Support
Can I use Bluetooth speakers or headphones?
No, Bluetooth cannot work with Cadenza because it has an inherent delay.
The delayed sound coming out of a Bluetooth speaker cannot be synchronized with live playing that changes tempo. That is why Cadenza does not work with Bluetooth or AirPlay speakers or headphones.
How do I delete my recordings?
Go to your Recordings list and swipe left on a particular take to delete it.
Won’t Cadenza reinforce bad rhythm?
No, playing alone in your room is much more likely to result in bad habits being reinforced. Cadenza supports you with musical context that gives you immediate, musical feedback when you make mistakes.
If you play a wrong note in Cadenza, you notice it right away because it doesn’t fit with the accompaniment. If you play the wrong rhythm, you’ll hear it clash with Cadenza. If you slow down, stop or speed up because you aren’t sure how to play something, you hear the awkward, halting rhythm that results … and it sounds wrong. That awareness is key to learning and improving.
If you make any of these mistakes while using Cadenza, you are much more likely to notice them. And Cadenza doesn’t like bad rhythm, bad pulse, wrong notes and stopping to go back and “get it right.” When these things happen with Cadenza, it hears you and acts just like a person. It stops playing (but not every time … after all, it knows you’re only human and not every musical performance needs to be perfect).
Playing with Cadenza actually improves your sense of pulse, rhythm, and even your confidence. Playing with Cadenza makes you take responsibility for moving the music along. Cadenza rewards you for taking charge by transporting you to the rich musical worlds great composers have imagined.
It sounds like Cadenza is stuck on one note.
That means the app isn’t hearing you well enough.
Try turning down the volume of your device. Use external speakers or headphones (connected with a cable), and turn up the volume on your external audio equipment.
You need to play the notes as written. The more accurate your pitch and rhythm, the better. Play close to your device. It’s okay if Cadenza hears some of the orchestra part, too.
Make sure you gave Cadenza permission to access to your device’s microphone. Go to Settings on your device to check that.
Do I need special hardware to use Cadenza?
No, just use headphones or connect your device to an external speaker with a cable, and make sure your microphone is working. (Bluetooth does not work with Cadenza because it can’t synchronize with live, changing audio).
If Cadenza isn’t playing with you correctly, try using headphones or earbuds. And make sure you’re close enough to the microphone.
Microphones you can use with iOS.
If you plan to make recordings to listen to yourself, you’ll get better results with a better microphone designed for your specific device.
Who is Cadenza for?
Cadenza is for
Students who have had at least one year of experience
Advanced students
Professional musicians
Teachers
Amateurs
… in short, any musician who’s ever wanted to be at the center of a rich, lush musical experience where your voice is the driving force. Cadenza gives you a taste of this experience wherever you are—whether you’re in a practice room at school or in your living room at home.
Just how expressive can I be?
Be as expressive as you want. Cadenza can handle as much rubato as most musicians want to use. Furthermore, it learns from your rehearsals, so it improves the more you play with it.
Keep in mind that Cadenza expects you to play musically. That means if you do want to go faster, you still have to play the right notes and the right rhythms. You can’t just change half notes to quarter notes, skip notes, or play things that aren’t written. But if you play your part with musical expression, listening to the sounds and expressively shaping them to fit your interpretation, Cadenza will understand and accompany you just fine.
Does Cadenza work in a noisy environment?
Yes, Cadenza works in noisy environments, as long as it can hear your solo part. However, having more powerful speakers will make a big difference in noisy environments, especially if you want an audience to hear the accompaniment.
If you use headphones, you’ll hear the orchestra part directly, so it won’t matter how noisy the environment is. As long as Cadenza can hear you!
If you notice that Cadenza is not playing together with you, there may be too much distracting sound. Use a clip-on microphone for your instrument, or reduce the amount of non-soloist sound in the room.
We have found that Cadenza does poorly in rooms with a lot of “white noise” such as air conditioning systems, and in small “boomy” rooms. Sometimes background noise is “invisible” to us, but quite audible to Cadenza.
What if I play wrong notes?
Cadenza allows for mistakes and wrong notes as a natural part of music practice. The accompaniment will only stop if you’ve made significant errors (missing every note for several measures, or if you stop playing altogether). Usually you can just pick up where you left off and Cadenza will figure out where you are. Or just stop and start again.
Playing with Cadenza is a good way to learn whether you’re playing the right notes. Wrong notes really do stand out against the backdrop of the accompaniment!
Can I specify which sections in a piece I want to play?
Yes, you can specify sections within a piece using the Cadenza presets.
You can create your own sections when you upgrade to Cadenza Pro.
To create a section, just tap on the staff where you want to start, enter the starting and ending measure numbers and tap the “+” to add the section.
Are you going to expand the library?
Yes! We are working to build our library to give you the music you want. We receive a lot of requests, and evaluate them according to complexity, availability and desirability, so we really appreciate your patience!
Email us at suggestions@sonation.net with the piece and composer you would like to see, and we’ll add your request to the list.
We are also planning to build a way for you to add your own music to Cadenza.
What if the tempo is not supposed to change?
Every piece of music in Cadenza is set up by musicians who know where the soloist does not determine the tempo, but should follow the orchestra instead, or keep a steady tempo. For each piece, Cadenza has been programmed not to follow the soloist in those sections. If you find a section where it’s not doing what you think it should, let us know: support@sonaCadenza.com
How does Cadenza work?
When you start playing the solo part on your instrument, Cadenza listens to and interprets every note in order to anticipate when you’ll play your next note. It synchronizes the pre-recorded orchestra to your tempo accordingly, whether you are drawing out a rubato or making a sharp accelerando.
When you finish playing through a piece, you can choose for Cadenza to incorporate what it has learned about your style into future sessions. So, next time you play the same piece, the orchestra will fit your playing even more precisely—even if you don’t play exactly the same way again.
Can I get help from a person?
Of course! Contact us at support@sonaCadenza.com! We’re happy to help in any way we can.