Since 2006 · Los Angeles · Interpreting
Simultaneous interpreters in Los Angeles.
Simultaneous interpreters speak while the speaker is still talking, so nothing waits and nothing gets cut for time. We've staffed simultaneous work in Los Angeles since 2006: conference booths, broadcast comms, and whispered sessions at one elbow.
About
One skill, three setups.
Interpreting comes in two basic modes. Consecutive means the speaker pauses and the interpreter renders what was said, in chunks. It's precise and needs no equipment, but it roughly doubles the running time of any conversation. Simultaneous means the interpreter speaks while the speaker keeps talking, a few seconds behind, so a one-hour speech takes one hour in every language. When people picture UN-style interpreting, this is the mode they're picturing.
Simultaneous gets delivered three ways. In a booth, for conferences: the interpreter works behind glass and attendees listen on receivers. Our conference interpreting page covers that setup, including equipment. On comms, for broadcast: the interpreter wears an earpiece off-stage and voices the talent into the production's audio; our broadcast page covers that world. And whispered, called chuchotage, for one or two listeners: the interpreter sits just behind an executive in a board meeting or a party in court and delivers a quiet real-time rendering with no equipment at all.
What unites all three is cognitive load. The interpreter is listening in one language, converting, and speaking in another, all in the same moment, continuously. Nobody does that at full quality for hours alone, which is why sustained simultaneous work, a conference day in a booth above all, is staffed with two interpreters per language rotating every 20 to 30 minutes. Shorter whispered stretches can run with one interpreter. We'll tell you which your event actually needs rather than quote a team you don't.
We've matched interpreters to Los Angeles work since 2006, and the first question is always format, not language. Tell us what the room looks like and we'll tell you booth, comms, whisper, or plain consecutive. From there the quote is simple. For courtroom whispered work, certified credentials apply; our court interpreting page explains that standard.
Where this work happens
Where our simultaneous interpreters show up.
Conference Booths
The classic setup: interpreter teams behind glass, attendees on receivers, the program running at full speed in every language. Full detail on the conference page.
02Broadcast & Production Comms
The interpreter listens to the live feed on an earpiece and voices the talent to the control room in real time. Its own discipline, with its own page.
Whispered Interpreting (Chuchotage)
For one or two listeners: an executive in a board meeting, a visiting principal at a negotiation. The interpreter sits just behind and renders quietly, no equipment needed.
Courtroom Whispered Simultaneous
While testimony runs consecutive on the record, a certified interpreter whispers the rest of the proceedings to the client at counsel table so they follow their own case live.
Portable Headset Systems
Factory tours, site visits, and walking groups. The interpreter speaks into a transmitter and the group listens on receivers. Simultaneous without the booth.
Remote Simultaneous Interpretation
Interpreters work from your event platform's feed and attendees pick an audio channel, wherever they are. Works for hybrid events and fully remote meetings.
By language
Simultaneous interpreters in these languages.
We staff simultaneous work in 40+ languages. These are the ones LA asks for most:
Other settings we staff:
Why Strommen
A vetted roster, not a marketplace.
Founder-vetted, every one
Strommen is not a marketplace. Garrett Strommen has run this roster personally since 2006. Every interpreter we send has been vetted by the founder, and most have worked with us for years.
Court-certified where it counts
For legal settings we staff California court-certified and registered interpreters: the credential LA Superior Court and federal courts actually require, not a self-declared specialty.
NDA-bound as standard
Two decades of film, TV, and legal work means confidentiality is the default. Our interpreters sign NDAs routinely and are used to pre-release material and sealed matters.
LA-anchored, worldwide
Based in Los Feliz, staffing Los Angeles daily, and on location nationwide or abroad when the job travels. Travel is billed transparently on the quote.
Get a quote
Book a Simultaneous interpreter.
Send the event date, location, language, and a quick description of the format. We quote per project and usually respond the same business day.
Simultaneous work bills at a premium over consecutive because the cognitive demand is higher and the qualified pool is smaller. Sustained assignments are quoted with two interpreters per language; short whispered sessions can be staffed solo. Day rates cover up to 8 hours, with no coordination fees and no deposits.
FAQ
Simultaneous interpreting questions.
What's the difference between simultaneous and consecutive interpreting?
Timing. In consecutive, the speaker pauses every sentence or two and the interpreter renders what was said; it's precise, needs nothing, and doubles the length of the conversation. In simultaneous, the interpreter speaks a few seconds behind the speaker, who never stops, so the event runs at normal speed. Conferences, broadcasts, and live proceedings use simultaneous. Depositions, interviews, and medical appointments usually run consecutive.
Why do simultaneous interpreters work in pairs?
Cognitive load. Listening, converting, and speaking at the same time, continuously, exhausts concentration faster than any other language work, so interpreters rotate every 20 to 30 minutes while the partner tracks names and numbers and stays ready to take over. That's the professional standard for sustained simultaneous, and it's why conference quotes show two interpreters per language. Short whispered sessions are the exception where one interpreter can be enough.
What is chuchotage?
Whispered simultaneous interpreting, from the French for whispering. The interpreter sits just behind one or two listeners and renders the room in a low voice, in real time, with no equipment. It's the right tool for an executive in a foreign-language board meeting or a party following proceedings in court. It doesn't scale past a couple of listeners, and long sessions still benefit from a second interpreter.
What equipment does simultaneous interpreting need?
Depends on the setup. A conference needs a booth, transmitters, receivers for the listening attendees, and a technician. Broadcast work runs on the production's existing comms. Portable headset systems cover tours and small groups. Whispered interpreting needs nothing at all. Tell us the format and headcount and we'll spec it, with equipment quoted as its own line item where it applies.
Is simultaneous as accurate as consecutive?
In trained hands, yes, for carrying meaning at full speed. But consecutive gives the interpreter a beat to render testimony with word-level precision, which is why depositions and on-the-record question-and-answer stay consecutive even when everything around them is simultaneous. The honest answer is that each mode is the accurate one in its own setting, and we'll tell you which fits yours.
Which of your pages should I actually be on?
If you're running an event with an audience and a program, the conference page. If there are cameras, talent, or a control room involved, the broadcast page. If it's a courtroom or deposition, the court and deposition pages. If you're not sure, you're in the right place: send us the date, the language, and a description of the room, and we'll route it.
Ready when you are
Need a Simultaneous interpreter?
Date, location, language, format. We come back with a short list and a quote.