No Fixed Mix is our home-grown initiative aimed at improving the gender balance in technical sound roles.

The inaugural No Fixed Mix programme held in 2019, welcomed five aspiring sound engineers into String and Tins’ studios. It included three workshops that focused on the audio industry - production, sound design and music - and was aimed at any woman seeking a career in sound design.

Over the past seven years, we have expanded the programme to reflect the growing variety of projects that the studio is working on, incorporating longform work into the updated course curriculum. In addition to this, we have been lucky enough to welcome guest speakers including the foley team at Molinare, Kath Pollard, Kate Davies, Natahsa Haycocks, Hannah Webster and Kate Hopkins who have shared their experiences and offered valuable insights into the industry. Since 2023 we have been fortunate enough to go on an educational field trip to Dolby which was one of the highlights. Each year we encourage participants to complete assignments which help to develop their showreels and review CVs to give them the best possible chance in kick-starting their careers.

Thanks to the generous support of HHB Communications, Avid, NUGEN Audio, Acon Digital and Source Elements, successful applicants will be provided with a free 12-month subscription licence to Avid Pro Tools Studio™, the industry standard DAW (worth £299), Acoustica Premium (worth £60) and Source-Nexus Suite (worth £100), so that they can continue to develop their audio post-production skills.

Applications for 2026’s programme have now closed. We look forward to opening the programme again in 2027.

Eimear Ní Ghuaire, Esi Jonuzi & Mike Bamford

String and Tins