gallagher), Netflix’s animated feature Ultraman Rising (composer Scot Stafford), and Deusche Grammophon’s release of Kaija Saariaho’s Adriana Mater (music director Esa-Pekka Salonen) which earned him a Grammy® Award for Best Opera Recording (engineer/mixer).

In addition to production work Mark has always been actively involved in audio education as both guest lecturer and guest faculty. He has lectured at The Peabody Institute, MIT, The San Francisco Conservatory of Music, The Royal Academy of Music, and was guest audio faculty at the Banff Centre for the Arts in Canada for seventeen years. Since 2023 Mark has been guest faculty at the Verbier Festival in Switzerland. He is also on the panel of immersive audio experts for the ECHO Project: A collaborative research project on 3D microphone array techniques for orchestral recording, which has broad industry sponsorship.

With a background in music performance and a deep understanding of all technical aspects of the recording process, Mark’s guiding philosophy is to create recordings that allow listeners to be fully immersed in the emotional experience – free from awareness of speakers, microphones, editing, or mixing.

His personal studio is a fully equipped immersive mixing space (supporting Dolby Atmos and other immersive formats) with a hybrid analogue/digital signal path.

Selected Credits

Film, Television & Games

The Lord of the Rings Trilogy — Associate Music Producer • Music Editor
The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim — Music Producer • Scoring Engineer • Scoring Mixer
Ultraman Rising (Netflix) — Scoring Engineer • Scoring Mixer • Supervising Music Editor
The Inventor — Scoring Mixer • Music Editor
Lea Tupu-anga / Mother Tongue — Scoring Mixer
Daughters of Abdul Rahman — Scoring Mixer
Soul of the Ultimate Nation (MMORPG) — Scoring Mixer

Albums & Classical Releases

Kaija Saariaho — Adriana Mater (Deutsche Grammophon) — Mixing Engineer • Mastering Engineer
Stravinsky — The Firebird (1910) — Mixing Engineer • Mastering Engineer
Bartók — Piano Concertos — Mixing Engineer • Mastering Engineer
St. Lawrence String Quartet — Haydn: Op. 76 Quartets — Producer • Recording Engineer • Mastering Engineer

Approach & Areas of Focus

Mark’s work sits at the intersection of film, classical, and immersive audio. He is equally comfortable:

shaping large orchestral scores for theatrical presentation
building intimate chamber and solo recordings for classical releases
designing immersive listening experiences that translate across cinema, home entertainment, and binaural playback.

Key areas of focus include:

Film Score Mixing – creating mixes that serve both the film and the soundtrack album, with stems and deliverables designed to support re-recording mixers, post-production teams, and label deliverable requirements - while never losing sight of the music’s intent.
Classical Recording & Production – capturing orchestral, chamber, and contemporary classical projects with an emphasis on realism, depth, and musical detail.
Music Editing & Score Supervision – helping composers, directors, and picture editors manage complex revisions, conforming, and cue structure over the life of a project.
Immersive & Format-Aware Mixing – working in stereo, surround, and immersive formats from the outset, rather than treating them as afterthoughts.

Awards & Affiliations

Grammy® Award — Best Opera Recording (Mixing Engineer), Kaija Saariaho: Adriana Mater
Representation: Air-Edel Associates
Guest audio faculty at institutions and festivals including The Banff Centre and Verbier Festival
Involved in research and practice around immersive and 3D microphone techniques for orchestral and acoustic music

Work With Mark

For film scores, classical projects, or immersive mixing enquiries, Mark works with clients worldwide both remotely and in person.

You can reach him via:

Email: enquiries@pin3hot.com
Representation: Air-Edel Associates
Or through the contact form on pin3hot.com