McCarter Theatre Center Completes Major Upgrade to Assisted Listening Equipment

McCarter Theatre Center is pleased to announce a completed major upgrade to its assisted listening equipment for patrons. Both of McCarter's two performance spaces, the 1,100-seat Matthews Stage and the 360-seat Berlind Stage. Both spaces are now fully updated as of the start of the 2015/2016 season.

For a number of years prior, McCarter has made available for patrons with hearing loss the use of a headset utilizing infra-red technology. The hearing equipment has been the most frequently used accommodation among our Access services, programs including audio description, sign language described events, open captioning, and Braille/large print programs. On average, McCarter hearing assistance equipment would undergo more than a thousand individual uses over the course of a robust producing and presenting season in both venues. With such a frequent rate of usage, the older infra-red equipment began to show significant wear and need for repair.

Responding to the needs of its patrons, McCarter is therefore very pleased to offer access to new FM-based hearing assistance receivers with individual neckloops. According to Bill Kirby, Head Sound Engineer for McCarter: "These new systems are amazingly adaptive. In the past, systems had to rely on analog, line-of-sight transmission that could be blocked by an obstacle, or even a tall patron in front of you. There's a clearer sound which makes for a more realistic listening experience. It works extremely well with existing t-coil hearing aid systems, and it's overall a much better product."

The receivers are small - the size of a cell phone - and can be used with patron's own earbuds or small earbuds available at McCarter. The neckloops and receiver are also compatible with individual earpieces that utliize induction, or T-coil technology. This new FM-based system (which we currently use for audio description) is lighter, less susceptible to environmental interference, and easier to use. 96 individual sets have been acquired, for use in both performance spaces.