Device & Browser Compatibility

Does Lyrekos work on an iPhone or iPad?

Not yet. iOS and iPadOS do not currently provide the audio APIs that Lyrekos requires. We expect to support iOS in a future release. MacBooks running Chrome work perfectly.

What browser do I need?

Chrome is required. Other browsers will be supported in a future release. If you click a session link and it opens in Safari or Firefox, copy the URL and paste it into Chrome.

What operating systems does Lyrekos support?

macOS, Windows, ChromeOS, and Linux — as long as you run Chrome.

Does Lyrekos work over Wi-Fi?

Yes. Wi-Fi is fine. You do not need a wired ethernet connection. Bluetooth audio devices (AirPods, Bluetooth headphones) also work.

Do I need special hardware?

No. Any modern laptop with Chrome installed is sufficient. No audio interface, no dedicated microphone, and no software download is required. A quality external microphone and headphones will improve audio fidelity, but the built-in laptop mic and speaker work for most scenarios.

How Lyrekos Works

How is Lyrekos different from Zoom or Teams?

Zoom and other video conferencing tools try to transmit audio in real time. Network latency makes this impossible for music — a singer in Hong Kong would have to respond to a note played in New York before she heard it. Lyrekos sidesteps this problem entirely: every participant records locally with precise timing, and Lyrekos synchronizes all the recordings after the fact. The result sounds like everyone performed together in the same room.

Can I use Lyrekos and Zoom at the same time?

No. Zoom and Lyrekos both need exclusive access to your microphone and camera. Running them simultaneously causes them to compete for resources. Close Zoom (or any other conferencing app) before starting a Lyrekos session.

Does Lyrekos require a backing track?

Lyrekos works best when there is a rhythmic or melodic reference that all participants can follow — a backing track, a click track, or a soloist's recording. Completely free-form, spontaneous improvisation without any shared reference is not currently supported, because the synchronization process needs something to align to.

Sessions & Roles

How many Leaders can a session have?

Only one Leader at a time. If you need to hand off control, the current Leader can log out and the next person can log in as Leader.

What is the difference between a Soloist, Accompanist, and Conversationalist?

These are the three participant roles a Leader or Performer can hold:

Soloist — responsible for recording or uploading tracks and sending audio out to all participants. Often the Leader, but can be a Performer.
Accompanist — hears what comes from the Soloist and responds appropriately.
Conversationalist — listens and talks in Conversation mode. The only role an Audience member can take.

Can an Audience member sing or play?

No. Audience members can only listen. If someone needs to perform, the Leader should change their role to Performer.

How do Performers join a session?

The Leader sends a Performer link by email, calendar, or SMS. Performers click the link to open app.Lyrekos.com in Chrome, enter their name, calibrate, and select their role. They can also navigate directly to app.Lyrekos.com if they already know the session name.

Setup & Audio

Why does calibration need the mic and speaker close together?

Calibration works by playing a brief tone through your speaker and measuring how long it takes for your microphone to hear it. For this to work, your microphone needs to physically pick up the speaker's output. Put one earbud or headphone cup near your microphone during the calibration process, then put them back on as normal.

Do I need to calibrate every session?

No. Lyrekos stores your calibration result and reuses it automatically. You only need to recalibrate if you switch microphones or speakers.

Why doesn't my calibration work?

The three most common causes are: (1) volume is too low for the microphone to pick up the tone — turn it up; (2) the wrong microphone is selected — tap the mic with your fingernail and watch the level meter to confirm; (3) Chrome-wide echo cancellation is enabled — go to chrome://flags, find Chrome-wide echo cancellation, and set it to Disabled, then restart Chrome. See Calibration for a full troubleshooting checklist.

Can I use AirPods with Lyrekos?

Yes, with two important settings: turn Automatic Ear Detection off (otherwise removing an AirPod can interrupt calibration), and set Microphone to Always Left AirPod (so you always know which one to position near your mouth). Both are in System Settings → AirPods on macOS. Also set Noise Control to Off for the best music fidelity.

Why does music sound out of sync?

The most likely cause is a stale calibration. If you have changed microphones or speakers since your last session, Lyrekos is using measurements from your old setup. Open Device Settings in the app and click Recalibrate.

Modes

What are the four Lyrekos modes?

Lyrekos has four operating modes that the Leader switches between during a session:

Conversation — the default. Everyone can talk with everyone else (Audience members are muted).
Live — the Soloist performs live; that sound goes to all participants and is recorded.
Unison — a backing track from the Library plays; Accompanists sing or play along; recordings are synchronized.
Playback — previously recorded material is shared with everyone; the Leader controls the mix.

What mode is active when a session starts?

Conversation mode is the default. You are always in Conversation mode unless the Leader has explicitly switched to Live, Unison, or Playback.

What is the difference between Live mode and Unison mode?

In Live mode, the Soloist performs in real time and their live audio drives the session — accompanists hear the Soloist directly. In Unison mode, a pre-recorded backing track from the Library is played; Accompanists sing or play along with the recording rather than with a live performer. Live mode creates recordings; Unison mode plays them back while capturing new performances on top.

Can there be more than one Soloist?

No. There is only ever one Soloist at a time. The Leader is often the Soloist, but can designate any Performer as Soloist instead.

Can Audience members speak?

Not in Conversation mode — Audience members are muted and can only listen. A Conversationalist role allows listening and speaking, but it is a Performer role, not an Audience role.

Are recordings saved automatically?

No. In Live and Unison modes, all tracks are captured separately in synchrony, but the Leader decides whether to save them to the Library. Nothing is saved without the Leader explicitly choosing to keep it.

What do Audience members see on their screen?

Audience members have a View panel showing video of the Leader and Performers. Audience members themselves do not appear in the video feed — they are invisible to the performers.

Still Have a Question?

Email us at support@kinetic.audio — we read everything.

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