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How Aloha Helps Musicians Rehearse Remotely

Remote music without internet delays

By Allison Murray Allison Murray Tech News Reporter Southern Illinois University Allison reports on all things tech. She's a news junky that keeps her eye on the latest trends. Allison is a writer working out of Chicago, IL, with her only coworker: her cat Norbert. lifewire's editorial guidelines Updated on March 31, 2021 04:18PM EDT Fact checked by Rich Scherr Fact checked by Rich Scherr University of Maryland Baltimore County Rich Scherr is a seasoned technology and financial journalist who spent nearly two decades as the editor of Potomac and Bay Area Tech Wire. lifewire's fact checking process Tweet Share Email Tweet Share Email Software & Apps Mobile Phones Internet & Security Computers & Tablets Smart Life Home Theater & Entertainment Software & Apps Social Media Streaming Gaming

Key Takeaways

A new tech by Elk Audio allows a low latency connection to help musicians rehearse together in real-time. The San Francisco Opera has used Elk Audio’s Aloha system to prepare for their first live performance in over a year. Elk Audio set Aloha’s tech commercial release for this fall. Elk Audio For the past year, musicians have had to shift their in-person rehearsals to remote sessions, but latency issues with Zoom are always a problem when making music in real-time. Elk Audio is trying to change that with its ultra-low latency Aloha system. While still only in beta testing, Elk Audio’s Aloha makes it possible for all types of musicians to practice playing music together in entirely different cities, effectively eliminating the lag time that interrupts the creative flow. "Our final goal is to be able to connect every musician out there," Michele Benincaso, the founder and director of Elk Audio, told Lifewire over a video chat.

Low Latency Music-Making

Elk Audio began working on the Aloha technology more than five years ago. Still, the company didn’t see the immediate need for something like this until last March. When everyone—including musicians—transferred their lives to Zoom, it became clear the platform wasn’t the best place to practice music in real-time. "There's only so much you can do with Zoom," Bjorn Ehlers, the chief marketing officer at Elk, told Lifewire over video. "Zoom is great for talking, but you can't use it for singing or playing music when you want to make sounds at the same time." Playing music together live is what musicians really need to do to perfect their art. Enter Aloha, which lowers the latency rates from 500 milliseconds (your average Zoom call) down to 10 or 20 milliseconds. The Aloha tech works in three parts to get the latency down to the same time as if you were in a room with someone about nine feet apart. "First, when you send the signal, it's taking your order and converting it to code and preparing it for the network. The second part is the actual network, which is the internet," Ehlers said. "And the third part is taking that code and converting back to audio on the receiving end." For the musicians who have so far used the tech, Ehlers said they've received feedback that it's a very "familiar feeling" to playing with each other live. "I think a lot of musicians, when they try it out, think it's going to feel very awkward and different from what they used to," he said. "But when you start playing, you can get captivated by the music, and you forget that you're not in the same room."

Virtual Rehearsals Made Possible

For the musicians and singers in the San Francisco Opera, Aloha has been a game-changer in their virtual rehearsals during the pandemic. The opera’s resident artists, known as Adler Fellows, have not performed in person since December 2019, so to gear up for their first performance since then, they’ve relied on Aloha. "What Aloha has enabled us to do is to do the kinds of coaching that you would have leading up to live performances," Matthew Shilvock, the San Francisco Opera General Director, told Lifewire in a video call. Cheshire Isaacs "We have our coaches and our voice teachers working with the singers [through Aloha] so that once we hit that first day of in-person rehearsal, they are ready to go." The San Francisco Opera Adler Fellows will be performing in a drive-in series starting April 29. Shilvock said without the Aloha tech, he doesn't know if the opera’s classically-trained musicians would have been adequately prepared to perform. "I've just been blown away by just the very smallest things [using Aloha]—like a pianist hearing a singer breathe and being able to respond to it," he said. "I think [Aloha] has a real ability to transform the way that people think about music-making. Certainly during the pandemic, but beyond it as well."

' Aloha' to the Future

In a post-pandemic world, Benincaso said he sees Aloha applications could possibly include gaming and virtual and artificial reality. Even sooner than that, he wants to expand Aloha tech to combine both audio and video elements for live-streaming capabilities. "So you can take this virtual rehearsing and make it into a virtual stage in a way to perform for audiences on social media or whatever platform of your choice," he said. Aloha will be available for commercial release this fall, providing musicians that much-needed connection that has been lacking. "Playing music together live is what musicians really need to do to perfect their art," Ehlers said. Was this page helpful? Thanks for letting us know! Get the Latest Tech News Delivered Every Day Subscribe Tell us why! Other Not enough details Hard to understand Submit More from Lifewire 1010 Music's Razzmatazz, a Tiny Pink Groovebox, Looks Like a Perfect Pocket Plaything 10 Tips on How to Become a Better Presenter The 8 Best Alternatives to GarageBand for Your PC How to Create a Loomie 3D Avatar For All Your Zoom Meetings Verizon 5G: Looking Forward Music Streamer WhoIsFelyce Wants to Create Connections Through Music A Comparison of Opera Mobile and Opera Mini How accessFind Could Make the Web More Accessible Patrick Hill: Empowering Indie Musicians and Podcasters How Preet Anand Uses Tech to Help People Living Alone Feel Safe Meet App-Based Loan King Travis Holoway Just Who Is Apple Music’s Hi-Fi for Exactly? How Coaching Apps Can Improve Your Game Why Bandcamp Is the Best Place to Support Musicians Hassan Riggs: Helping Real Estate Agents Thrive How Software Can Help You Escape Zoom Calls Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. Cookies Settings Accept All Cookies