Hire a tour guide system from Apple Sound

Tour Guide system FAQ

Apple Sound tour guide systems offer clear communication in different environments – maximum flexibility with minimum fuss.

Tourguide systems do away with sore throats for tour guides, confusion and frustration for tour groups. Systems can be used for guided tours in factories, factory sites, museums, on coaches, or outdoors, etc. They can also be used as a whisper interpretation (simultaneous translation) system.

Tour guide systems are available for purchase or daily rental. For rental rates click here.

  1. What is a tour guide system?
  2. Where is it used?
  3. What does it do for you?
  4. What types are available?
  5. Should you buy or rent?
  6. How many systems can I use at once?
  7. Will the Ofcom radio microphone channel changes in 2012 affect Tourguide?

1. What is a Tourguide system?

A typical tour guide system comprises a wireless microphone and a number of wireless receivers. The ‘Guide’ or ‘Interpreter’ talks into the microphone and the delegates or visitors listen to the commentary or translation through a headset or headphone. The message will get through to the visitor clearly without the guide having to shout to compete with noisy machinery or interrupt a meeting whilst they provide a translation.

The microphone can either be hand held, or a head worn or tie clip version with a belt pack transmitter. The receivers can be a head worn stethoset, or headphones connected to a belt pack receiver.

Using a tour guide system means your guides won’t have to shout so they will still be in good voice at the end of a busy day; your visitors will hear every word clearly which means they are far less likely to lose interest and will remember their experience favourably.

2. Where is a tour guide system used?

Tour guide systems are portable and easy to use which means they can be used anywhere to overcome background noise (a factory), the need for discretion (a museum) or the need for many people to hear what is being said, makes normal conversation difficult.

Tour guide systems are used to show visitors around a factory, for training staff where machinery noise makes it hard for trainees to hear their instructors, for staff meetings on the shop floor, or for safety inductions.

Tour guide systems are ideal for any situation in a factory where it is important to get the message across above the general factory background noise. The multi- channel feature allows several different tours or groups to operate at the same time without interfering with each other.

In visitor attractions for letting visitors know what they are experiencing. Tour guide systems are superb for any guided tour, indoors or out or even on a bus! Your visitors can hear your guide without being distracted by traffic noise. The system also means that the guide can talk to many visitors at once without having to shout. This is great for sensitive areas such as places of worship and other places of interest where raising ones voice is not the ‘done thing’.

In public meetings as an interpretation system. The interpreter can simply sit at the back of the room and whisper the translation into the microphone. Delegates wishing to hear the translation collect a receiver at the start of the meeting and listen in. Tour guide systems operate on different frequencies which means that several different languages can be catered for.

Click here for tour guide case studies.

3. What does it do for you?

A tour guide system allows you to communicate effectively to a group of people, either large or small, overcoming irritating background noise, without having to shout. Your visitors will hear every word, will not lose interest or struggle to understand your message. Your guides will be able to run several tours a day without getting a sore throat, and without the frustration of having to repeat things so that everyone can hear. Your visitors will leave you having had a good experience, will remember their visit and appreciate that you are a professional organisation which places a strong emphasis on looking after their visitors.

4. What types are available?

All systems have a microphone for the tour guide and a number of receivers. Microphones can be hand held which include the wireless transmitter in a single unit, or headworn connected to a belt-pack transmitter.

Receivers can be stethoset type, i.e. hanging down from the ears with a built in wireless receiver or, a single earphone or headphone which is plugged into a belt-pack wireless receiver. There are also options for individual neck-worn loop receivers for hearing aid users, or the possibility of using custom ear-defender headsets in areas where hearing protection is mandatory.

We supply new tourguide systems manufactured by Sennheiser (2020 D Digital tourguide), Beyerdynamic (Synexis), Listen Technologies (FM tourguide) and Clockaudio; all of these are licence exempt. We can help you choose the most appropriate system for your needs and budget, whether you have just a few visitors on occassional factory tours or you operate daily with multiple groups in continuous rotation – there is a system that’s best for you. Contact us.

5. Should you buy or hire?

Buying or hiring the system depends on how often you are likely to use the system. Most of our customers start off by renting a system on two or three occasions before deciding that they cannot do without it. We have many customers who have bought a system to cater for their regular events, and then hire-in extra systems for occasional events such as open days. We can also arrange lease rental for businesses as an alternative to capital expenditure – quotations on request.

Either way you can be sure of a first-class and efficient service from Apple Sound. Our hire fleet comprises over 500 receivers with systems available to hire by the day or week. All equipment is well maintained and tested before despatch, then delivered in smart custom-cases.

Before you hire from Apple Sound, we will take the time to discuss how you are going to use the system. We can then advise how to get the best from the equipment and set it all up for you before despatch.

6. How many systems can I use together?

Our hire systems can operate on twelve different frequencies in all. Nine are licence exempt and we can arrange the licence for the remaining three. This means that twelve different systems can be used together, either for twelve different groups on the same tour, or for simultaneous translation into twelve different languages. For larger events spread over a large area, careful planning can allow frequencies to be duplicated allowing many groups with fewer frequencies.

We also test every receiver and the transmitter and make sure the equipment is charged before despatching to ensure trouble free operation.

You can also use large numbers of receivers together as a single system, for example to provide interpretation at public meetings. Attendees have the choice of listening to the speaker, or listening to an interpreter through their personal tour guide receiver. This is a very popular use of the system in bi-lingual countries such as Wales.

7. Will the Ofcom radio microphone channel changes in 2012 affect Tourguide?

Customers have been asking us this question regarding Tourguide systems like Sennheiser 2020D Digital Tourguide and Listen Technologies FM System that operate in the UHF band. The simple answer is that these systems will continue to be licence-exempt in the 2012 change.

Customers using Sennheiser VHF tourguide equipment (operating on 49.84, 49.88 and 49.96MHz) will not be affected by the changes in 2012 and currently this equipment remains licence-exempt.

More…

Channel 69 remains available nationally for wireless microphone use and continues to be licensable. However, the current Ofcom timetable will see access to channels 61-69 inclusive (790-862 MHz) cease during the second half of 2012. This means that any Channel 69 equipment purchased now will have a steadily reducing window of usability for most of its tuning range, with just over two years the longest period for which it will continue to be usable.

863-865 MHz (two MHz of Channel 70) will continue to be available for use by ‘wireless audio devices’ after 2012 – this includes Sennheiser 2020 Digital and Listen Technoligies FM. This will support up to eight wireless microphone links (subject to range variant and local conditions), but is generally not used for professional use in theatres etc.

Useful links for more information about available frequencies for using wireless microphones:

  • The Ofcom-appointed spectrum management company is JFMG – telephone 0207 299 8660 – www.jfmg.co.uk .
  • BEIRG is an independent and non-profitmaking association, working for the British Entertainment Industry who use radio spectrum – www.beirg.co.uk