The ATA Chronicle - March/April 2023 - 22

Sound Like
a Pro:
Remember that sound
is personal. You
need to work with
equipment that suits
your environment,
is comfortable, and
works well for you.
By Naomi Bowman
S
ince 2020 when I
wrote the article,
" How to Choose
a Headset for Remote
Simultaneous Interpreting, "
most interpreters around
the world have now worked
online. But hearing well,
while sounding good to
your audience and fellow
interpreters, can still be a
challenge. There's a lot of
information out there. How
do you choose the right
headset or headphones
and separate microphone?
What do you need to look
for? The following covers
audio basics for professional
interpreters who want to
ensure they sound like their
professional best.
Listen Well to Sound Great
Interpreters should to the
extent practical engage in
binaural listening. That
22 The ATA Chronicle | March/April 2023
Audio Basics for
Remote Interpreting
means using " open-back "
or " semi-open-back "
(sometimes called " semiclosed " )
instead of " closedback "
headphones. These
headphone designs allow air
to pass by the speaker driver
behind the earcups, creating
a more natural listening
environment than closedback
headphones, which
isolate the sound and don't
let air pass by. Why is this
important? So that you can
hear yourself speaking and
don't pull one side of your
headphones off. The brain is
designed to listen with both
ears as it locates the source of
the sound, distance, and tone.
You'll generally listen with
the volume lower with two
ears than when listening with
one ear. The sound generated
by voiceover internet protocol
(VoIP)-the technology that
allows voice audio signals to
be sent using a broadband
internet connection-is
compromised by default, so
the brain must work harder
to distinguish sounds and
sound locations than when
you're in a booth at an event
with conventional pro audio.
Hearing yourself speak while
listening makes the brain go
" ahhh " because it's more
natural. The tunnel sensation
of closed-back headphones,
which don't allow any air to
pass by the speaker driver and
therefore create an isolated
environment, is more tiring
because the brain must work
harder, especially if you listen
only with one side. Open-back
and semi-open (or " semiclosed " )
headphones help
create that natural listening
environment and allow for
binaural listening.
If you're in a noisy
environment and need
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https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/how-choose-headset-rsi-remote-simultaneous-naomi-bowman/ https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/how-choose-headset-rsi-remote-simultaneous-naomi-bowman/ https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/how-choose-headset-rsi-remote-simultaneous-naomi-bowman/ http://www.atanet.org

The ATA Chronicle - March/April 2023

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