Microphone Setup, Headphones & Sound Tips

Because Time to Sing uses your smartphone or tablet microphone to track your pitch in real time, proper audio configuration ensures flawless performance and accurate scoring.

1. Granting Microphone Permissions

If the Voice Tuner shows no incoming sound signal or displays a "Microphone access required" prompt, verify your system permissions:

On Apple iOS (iPhone / iPad)

1. Open the iOS Settings app.
2. Scroll down to find Time to Sing in your app list.
3. Toggle the Microphone switch to ON (Green).
4. Re-open Time to Sing.

On Android

1. Open Android Settings > Apps > Time to Sing.
2. Tap Permissions > Microphone.
3. Select Allow only while using the app.

2. Headphones vs. Device Speakers

For the highest accuracy in the Voice Tuner, we strongly recommend practicing with headphones (either wired earbuds, AirPods, or Bluetooth headphones):

• Why Headphones Matter: When you play backing piano tracks through your phone's speaker, that sound travels through the air directly into the phone's microphone. The pitch detection algorithm has to filter out the piano notes while listening to your voice.
• With Headphones: The microphone hears only your voice. Intonation detection becomes lightning-fast, and cent accuracy scores are 100% accurate.

3. What to Check if Pitch Is Not Registering

If you are singing but the piano roll is not showing your pitch ribbon:

1. Check Microphone Proximity: Hold your device 30 to 50 cm away from your mouth. Holding it right against your lips causes wind clipping ("plosives"), while placing it across the room makes your signal too quiet.
2. Sing with Core Resonance: Soft, airy whispering lacks harmonic overtones. Sing with an engaged, clear vocal tone so the fundamental frequency can be detected.
3. Check Background Noise: Turn off loud air conditioners, fans, or televisions, as rhythmic background humming can compete with lower vocal registers.