Why do some interpreter consoles have a loudspeaker?
A useful feature you have never used before
Why would you need a loudspeaker in your interpreter console? Delegate units also feature a built-in loudspeaker, but the purpose here is pretty clear. All delegates need to hear each other well enough and at times they have no headphones to connect to their delegate unit.
Unlike delegates, conference interpreters working in a booth always have their headphones on. Why did the engineers envisage a built-in loudspeaker in some interpreter consoles? The reason is simple: having a loudspeaker on during breaks or before the event start allows interpreters to take their headphones off safely without running the risk of missing the very first words.
If the simultaneous interpretation system is configured correctly, when at least one microphone in the same logical booth is engaged, all loudspeakers in this booth are switched off automatically and switched back on when no interpreter microphone is active. Sometimes, interpreter consoles in the same physical booth are not configured correctly and therefore do not belong to the same logical booth. In this case, when you engage your microphone, your booth partner’s loudspeaker will not switch off automatically.
First published in Russian: 2019−09−22. English translation added: 2020−07−18.