What PONTAVOX offers AV companies
Many AI interpretation services for events run through the guests’ phones and a QR code. Transmitters and receivers play no part in them.
PONTAVOX runs through your system. Each language leaves the laptop as its own line-level signal and reaches the receivers through your transmitters, just as with an interpreting booth. Guests need no phone, no app and no Wi-Fi.
For AV equipment rental, this means you can offer interpretation to clients for whom an interpreting team would be too much. A team typically means two interpreters per language, plus a booth, equipment, preparation and travel. PONTAVOX costs a fraction of that; the equipment comes on top. You can hear how it sounds in the samples on the home page.
The signal path from mixing desk to receiver
The path is much the same as with a classic interpreting system. The interpretation is produced on a laptop running the PONTAVOX Studio, and each language gets its own output and its own channel. How many languages run at once depends on the outputs and channels you provide. More detail is under Equipment and connection.
- MicrophoneThe speaker talks into the lectern or headset microphone as usual. On a panel, everyone needs their own microphone.
- Mixing deskA dedicated output sends the speech to the laptop, clean and without room echo.
- Laptop with the PONTAVOX StudioPONTAVOX interprets continuously and sends each language as a line-level signal to its own output.
- One channel per languageEach signal goes to a radio transmitter, a channel on the infrared radiator or an interpreter desk. A language can also go through an amplifier to loudspeakers, for example in a side room, or provide the sound for a live stream.
- Receivers and headphonesGuests pick the channel for their language on the receiver.
What the laptop and your equipment need
We agree the exact requirements for the laptop, outputs and connection with you in a conversation. In outline, it takes five things.
- InputThe speech on a dedicated output from the mixing desk.
- OutputsOne separate output per language on the laptop. Four languages need four outputs and four channels.
- Internet connectionDuring the event the speech is sent encrypted to a specialised speech service that listens, translates and speaks, so the laptop needs an internet connection. Guests do not need Wi-Fi.
- Channels and receiversOne channel on the system per language, plus receivers and headphones for every guest who wants an interpretation.
- RehearsalBefore the event, a test in the hall checks the path from microphone to receiver. For languages other than German, French, English and Italian we run a test of the interpretation beforehand.
On stage, speakers use standard German or English. The 38 target languages are listed under Languages.
Run by your team with the PONTAVOX Studio
Your technical team runs PONTAVOX on site. One person sits at the laptop for the whole event and looks after the PONTAVOX Studio. We do not travel with equipment and a technician.
The Studio shows your technician every language with its output, level and distance to the speech. The programme, speaker list, names, abbreviations and technical terms go into the glossary in advance, and documents such as slides or a script can be supplied beforehand. How an event runs is described under How it works.
- A watch on every languageIf a language goes quiet while someone on stage is speaking, PONTAVOX rebuilds it and catches up on what was missed.
- A second path per languageIf rebuilding fails, a second path takes over.
- Handover in a pauseAt long events PONTAVOX renews its connections during a pause in the speech.
- Restart after a crashIf the Studio crashes, it restarts.
- Tested versionsEvery new version goes through more than 250 automated checks.
A licence for the length of the event
You license PONTAVOX for the length of an event and offer the interpretation to your clients together with your equipment. Terms, setup and support are agreed with you in a conversation. The contract is made in Switzerland, in Swiss francs.
On request there is a client report after the event with the figures for each language, which you can pass on to your client.
If you work regularly with a venue, the venue can offer PONTAVOX as well. What it needs is set out under For venues.
Limits to tell your clients about
Swiss German on stage does not work. On a panel, everyone needs their own microphone and people speak one at a time.
For debates with interruptions, negotiations and confidential content, an interpreting team is the better choice. PONTAVOX is not meant for classified content. Clients who know these limits before the quote can plan their event properly.