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Translation Receivers

          o Types of receivers used in simultaneous interpretation
          o Cabled (fixed) translation receivers
          o FM interpretation receivers

o Infrared interpretation receivers

o How many receivers should I request for my event

Types of Receivers used in Simultaneous Interpretation

The receivers and the equipment used to facilitate simultaneous interpretation services is very specialized and has particular requirements. There are other industries that use this type of equipment for similar purposes, which basically are as hearing aids in cinemas or theaters, during tours or under noisy conditions.

Different companies manufacture simultaneous interpretation equipment. Some of them are Williams Sound, Sennheisser, Sony and others. There are three basic technologies used for transmission:

Cabled (Fixed) Translation Receivers

This type of translation equipment is not very common today. It has been basically reserved for large conference rooms where simultaneous translation services are used widely and regularly. With this type of system, the sound coming from the translation booths is sent to receivers fixed to the seats of the audience using sound cables.

FM Translation Receivers

This is portable simultaneous translation equipment. It can also be used for tours as it permits tour guides to talk to their tourists as they move around the exhibit. Portable translation receivers

With this system, the translation booth virtually becomes a self-contained radio station and the voices of the interpreters are transmitted via FM to the receivers.

The signal used by FM interpretation transmitter and receivers is usually lower than that of commercial radio stations. The advantage of this type of equipment is that the signal can be heard through walls and at a longer distance that any other system. Although this could also be a disadvantage if you have several rooms using translation or when your meeting is of a confidential nature.

FM receivers are commonly found among equipment rental companies because they are very easy to move around and work under almost any condition.

Infrared Translation Receivers

This is another type of portable translation equipment. Infrared panels are placed around the conference room to transmit the sound signal to the receivers.

Infrared interpretation receivers

The advantage of this type of equipment is that the signal will not go through walls, actually will only work if the receiver is pointed at the panel, making it great for confidential meetings or for transmitting different sound in different adjacent rooms (like a movie theater). The disadvantage is that there is more equipment to move around and install, making it more cumbersome than FM equipment, also fluorescent lamps may interfere with the signal and if the room has obstacles or an awkward design, the signal may be affected by the walls.

This is also a common type of equipment among rental companies.

How Many Receivers Should I Request for My Event?

Translation receivers are, in our experience, used by approximately 70% of the audience in a conference with simultaneous interpretation (even more if you choose to place the receivers on the tables or the chairs in the room).

Tour with translation

Depending on the academic level and area of expertise of the participants, this percentage may increase or decrease.

Also, you should take in consideration that when the speaker has a "difficult" accent (for instance british or australian in the case of a Latin American audience) or when he/she speaks very fast, a greater number of participants will tend to request a simultaneous interpretation receiver.

Since we must reserve for the exclusive use of your company the number of receivers that you request, you must pay for the number of receivers quoted, whether or not they are used by the audience.