Choosing interpreting equipment
Interpreters are only as good as what they're working with. The technology setup is not a secondary concern — it's a strategic decision that determines quality, cost and how flexibly you can respond on the day. Three main options:
1. ISO-4043 interpreter booths. The professional standard. Soundproof cabins that seat two interpreters, with dedicated headsets and control surfaces. Ideal for conferences, AGMs and any format where audio quality has to be high and interpreters need to work confidentially. Requires a bit of floor space and setup time — but it's the gold standard.
2. Tour-guide systems (bidule). Handheld transmitters and receivers, no booth. Ideal for plant tours, factory floors, exhibition walks and small groups on the move. Cheaper, more flexible, less demanding on space. Downside: no soundproofing — interpreter and audience are in the same acoustic environment, so it doesn't work for long or complex formats.
3. Remote platforms (RSI). Interpreters work from a hub or dedicated studio, audio and video are routed via a platform. Ideal for globally distributed audiences and virtual conferences. Interprefy, KUDO, Zoom with Interpretation and platform-native solutions each have trade-offs — Interprefy and KUDO are optimised for interpreting, Zoom is more familiar to participants but less robust for interpreters.
Hybrid setups combine several of these formats. Interpreters can work from an on-site booth even when part of the audience or speakers are remote — that keeps audio quality high while extending reach. The complexity sits with the streaming production, not the interpreters.
The right choice depends on: number of participants, mode (in-person / hybrid / virtual), duration, language pairs, budget and confidentiality. For business-critical formats — AGMs, arbitration, IR events — we tend to advise against improvised solutions. Investing in proper technology is significantly cheaper than losing an audience because the sound was patchy.
Rule of thumb: the higher the stakes, the more the technology setup should be planned rather than improvised.