Webcast to Bilingual Unit - Webcast in 2 languages

Following is a proven method for doing a bilingual building to building webcast.

This last weekend our stake completed a webcast of stake conference from the stake center to our branch building. The stake is bilingual, being mostly English with one Spanish Ward, one Spanish branch and my branch which is mixed. We have about 70% English speaking and 30% Spanish speaking. Our bilingual branch is also remote from the stake center making it difficult for members to attend the two days of sessions. Last year we started doing webcasts to encourage more participation, and although there have been growing pains, it has been worth it.

There are always translators in the stake center for stake conference using a translation transmitter and headsets for members that wish to have translation. In order to get the translation to our branch using the skilled translators at the stake, we sent the broadcast from the stake center with the stake center building sound connected to the right audio input channel and the output from the translation transmitter connected to the left audio channel input.

At the receiving end, the right channel output on the computer was connected to the building sound system and the left channel was connected to the local translation transmitter through a high-z input.

The setup worked very well and we had a successful conference for all involved with a very good turnout.

The physical connections will depend on the equipment available at each sight. I have also used a similar technique to record church broadcasts (we have a satellite receiver) for later showing to the members in two languages.

I would be glad to discuss more details if anyone is interested. This did not happen without several difficulties along the way, but in the end it was very successful.

Great writeup,
Just need a few more details, did you use an EJ 8, Ej10, or mixer, what are some of the parts vendor and mode (i.e., high-z)

Stake Meetinghouse (send):
How was meetinghouse sound connected to the webcast desktop/laptop
How was output from the translation transmitter connected webcast desktop/laptop

Remote Meetinghouse (receive):
How was the desktop/laptop right sound output connected to a Meetinghouse sound system
How was the desktop/laptop left channel output to local translation transmitter through a high-z (etc.)

pete.arnett wrote:Just need a few more details, did you use an EJ 8, Ej10, or mixer, what are some of the parts vendor and mode (i.e., high-z)

I didn't put in a lot of detail, since each situation can be different. I mainly wanted to put the concept on here. I will be happy to give more details about how we did it in our case. This is the second time we have done a broadcast. The first time did not include the bilingual and we only had one camera. We are evolving and I'm sure we will have improvements each time. For example, this time we did transmit two languages and had three cameras. I have had little to do with the setup at the stake center but I can describe what I know.

pete.arnett wrote:Stake Meetinghouse (send):
How was meetinghouse sound connected to the webcast desktop/laptop

I don't really know very much about the sound setup on the transmit end, but I do know the meetinghouse sound is taken from the stake center sound system and connected to the right channel sound input on the laptop. I believe they ran an audio line from the equipment cabinet to the location of the laptop. I don't know where it is taken from and how it is connected. If and when I know more, I can add more details. I'm assuming the laptop had a "line in" for audio input.

pete.arnett wrote:How was output from the translation transmitter connected webcast desktop/laptop

In this case, they connected the output of a headset receiver into the left channel on the laptop. As far as I know, it was a direct connection. In the future, I'm hoping they can connect from an output on the translation transmitter, rather than going through a headset receiver, since that would be one less piece of equipment to cause trouble. I haven't seen the transmitter they use at the Stake Center, but the one we have at the branch building has a "monitor" output that could be used for that. That would probably require running another audio line, which may or may not be possible.

pete.arnett wrote:Remote Meetinghouse (receive):
How was the desktop/laptop right sound output connected to a Meetinghouse sound system

I ran the right channel audio output from the receiving laptop through a EJ-2 (EJ-8 or EJ-10 should work too, the EJ-2 is just smaller) and plugged it into the building sound system through the auxiliary microphone input in the chapel. I could have plunged in to the "audio in" at the pulpit, but the way I did it allowed me to have volume control at the computer through the EJ-2 (It's easier to turn a nob than use the computer controls). My laptop does not have a composite or vga output and the projector does not have a HDMI input, so I used a HDMI to composite/audio converter (~ $65) and took the video and audio out from that. Otherwise, you could use the vga output and the headset output from the laptop, or other outputs if the computer is a desktop.

pete.arnett wrote:How was the desktop/laptop left channel output to local translation transmitter through a high-z (etc.)

The left channel from the laptop was connected to a HI-Z input on the translation transmitter. I tried connecting to the standard Microphone input (not the phone jack) on the transmitter through a EJ-10, but I could not get that to work.

By the way, I had some relevant experience with a similar two language situation before we did this. I have recorded satellite broadcasts from the church (such as the Christmas devotional) to play for the members at a gathering on a later date. I record it on a vcr recording English on the right channel and Spanish on the left channel. Then I play it back with a similar connection as described above, but to the vcr playback device rather than a computer.

I hope this helps.

I would love to hear of anyone else that does something like this, how they accomplished it and how well it worked. I am certainly open to discussion on how we did it.

ggllbb wrote:I'm assuming the laptop had a "line in" for audio input.

As far as I know, you're unlikely to find a stereo "mic in" on any computer sound card (outside of studio-type add-ons). The mic in does use a stereo-like plug, but that's for powering the mic.

Unfortunately, many laptops do not have a "line in"

Thanks