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Tour Guide system FAQ.Apple Sound tour guide systems offer clear communication in different environments - maximum flexibility with minimum fuss.The system does 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. Can also be used as a mini interpretation (simultaneous translation) system. Tour guide systems are available for daily rental. For rental rates click here.
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 that the background noise, the need for discretion or the need for many people to hear what is being said, makes normal conversation difficult. Tour guide systems are used in factories for showing visitors round, for training where machinery noise makes it hard for trainees to hear their instructors, for staff meetings on the shop floor, 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. 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 cathedrals 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 at the same time. 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 tour 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 comprise one or more microphones and a quantity 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, ie hanging down from the ears with a built in wireless receiver, single earphone or headphone which are 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 for Mandatory Hearing Protection Areas. 5. Should you buy or rent?Buying or renting 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 several customers who have bought a system to cater for their regular events, and then hire in further systems for occasional larger events such as open days. Either way you can be sure of a first class service from Apple Sound. Our hire fleet comprises over 300 receivers with 10 or 20 way systems available to hire by the day or week. Before you hire from Apple Sound, we will take the time to discuss with you 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 we despatch it. If you are using more than one system, we will colour code both transmitter and receivers so you can get on with using the system as son as you unpack it. We also test every receiver and the transmitter before despatching to ensure trouble free operation. 6. How many systems can I use together?Our hire systems operate on twelve different frequencies, nine are licence exempted, and we can arrange the licence for the other three. This means that twelve different systems can be used together, either for twelve different groups doing the same tour, or for translation into twelve different languages. For larger events spread over a large area, careful planning can allow frequencies can be duplicated which will allow larger numbers of groups. For such events we normally supply a technician to manage the use of the tourguide system for the whole event and oversee the allocation of the various frequencies to different groups. You can also use large numbers of receivers together as a single system, for example to provide interpretation at large public meetings. Attendees have the choice of listening to the speaker, or listening to an interpreter through the tour guide receiver. This is a very popular use of the system in bi-lingual countries such as Wales. 7. Typical examplesOur systems are used by many companies throughout the United Kindom. Examples are:
This list is a representative sample of our customer base. It is not intended to indicate official endorsement of Apple Sound by all the organisations listed as many of which are restricted from doing so. Click here for a recent tour guide case study.
National Tour Guide hire rates
Need a tour guide system for more than 20 delegates or several groups?
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