Outside interference, such as traffic noise, barking dogs, crying babies, etc.Uncorrected or uncorrectable transients.Prevalence of low frequencies, "muddy" audio.Significant variations in mic gain/volume among presenters which is particularly bothersome in dialogue/polylogue formats.Not using proper headsets or microphones by speakers which results in too "hot" signal or low SNR (signal to noise ratio) with background noise.Various VOIP artefacts, overcompression, packet loss with comm interruptions, codec issues.Reduced frequency range of VOIP/Wideband audio resulting in diminished speech intelligibility as compared to ISO 20109 standard.In the situation of remote interpretation and RSI we are facing now, sound quality interpreters receive goes beyond just being “dirty” but becomes toxic.Ī draft list of "toxic sound" characteristics may include, for example: That is why they would ask you never to put your cell phone next to your console or headsets, for example! (“Dirty” sound needs to be distinguished from the acoustic shock, see ) “Dirty” sound is not a new issue for conference audio technicians, in fact, a lot of their work time is devoted to cleaning up audio feeds to remove overtones, RF interference, hum, etc to achieve the best sound quality interpreters and delegates can enjoy. While adjusting frequency bands of the input feed and using compressors alone will not solve the toxic sound issue, it might help remote interpreters mitigate some of the effects, improve speech intelligibility and significantly reduce fatigue. When configuring and using any audio equipment, follow all manufacturer's instructions and remember about safety practices, including hearing protection.Įxecutive Summary: The COVID-19 situation resulted in an unprecedented deterioration of working conditions for interpreters, including having to work with toxic or “dirty” sound.Īs a minimum, interpreters are recommended to explore using an audio mixing board with sound equalization (EQ) and a built in one knob compressor combined with an ISO compliant headset. Any practical instructions below are not professional technical advice and/or endorsement but an opinion of the author and following them is fully at your discretion. It also does not mean that remote-from-home should be recognized as an acceptable or preferred solution. The measures described below are nothing but stop gap measures in extremis, and, hopefully, will not be needed when remote interpretation, especially remote simultaneous interpretation (RSI), will re-assume its marginal position after the COVID-19 crisis. As professionals, however, we should follow best practices and attempt to achieve the highest quality of interpretation, and speech intelligibility plays a crucial role in it. The best we can do is to say “inaudible” as often as needed. We also cannot be responsible or liable for poor audio quality, ultimately, it is the responsibility of the platform provider and/or hiring organization. HEADAMP headphone amplifier with ability to listen to binaural mono for either left or right channel.Ī very long disclaimer: we are interpreters and cannot be turned into audio technicians, it is not in our job description. DBX channel strip for my Beyerdynamic DT394 SIS headset mic (does not always work well) Two TASCAM US 2x2 USB audio interfaces (for 2 laptops)
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