Sound System Recommendations for Courtroom

I'm an official working in the Kansas City area. We are in the process of determining our "wish list" for our new sound system that will be installed in our courtroom. I was hoping there is another official out there who has "been there done that" and can give me some tips on the best sound system for the courtroom. Any suggestions would be most welcome. Thanks in advance. Nancy

Slightly off topic -- be sure they've positioned the court reporter next to the witness.

Our new courthouse designers said it was more important for the jury to hear the witness than the court reporter so the court reporter's station was placed on the other side of the room from the witness.

Of course, they say the sound system is so excellent the reporters will still be able to hear.  And I'm sure they will.....until the sound system fails, isn't kept up and the reporter is sitting on the other side of the room wondering what the witness said. 

Hi, Nancy.
Just a couple more tips.
Make sure the speakers to the sound system are installed in such a way that the CR will be able to hear clearly. 

In our courtrooms we also have an infrared system so hearing impaired people will be able to hear the proceedings by using a headset.   Each courtroom has several headsets in a rack.   I grab one of those from time to time as it really does help enhance the sound.   Especially telephonic conferences.   Oh, maybe that's another thing - when we have telephonic conferences, the clerk sets it up so the sound is played through the courtroom sound system.   It's usually pretty good sound, but those infrared headsets are quite helpful.    

Also, when there's a bench conference, I have to put on headphones (not the infrared ones) and the attys/judge gather around a microphone that's installed at the side of the bench.  The rest of the courtroom hears a white noise.  I hear the speakers clearly - as long as they're near that bench mike.

We can also plug a cable into our computer's microphone jack to record the audiosync. 

HTH.

Thank you, Wynne, Bill and Tricia. Those are all excellent suggestions. The infrared and plugging in for audiosync hadn't occurred to me. I am lucky in Kansas City in that I am in the catbird seat behind the bench on an elevated platform between the judge and the witness. The jury box is on a 90-degree angle to us. I can thank Harry Truman for the design of an excellent example of art deco architecture. I hear Harry was tight with money and for this courthouse he spared no expense. If you’re interested in seeing some images of it, Mike McMullen took some excellent black and white photos. On “select portfolio” choose “courthouse images.” Here is the link: http://www.mikemcmullenphoto.com/portfolios.aspx?category=21

Nancy,

Make sure that you tell them you need a headphone jack to plug into when you need to listen that way - and also an audio output jack so that you can use that for audiosync.  And, yes, it needs to be in the area where you'll be sitting.   Hopefully they have also included a side-bar mic for bench conferences, so you can just put on your headset (most of the time) and not have to move.  If they model the sound system like some of the newer federal courthouses, you should be fine.  At least mine is excellent.

Marie Splane

Nancy,

One more thing --  be prepared to use a Radio Shack sound amplifier or your own external mic - especially in a new facility with new *everything.*  You never know when the system is going to go down, and you need to be prepared to go to Plan B.

Marie Splane