Parts out of time

What the delay is

• Every phone, computer and pair of headphones adds a small delay between what you hear and what the mic records. Left alone, a new part lands a little late.
• The timing check measures your delay, so each part lands exactly where you sang it. We remember it for that mic on this device.

Run a timing check

• The first time you record with a mic, we ask for a timing check before the take. It takes about 10 seconds.
• To run it again, open the song in the studio, then Microphone and timing (in the More menu on a phone, or the mic button at the top on a bigger screen). Tap "Check timing", or "Check again" if you've checked before.
• Check the microphone is the one you sing into, and that its level shows it's hearing you.
• Say what you'll record with: "Speakers", "Wired headphones" or "Bluetooth". With speakers, turn the volume up in a quiet room, headphones off. With headphones, hold one earbud or ear cup right against the mic.
• Tap "Start the check". You'll hear a few clicks, then your delay. You only need it once for each setup.
• If it says "We couldn't hear the chirps", check the right mic is picked, turn the volume up, and try again.

If you skip it

• "Skip and use an estimate" uses the browser's own guess. It's often close, but not exact.
• In game mode, the report on a take gives three stars only after a timing check. Serious mode shows no stars.

Nudge one take

• After a take in Sing, tap "Nudge timing". Slide left to move your take earlier, or right to move it later, then play it against the others.
• For a song's part, tap "Line it up for me": we listen for where you came in on each note and move the take to match. If you were already in time, we say so.
• In the studio, tap a part to open it, then use the minus and plus beside Timing to move it 10 ms at a time. "As recorded" puts it back.

Still drifting?

• Bluetooth headphones can change their delay as you sing. Switch to wired headphones, or run the timing check again before each take.