The booth is, in itself, an ideal solution (we don’t disturb others, we can work undisturbed and the sound is delivered directly to our ears, which ensures high quality), but behind its perfection it does have a few drawbacks: it takes up space, it’s expensive and it can really only work if it’s operated by is supervised by a technician. In many cases, this is the only viable solution for interpreting, particularly at events and conferences with a large number of participants.
However, there are instances of smaller gatherings, meetings or training sessions. In some settings, the soundproof booth solution isn’t really feasible. These are precisely the circumstances where the booth’s little sister comes into its own: the whisper system, or personal audio system (PFA).
It is portable and consists of a microphone (transmitter) which transmits the sound directly to the listeners (a small device with headphones or earhooks). In this case, the interpreters sit directly in the hall, ideally close to the speakers so that we can both see and hear them clearly, and speak the interpretation very quietly into the microphone.
All in all, the whisper system excels precisely where the booth falls short: it is cheaper, versatile, requires neither much space nor a technician… – but it puts the ‘necessary evil’ right back where the booth had previously removed it from, namely right in the middle of the meeting.
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