International conferences
Simultaneous interpretation equipment in Seville
Booths, interpreter consoles, bodypack transmitters and receivers with headphones so every attendee can follow the event in their own language. We provide the equipment and the technician; the client provides the interpreters.
- System
- Booths and consoles
- Audience
- Receivers with headphones
- Interpreters
- Not included
- Technician
- Essential: always included in the proposal
- Area
- Seville and province
What we rent and what we don't
We provide the equipment, not the interpreters
It's worth making this clear from the outset, because it's the first source of confusion: we are a technical rental company. We set up the booths, the consoles and the receivers, and a technician is on hand throughout the event. The interpreters are hired by the client or their language agency.
Why we're so clear about it
Because interpreting is a different profession from ours, with its own rates, preparation time and turn-taking rules. Promising "full simultaneous interpretation" and then subcontracting blind is a bad idea for everyone. What we do is talk to the interpreting agency from the start so that the set-up meets what their professionals need, which is usually quite specific.
When you need one
At conferences with international speakers, European committee meetings, presentations by an international parent company, training sessions with a trainer from abroad and institutional ceremonies with visiting delegations. Also on technical guided tours, where a portable tour-guide system is used instead of a booth.
The set-up
Booth, console, bodypack transmitters and receivers
Four elements that make up the chain, from the speaker's voice to the attendee's ear.
Soundproof booth
An enclosed cabin with a front window overlooking the room and silent ventilation. It isolates the interpreter's voice from the room and the room from the interpreter. The standard is one booth per language, with two positions inside because interpreters take over from each other every half hour.
Interpreter console
The desk they work from: a microphone with mute, listening control for the floor channel, a cough button and output channel selection. It's the interpreter's instrument, which is why they always check it before starting.
Infrared or radio frequency distribution
The language channels reach the audience via infrared, which doesn't pass through walls and ensures the meeting next door can't listen in, or via radio frequency when the space is open or irregular.
Receivers with headphones
One for each attendee who will be listening to the interpretation. The channel is selected with a dial and it's handed out with individual headphones. They're distributed at the entrance, usually in exchange for an ID document.
Bodypacks and portable tour-guide systems
For factory visits, site tours or groups on the move: the interpreter wears a bodypack transmitter with a headset microphone and the group carries receivers. No booth and no cabling.
Room audio and integration
The speaker's voice reaches the booth from the event's mixing desk, and the interpretation is fed back into the system if a channel needs to be played over the room speakers. It's coordinated with the event's sound team.
How it is sized
How many booths, how many receivers
One booth per target language
If the conference is in Spanish and needs to be offered in English, that's one booth. If French is added too, that's two. And if some speakers talk in English and the audience needs Spanish, that same booth works in both directions or is doubled up, depending on how the interpreting agency organises it. The rule of thumb: count the languages the audience will be able to listen to, not the languages spoken on stage.
Receivers: how many to order
You don't need as many as there are attendees, unless the whole audience is international. For a national conference with international speakers, the usual approach is to order receivers for part of the capacity and fine-tune with pre-registration. Our advice: ask for the language at registration and add a margin, because on the day there's always someone who asks without having said so beforehand.
Booth space and position
The booth takes up space and must have a direct line of sight to the stage and the screen. If it doesn't, we solve it with a monitor inside the booth relaying the live production feed. What doesn't work is putting the booth in an adjoining room with no picture: the interpreter needs to see the slides and the speaker's face.
Common mistakes
What gets overlooked at international conferences
Booking the equipment late. Booths take up space, and it has to be reserved on the floor plan before production lays out the chairs. If it's decided the week before, there's no room.
Not planning the interpreter's audio feed. They need the speaker's audio clean and with no delay. If the speaker moves away from the microphone or holds a handheld mic badly, the interpreter can no longer hear and the interpretation stops. It's one more reason to use headset or lavalier microphones for speakers.
Forgetting the Q&A session. Audience members asking questions also have to be heard in the booth. You need audience microphones, wireless or on stands, routed to the interpretation system.
Not planning how receivers are returned. At the end, two hundred people leave at once with a receiver in their hand. You need a return point at the exit with the organisers' staff collecting them.
Streaming without deciding the language. If the event is live streamed, you have to decide which channel goes out: the original, the interpretation or both as separate streams. This is decided at the technical design stage, not on the day.
What the rental includes
What we provide
Floor plan review
Where the booths fit with a view of the stage, and how the equipment gets in.
System set-up
Booths, consoles, transmitters, cabling to the sound desk and a test of every channel.
Receiver distribution
Prepared with headphones and charged batteries, ready to hand out at registration.
Test with the interpreters
Before the event, so they can check their audio feed, microphone and handover between positions.
Technician during the event
Deals with any issues, swaps receivers and monitors levels for the duration of the event.
Collection and count
Take-down at the end and a receiver count with the organisers.
How many languages and how many people?
With the number of languages, the audience size and the floor plan, we'll put together the complete set-up for you.
Related services
What usually goes with an international conference
Frequently asked questions
Simultaneous interpretation FAQs
Do you provide the interpreters?
No. We rent and set up the technical equipment and supply the technician who looks after it during the event. The interpreters are hired by the client or their language agency. We do, however, work in coordination with them so the set-up meets their needs.
How many interpreters are needed per language?
For long sessions it's usually two per booth, because they take over from each other roughly every half hour. The interpreting agency sets that number; we prepare the booth with two positions so it's possible.
Can it be done without a booth?
For guided visits, site tours and small groups, yes: with a bodypack transmitter and portable receivers. For a conference in a hall, no: without a booth the interpreter's voice can be heard in the room and disturbs everyone.
How many receivers should I order?
It depends on how many attendees will be listening in another language. Ask at registration and add a margin. The number is easy to adjust up to a few days before the event.
Can it be combined with a live broadcast?
Yes. With live streaming, the original and interpreted channels can be broadcast as two separate signals, so each remote viewer can choose their language. This needs to be planned when designing the set-up.
Do infrared receivers work in any room?
In enclosed rooms, yes, and they have the advantage that the signal doesn't pass through walls. In very large spaces, or those with columns or direct sunlight, we assess the coverage and radio frequency is sometimes the better choice.
Quote
Get a quote for your conference
Tell us the languages, audience size, date and venue. Email us at info@alquilersonidosevilla.com or call us on 622 290 586.
Video
Screens, projection and control
The video equipment and the control position it is operated from during the event.
