NÀDAR DE Some Kind Of & Gu Leòr Galore by PÀDRAIG MACAOIDH (Peter Mackay) Scotland's Makar
What an experience recording two audiobooks of poems, NÀDAR DE Some Kind Of & Gu Leòr Galore by PÀDRAIG MACAOIDH (Peter Mackay)
Each poem was done in both Gaelic and English. Which was great, because that meant I could at least understand them. Bit of a challenge editing in Gaelic, but with an ear for music, it actually worked out fine, and I managed to meet Peter’s high standards and did lots of punch in’s on the fly too.
We ended up with over 100 poems in each language over both audiobooks. It was a challenge naming them all and doing the meta-data, then getting them through Audible specs. But the quality and diverse content of the poetry made it a really rich experience.
That’s three Makars we’ve had in the studio now. Liz Lochhead, Jackie Kay, and now Peter, who I initially met and worked with a few years ago on a project with Drew McNaughton.
The Optimised Human a Beginners Guide to Biohacking
By Olli Sovijarvi, Teemu Arina and Jaako Halmetoja was the 120th Audiobook we’ve recorded at Offbeat. Brilliantly narrated by Steve Worsley, It was produced and directed by Iain McKinna for Quercas Books - A division of Hachette Publishing. On the final day we were assisted by our new trainee Zara Kennedy who showed great promise, quickly taking control of Protools and assisting Steve with the script.
This was a challenging audiobook to produce and narrate due to the many medical and technical pronunciations which had to be checked accurately throughout the entire read.
The Optimized Human, written by the Finnish team who also wrote The Biohackers Handbook Series, harnesses the most cutting-edge information on science, diet and technology and turns them into a practical, manageable and customisable plan that’s aimed to revolutionise every area of your wellbeing.
It’s pitched as the missing manual of the human body, and an essential addition to the library, work desk, kitchen, gym, suitcase or bedroom of anyone who wants to get the best out of their life.
Gefion Gymnasium from Copenhagen
We had a great couple of sessions at our Edinburgh recording studio with students from Gefion Gymnasium in Copenhagen, who were visiting the city for the week.
Gefion Gymnasium is a well regarded upper secondary school in Denmark, known for its strong academic standards and emphasis on creative and cultural activities, including music and performance.
Two groups of 15 students recorded a version of the classic version of Loch Lomond in separate sessions, accompanied by Danish lecturer and organiser Terese Kokseby Frisdahl.
We structured the sessions so smaller groups of five recorded the choruses together, with the verses performed by different groups. This gave us full control in the final mix while making sure everyone was fully involved in the performance.
At the end of each session we created a mix for each group, followed by a final version combining all 30 voices. A brilliant result and a great energy in the room throughout.
Kirsty captured the sessions with photos across the day, which we shared with the group.
Afterwards, Terese said:
“Thank you so much for a wonderful experience at Offbeat. We all had a great time. I will definitely recommend you and your studio to all my colleagues in Copenhagen. Thank you so much for the mix and all the pics too.”
We regularly host international school and university groups at our Edinburgh recording studio, creating hands-on music recording experiences tailored for visiting students.