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[Cailen Waddell]

Two part question -

We have been reviewing ADA guidelines and laws on events for our large venues and for when we provide for temporary events.

- for venues - do you require guest artist / tours to provide a feed to tie in to your assistive listening system? All of our permanent venues have assistive listening systems...

- for providers - do you provide assistive listening system whenever you setup a temporary system in a venue or a temporary venue (festival)?

It seems a liberal interpretation of the law is that anytime a sound system is provided and hearing is part of the experience (temporary or not) we need to be providing assistive listening system.  We are seeking some more guidance on the issue from some other avenues as well.  Wanted to seek the wisdom of the board.

Thanks.


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[Tim McCulloch]

On the venue side...  Our PAC requires an ALS feed from road shows but what is in that feed, how it is processed, etc is up to the show.  In house systems directly feed the ALS system in each auditorium.

As a portable system supplier we do not automatically provide ALS  but will sub_hire for clients that request it.

[Justice C. Bigler]

Yes, we have assisted listening systems in all of our theatres. Currently we do not in our banquet hall, but that will change.

We feed our system from a combination of in room ambient mics, and the program feed from the console's when the PA system is used. For touring shows that bring their own PA systems, pretty much only Broadway tours, they provide us with a FOH program feed for the lobbies and ALS. It is usually a vocal heavy mix.

Up to now we have been using the Sennheiser infrared systems. But they are pretty shitty. They sound like crap, have huge line of sight issues, and get interference from any LED lights that are active. We have requested money in next year's budget for new RF based ALS systems, which will probably be the Listen Technologies iDSP 72MHz system.


DON'T LET ANYONE TALK YOU INTO INSTALLING AN INDUCTION LOOP SYSTEM!

[Nathan Grater]

We have assisted listening systems in all of our theatres as well. Their content is normally from a heavily compressed and EQ'd ambient mic system. When we do musicals or other events that require extra high ineligibility, we use a board feed. For most of our touring events the ambient mic will do. I have never had a touring group have any concern of the assisted listening system. I have always made the decision to use a board feed instead.

I want to echo what Justice has said. Infrared listening systems (we have the Sennheiser system as well) do not sound good. When the signal is lost from the transmitter, the already present static increases to excruciatingly loud levels. Don't even get me started on the insanity of induction loops!

If you ever get an RF system installed Justice, I would love to hear your review of it. I may try pushing our space with the oldest system to this when we upgrade.

[Cailen Waddell]

Thanks all - how about temporary systems outside.  Anyone?


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[Lee Buckalew]

Thanks all - how about temporary systems outside.  Anyone?


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Assistance is required by ADA. 
We always had sign language interpreters for the festivals that I used to do.  The rules are much broader now although not that often enforced.

Current ADA says any area where aurally delivered services are provided (not just amplified services, this could be strictly acoustic sources) auxiliary aids and other services may be required.  This means that any aural communication, even music with no words (communication, not background music), in any public place must provide auxiliary aids and /or services.  These can be assisted listening devices, sign language interpreters, tactile interpreters, etc. 
This is an area generally left up to the venue and/or the producer.
Theatres in my area typically provide both assisted listening and sign language interpretation.

Lee

[Scott Helmke]

We rent out a fair amount of systems - we use the Listen Tech 216MHz stuff, which is mono and not especially hifi, but it is cheap and reliable.

We used to have that Sennheiser infrared system, but it wasn't very reliable.

[Justice C. Bigler]

If you ever get an RF system installed Justice, I would love to hear your review of it. I may try pushing our space with the oldest system to this when we upgrade.

Our fiscal year starts July 1 Iif the Council approves the budget, which I think they will, we should have it installed by he end of September, I hope...

[Erik Jerde]

DON'T LET ANYONE TALK YOU INTO INSTALLING AN INDUCTION LOOP SYSTEM!

Why?

[Justice C. Bigler]

Why?

Because it's a giant unsheilded electromagnetic loop that encircles your whole room and causes massive amounts of feed back with any guitar and bass pickups that might be in use on the stage. They're fine for ticket counters and grocery stores or other places that don't offer live music. But they are the death nail in performance venues and every single house tech that I have talked to has either turned their system off or had it replaced with something else.


The Listen Technologies iDSP units incorporate the induction loop into the lanyard of their RF and IR receivers, so anybody with a telecoil in their hearing aid will automatically get the signal without having to install a full room induction loop system.

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