The Basics

What equipment does an interpreter need?

· 1 booth per language

· 1 console or interpreter's unit per interpreter

· individual earphones

- high-quality and lightweight--NOT the kind intended for listening to music or used by journalists

- Audio frequencies from 125-12,500 Hz

· individual microphone

· 1 outgoing channel per language

What should a good interpreter's control panel or console have?

· Multiple incoming and outgoing channels

- The selectors for outgoing and incoming channels should be easy to distinguish from each other.

- Outgoing and incoming channel selectors should be distinct from one another and located in different areas of the panel

· A "cough button", which interpreters should get in the habit of using

· A "microphone-on" light

- an easily visible ring around the mike or a prominent light on the console

· The microphone control should be easily distinguishable from other controls (a different colour, for example)

· Automatic, pre-selected relay

· Tone controls to adjust bass and treble settings according to individual preferences and different speakers' voices

· All controls should operate silently.

The importance of sound

· Good sound quality is essential to successful simultaneous interpretation.

· Poor sound causes unnecessary stress and fatigue.

· Good sound depends on many factors, among others:

- proper sound equipment that supplies the full range of sound: 125-12,500 Hz

- good-quality, lightweight earphones

- room acoustics

- loudspeakers distributed around the room and volume kept low enough