Interpretation equipment

Depending on the type of event you are organising, the number of participants, the location, the duration, the number of language combinations, the process, whether or not a ‘return’ is necessary, you will need sophisticated interpreting equipment. This interpretation equipment can be traditional, mobile or digitalised with a mainstream computer. From the interpretation booth to the QR code, you should look into all the systems that will ensure the success of the interpretation during your event.

The interpretation equipment provided by Atenao is, depending on the complexity of installation and use:

Delivered directly to your home when installation and use is within everyone’s reach.
Provided by one of our project managers when the installation and use requires the presence of a person accustomed to managing this type of equipment or when training participants is necessary.
Brought and installed by our technical partners when the interpretation equipment is voluminous (booths, control room…) and the presence of a technician is essential.

Fixed interpretation equipment

The interpreting booth

We provide our customers with perfectly insulated, ventilated mobile cabins according to European standards. If you have booths, make sure the interpreters have a good view of the gallery and screen in the room. Each booth will be equipped with a desk and each interpreter will have individual controls, microphones, earphones and a reading lamp.
Each cabin hosts a team of 2 interpreters. Some cabins can accommodate 3 interpreters, especially for missions that are longer than normal, for the Arabic language or Asian languages or if the subject is very complex.

The Desks

Interpreters can program the incoming languages of their choice via five preset keys “relay” (with corresponding green led). Programming is done as follows: the interpreter keeps the key to be programmed pressed and selects the desired language using the “UP” or “DOWN” keys. When the interpreter releases the key, the language is programmed. The relay is then activated by clicking on this key.

On their LCD screen, interpreters can see the quality of the incoming language to distinguish between the original language and the translation. This allows them to avoid indirect interpretations as much as possible.

The management

When performances require simultaneous interpretation, the control room allows to route the different audio streams from the speaker to the participant, through the different technologies implemented. These units pick up the signals generated by the transmitter or digital control room and transmit the channels of interpretation to the stereo headsets. This makes it possible to hold conferences involving up to 32 languages thanks to a digital infrared diffusion. Both systems can be managed by PC. This requires the intervention of our technical team.

Portable interpretation equipment

The portable interpreting equipment, also known as the whispering case allows simultaneous interpretation to be performed without installing a complete booth. The interpreter, not isolated from the rest of the room, is only equipped with a microphone and sometimes headphones. If the room is equipped with a table, a mobile cabin can be installed to improve the comfort of the interpreter.

This equipment is handy, and allows to move with the listeners (e.g. during a guided tour). Its disadvantage is that it does not allow sound insulation. It is therefore recommended to use it only for a small number of participants or/and in an appropriate room with acoustics, and/or when the conditions of the meeting require it – (a very short meeting, or for which consecutive interpretation wouldn‘t be appropriate).

The use of the whispering case reduces hardware costs, but does not justify reducing the number of people on the team.

Digital interpretation equipment

With the rise of video conferencing solutions, remote interpreting has seen rapid growth, to the point where the usefulness of interpretation booths is now all the more limited. Atenao is taking this path by proposing to replace the interpretation booths and associated logistics with a computer system and remote interpreters.

The principle is simple: The event hall and microphone are connected to a video conference room via a laptop. The sound is transmitted directly to the virtual room, which is divided into as many sound channels as there are language combinations. The teams of interpreters (one pair per language combination) translate the speakers’ words live. The audience, connected to the virtual room via a QR code, can listen to all the speeches in one of the languages of interpretation offered, through their own phone and headphones.

A hardware configuration that can be customised as and when

Depending on the complexity of the event, we adapt the necessary equipment.

Do multiple rooms simultaneously host conferences or workshops? We are multiplying virtual rooms and teams of interpreters in response.
Is the internet connection of the place not sufficient to cover all rooms or to provide the necessary bandwidth for a good audio quality? We are implementing 4G/ 5G or Wifi routers to optimise audio quality wherever interpretation is needed.
Someone in the audience doesn‘t have a smartphone? We provide pre-configured receivers in reponse to this.

All this under the watchful eye of one of our Interpretation Project Managers, who accompanies you in the whole production of the mission.