Technical guide to choosing simultaneous interpretation transmitters, receivers and booths. Digital RF, IR and analog compared. Updated 2026.
Transmitters, receivers, booths and consoles — the technical guide updated for 2026, with practical criteria by event type, size and budget.
Get recommended kit in 60s →Every simultaneous interpretation system — regardless of the size of the event or the number of languages — is made up of the same four fundamental elements. Understanding the role of each is the first step to making the right decision about which kit to hire.
The transmitter receives the audio produced by the interpreter in the booth and distributes it to all participants' receivers. It is the most critical component of the system: if the transmitter fails or has insufficient range, all interpretation stops. That is why lingo works with a backup transmitter at every event — a second device on standby ready to be activated in seconds.
The choice of transmitter defines the system's range (how many meters it covers), the number of simultaneous channels (how many languages can operate at the same time) and the level of transmission security. In 2026, the digital RF transmitter is the industry standard, outperforming infrared and analog RF on every criterion relevant to corporate events.
The receiver is what the participant actually uses. It is the point of contact between all the technical infrastructure and the person who needs to hear the interpretation. A receiver with a weak battery, an uncomfortable earpiece or inferior audio quality ruins the experience no matter how good the rest of the system is.
lingo's receivers have 10 to 12 hours of battery life, a discreet earpiece with individual volume and a disposable hygienic cover. For multi-day events, we supply bulk chargers to restore charge during the breaks between sessions.
The booth defines the conditions in which the interpreter works. This directly affects the quality of interpretation — especially at long events or those with highly specialized technical vocabulary, where concentration is essential to maintain accuracy over the hours.
The choice between an ISO 4043 booth and a portable one depends on the size of the event, its duration and the level of formality required. For events with more than 100 participants and lasting more than 4 hours, the ISO is always recommended. For smaller meetings, the portable is enough.
The console is the panel the interpreter uses to select which channel they are listening to, control the return volume, activate the microphone and — in multilingual systems — listen to the interpretation of another language pair for the relay system. Equipment such as the Bosch DCN and the Sennheiser SDC are the most widely used standards at professional events.
The transmission technology determines range, number of channels, security and resistance to interference. In 2026, digital RF is the recommended standard for practically all corporate events.
Each additional language at a multilingual event requires: an additional channel on the transmitter, an additional pair of interpreters and, if the ISO booth is used, an additional module. Kit planning should start with the number of languages — not the number of participants.
For 2 languages (the most common case at corporate events in SP with American or European speakers), the standard kit is enough: a transmitter with 2 channels, receivers for all participants and an ISO booth with two modules side by side. For 3 languages or more, the configuration changes significantly and the relay system may be needed for languages without a direct interpreter into Portuguese.
Choosing equipment does not need to be technical from the organizer's point of view. lingo developed a selection process that starts with three simple questions: how many people, how many languages and how long. From those answers, lingo's automatic quote system sizes the complete kit and delivers the PDF quote to your email and WhatsApp after you complete the form.
Fill in the form with languages, duration and number of participants. lingo's system generates the quote instantly and delivers the PDF to your email and WhatsApp — lightning-fast service.
For events with standardized technical vocabulary — product training, corporate webinars, recurring meetings — lingo's AI can replace the lingo Human Interpreter using the same equipment system. Trained on 21 years of live interpretation across 24 sectors, it is suited to standardized technical content for the appropriate types of content. lingo's AI is trained on 21 years of live simultaneous interpretations — with vocabulary from 24 sectors and 222 subsectors. Credits that do not expire, activation in 24h and an automatic quote generated in 60 seconds.
Simulate lingo AI quote →For board meetings and directors' meetings, with 10 to 30 people, the kit is usually compact: a transmitter, receivers with spares, a desktop or portable booth and a technical operator. The focus is on discretion and quick setup, because the meeting takes place in a corporate room and the environment is controlled.
At conferences and congresses, with hundreds of participants, the kit grows: ISO booth, multiple channels, receivers in quantity and a backup transmitter. Distribution and collection of the receivers gain importance, and the technical operator starts coordinating the venue's support team.
At corporate training, the kit is light, because the group is smaller and the environment is closed. But the duration is usually long, which makes the interpreter's comfort and the receivers' battery life critical. At multi-day events, bulk chargers avoid the risk of low battery on the second morning.
At hybrid events, the in-person kit is the same, with the transmitter integrated into the digital platform so that remote participants receive the interpretation channel. At trade fairs and outdoor events, digital RF works well, without depending on line of sight, unlike infrared.
The first mistake is sizing the kit by the number of participants, rather than by the number of languages and the people who actually need interpretation. The second is choosing the technology by price, without assessing the environment: infrared, for example, requires line of sight and does not work outdoors, and analog RF is more sensitive to interference.
The third mistake is ignoring backup. An event with interpretation depends on a single audio path, and the absence of a spare transmitter and extra receivers turns an isolated failure into an interruption. The fourth is leaving the booth for last: without a defined position, the booth ends up in a corner without a view of the stage, which harms the interpretation.
Finally, many organizers forget to agree on the audio flow with the venue's AV team. The transmitter needs to receive the interpreter's signal, and the interpreter needs to hear a clean signal from the speaker. When the venue's audio arrives with noise, the interpretation suffers, regardless of the quality of the kit.
The answers to these questions help compare proposals on equal terms. lingo answers all of them in the quote, which comes out in 60 seconds.
If the participants are in different places, or if the event is small, the physical kit may be unnecessary. Remote interpretation, on Zoom, Teams or Webex, uses the platform's interpretation channel and removes the need for a transmitter, receivers and booth. lingo advises the organizer on which path is more suitable before closing the quote, because the best solution depends on the format, not on a wish to use technology.
For hybrid events (part of the audience in person, part remote via Zoom or Teams), the transmitter needs to be integrated with the digital platform. lingo does this integration as part of the service — remote participants receive the interpreted audio through the platform's interpretation channel.
The digital RF transmitter supports up to 32 simultaneous channels. In practice, events with more than 8 simultaneous languages are rare in a corporate context — even large multilingual congresses rarely exceed 6 languages.
Digital RF operates on specific frequencies with automatic hopping — the system detects interference and changes frequency automatically to maintain signal quality, regardless of how many Wi-Fi networks are active in the environment.
Wordly, DeepL Voice and KUDO are software tools — they do not include transmitters, receivers, ISO booths or in-person technical support. This creates a specific risk at in-person events.
In-person event with 200 participants. The company hires Wordly for interpretation AI. On the day of the event, participants need to access the audio on their own phones via QR code — no professional receivers, no technical booth, no equipment backup.
Venue Wi-Fi connectivity overloaded. Participants with dead phone batteries. Audio quality below the ISO standard. No on-site technician to solve problems in real time.
lingo's AI uses the same physical equipment as the lingo Human Interpreter — professional transmitters, ISO receivers and on-site technical support. The difference is in the source of the interpreted audio, not in the delivery infrastructure.
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