AV configuration for dual language broadcasts?

Using the Church Webcasting System, YouTube, etc. Including cameras and mixers.
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devinbost
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Joined: Sun Aug 03, 2014 3:39 pm

AV configuration for dual language broadcasts?

#1

Post by devinbost »

I'm a new tech specialist, and I'm wanting to know how others have configured their hardware for broadcasting Zoom when there are translation needs. The setup in my stake center seems very complex.
We have two Roland VR-3EX AV mixers that are chained together with 2 PCs that send out 2 Zoom links (one for English and one for Spanish). We have two cameras (not sure of the models yet), one of which will frequently go black. The other also went black during a broadcast today.

For what it's worth, on the rack, there are also two Ivie iFlex 1280 devices, an Extron IN1608 xi, an Extron DTP HD DA8, a QSC CX204V, and some other equipment.

How are others operating dual-language broadcasts?
russellhltn
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Location: U.S.

Re: AV configuration for dual language broadcasts?

#2

Post by russellhltn »

My understanding is that you can use a single Zoom webcast and having a translator as a participant. Users can select either live or translated.

That's not going to work too well for stake conference when the number of participants is likely to be higher than what our Zoom license will allow (I think 300). I think what others have done is send the English to a YouTube "overflow" channel and send those needing the translation to Zoom.
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dave.swartz
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Re: AV configuration for dual language broadcasts?

#3

Post by dave.swartz »

Russell,
It's a bit more complex than that. For each additional language you need to support you will need to send audio to both a Zoom interpreter feed as well as to a local FM transmitter for the local audience. The Zoom participant can select the language they would like to listen to and then they will get the Interpreted language with the main/source audio ducked (reduced in volume). I find this very distracting so there is an option for the end user to suppress this main audio. This becomes a problem for musical numbers since with that setting the participant will hear nothing. One solution is to switch out the interpreter's mic and to feed the main audio instead.

Our stake has both English (primary language), Korean, and Spanish. This compounds the problem. Ideally there would be a way to push a single button to cut over both interpreter mics simultaneously. This gets even more complex if the interpreter is off site. We have tried the multiple mixing board approach and are currently working on coming up with a better solution.
rknelson
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Joined: Tue May 01, 2007 3:13 pm
Location: Oregon

Re: AV configuration for dual language broadcasts?

#4

Post by rknelson »

The newer building AV systems using digital mixers are capable of doing what you need for multiple language interpreters in the building, but it takes FM getting a contractor to implement the programming. I'm not sure how easy that will be to get that done in your area. What you need is called "ducking". When the interpreter speaks into a microphone the normal audio (English in this case) gets its level dropped way down. When the interpreter stops speaking the English volume in the feed returns to normal level.

In our case, when the Spanish interpreter mic feeds a signal above a certain level, the ducker in the digital mixer fades the English level in the Spanish feed by 40 dB over 50 ms and keeps it down until the Spanish interpreters mic is silent (below the set level) for 3 seconds, at which point the English signal fades back up gradually over 300 ms to normal levels in the Spanish feed. This works very smoothly and sounds natural.

We put our interpreters in a classroom with a TV to view the meeting, and they prefer to use an assisted listening (AKA hearing impaired) receiver to feed headphones for audio instead of the TV audio. They use a standard meetinghouse microphone which feeds into the AV system digital mixer. An output from the AV system digital mixer feeds a separate zoom PC.

In our case, this setup required no additional hardware as there were unused inputs, outputs, and plenty of DSP capacity. It did require a microphone cable run to the classroom, and we already had an HDMI video output in the room.

I have some experience with the mixers in our system and was able to implement the programming myself. But this should only be done with FM in the loop, by someone who familiar with the software who knows what they are doing. The sound system is quite sophisticated and uses a template from headquarters to provide some standardization for support / maintenance purposes.
dave.swartz
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Joined: Wed Apr 01, 2020 8:07 am

Re: AV configuration for dual language broadcasts?

#5

Post by dave.swartz »

Good feedback and ideas. I will try and prototype using an external audio processor before investigating engaging FM and consultants. Your suggestion of building it into the existing processor is a good one. What I don't have a feel for is the church's appetite for change. When they deliver a system is it a ship it and forget it until replacement 20 years from now or are they treating this processor more like a pc in that patches and service updates are applied as needed?

The new system is on the Facility Network. What kind of management does MHT perform on these systems remotely?

Zoom supports ducking of the interpreter but it is very black box with no control of any of the parameters. I am not particularly happy with how they have implemented it.
dave.swartz
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Joined: Wed Apr 01, 2020 8:07 am

Re: AV configuration for dual language broadcasts?

#6

Post by dave.swartz »

We just wrapped up our spring stake conference. We had local translation and Zoom interpretation simultaneously. Besides English we supported Korean and Spanish. I have documented how we did it and have made this document available at our website. http://www.federalwaystake.net/Hosting

Enjoy.
Dave Swartz
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