FAQ

Who is Cantabelle for?

Cantabelle was designed to help choral singers safely rehearse and perform together during the pandemic. While primarily aimed at vocalists, it may be used by other musicians as well, or by soloists who simply wish to connect meaningfully with a live audience.

What are the technical requirements to use Cantabelle?

Cantabelle works on most Windows and Mac laptops and desktops, most Android phones and tablets, and on iPad and iPhone devices running iOS 11 or later. Note that on iOS the Safari browser must be used and other browsers will not work. On other platforms, the program is supported by all the major browsers.

In general, newer and more powerful computers will give better sound quality and be able to support more simultaneous users. That said, it is possible to use Cantabelle on some newer mobile devices and tablets, but it isn't really recommended unless they are very new, and ideally, plugged into a power source. On older devices, the audio stream may contain gaps or static and be unpleasant, and fewer users will be able to share a room simultaneously.

Headphones are highly recommended for all users in order to avoid feedback and produce the very best possible audio encoding quality.

If your device's native microphone is of poor quality, you may consider investing in a headset or other standalone microphone to get the best possible sound.

Note that 'Director mode' does not work on the iPhone at this time, but iPhone users may still join as individual singers or audience members.

What is the purpose of the time slider?

Many older computers take much longer than newer ones to encode an audio stream and send it out over the internet. Because of this, even if the accompaniment track is synced between singers, some may still sound behind due to this extra encoding time.

To compensate for this, these singers can adjust the time slider to the right to put them ahead by a second or two so that their audio stream will be properly aligned with everyone else.

Similarly, users with very new machines with high-end sound cards may find their encoding happens faster and they are ahead. These singers should adjust the time slider to the left to add a little bit of delay.

It is best to do a calibration step with all your singers before an actual performance or rehearsal so that anyone who is a little bit ahead or behind can adjust this slider to align properly with everyone else.

Can I use Cantabelle over a cell phone network?

While it is possible to use Cantabelle over cellular networks, it is not really recommended unless the connection is very strong.

In general, the better your internet connection is, the better the experience for everyone.

How many people can use Cantabelle at once?

I am still testing to find out exactly the maximum number of simultaneous users possible, but I imagine it will be somewhere between 10 and 30.

How much does Cantabelle cost?

Cantabelle is currently, and hopes to remain, completely free!