What Cantai does
Cantai reads your score (notes, lyrics, dynamics, tempo, expression markings) and generates a realistic sung vocal performance. It works inside Dorico as a dedicated playback device, so your vocal parts play back through Cantai automatically alongside the rest of your ensemble.
System requirements
- Dorico 6.2.20 or later
- macOS: Apple Silicon (M1 or later) on macOS 14 Sonoma or later; Intel on macOS 13.4 Ventura or later (renders on the CPU, slower than Apple Silicon)
- Windows: Windows 10 (2020 update) or later, x86-64 processor
- 8 GB of RAM minimum, 16 GB recommended · 4 GB of free disk space
The full list, and what happens on a computer that doesn't qualify, is on System requirements.
Installation & activation
- Create a free account at cantai.app (or log in if you already have one).
- Go to Downloads and download the installer for your OS, then run it. If Cantai is already installed, the new installer updates it; your projects and settings stay as they are.
- Open the account menu (top right of cantai.app) and choose Profile. Your activation token is the Account Token there.
- Launch Dorico and open a Cantai window (see below). Paste the token and click Activate. You do this once per computer.
Setting up a vocal part
1. Add lyrics to your score
Select the first note in your vocal part and press Shift+L to open the lyrics popover. Type your lyrics, pressing Space to advance after a complete word, or - (hyphen) to advance after each syllable of a multi-syllable word.
2. Load Cantai in Play mode
Switch to Play mode and open the VST and MIDI tab. Load one Cantai instance for each vocal stave you want Cantai to sing.
3. Assign it in the Track Inspector
Click the Track Inspector tab and select the Cantai instance you just added. Dorico connects it to the corresponding voice automatically.
4. Choose the part, the voice and the language
Open the Cantai window with the Show Instrument button 
next to the instance in the VST and MIDI panel. The first time, it asks three things: the part in your score this instance sings, the voice that sings it, and the score language.
5. Press Play
That's it. Whenever you change anything that affects a vocal part (notes, lyrics, dynamics, tempo or expression), Cantai re-renders just the affected segments. No manual refresh needed. If you press play before a part is ready, the built-in synth plays the notes that aren't sung yet, and the singer comes in as each piece arrives.
The Cantai window
Once a part has its voice, the window puts the singer on a stage: their portrait, their name, the part they sing and the language. While Cantai renders, a light breathes on the portrait and Rendering… shows in the bar.
- The singer's name opens the voice list.
- The language under the name changes the score language.
- Reverb, along the bottom, sets the room for this part. Double-click the slider to reset it.
- The gear, top right, opens Settings.
When Cantai can't sing a part, the window says why, in plain words: the engine isn't running, Cantai isn't activated, or a render failed, with what to do next.
Choosing a voice
Click the singer's name (or Choose a voice… the first time) to open Voices. Filter by type on the left, or search by name. Press next to any singer to hear a sample on your computer's speakers before you choose. Changing the voice re-sings this part.
Classical phrasing
Every solo voice can sing with Classical phrasing: the same voice, with the timing and pitch of a classical ensemble singer. The switch appears under the singer you choose; it's on when you pick a new voice, and you confirm with Done. While it's on, the window reads “sings Soprano · Classical phrasing”. Scores from before 4.0 keep it off until you change it.
Choirs & ensembles
The Choral type holds two kinds of voices:
- Choral Female and Choir Male render a whole choral section. When one of them is chosen, a Section size slider appears next to Reverb: 3 to 10 voices per part.
- Ottetto ensembles (Sopranos, Altos, Tenors, Basses, Women's Voices, Men's Voices and Full Ensemble) are the eight Ottetto singers, two or more to a line, each in their own seat.
Languages
Cantai sings eight languages. Those marked Experimental in the menu are new and still being refined with native singers.
Choose it with the language under the singer's name. It isn't detected from your lyrics, and it applies to every part in the score: Cantai asks before switching, then renders them again. Spell your lyrics correctly: Cantai's phoneme engine derives pronunciation directly from the text.
Settings
The gear opens Settings. The sections that shape the sound are Playback and Pronunciation; the rest is there when you need it.
- Playback › Cantai level sets the level of every Cantai part in the score at once, from −24 to +6 dB. It's a mix setting: moving it never re-renders.
- Playback › Vibrato goes from straight (0%) to wide (200%) for every Cantai part in the score. Natural is each voice's own vibrato; changing it re-sings the score.
- Playback › Dynamics: with Follow Dorico, loudness follows Dorico's playback of your dynamics, like your other instruments. Fixed levels brings back Cantai's own level for each marking.
- Pronunciation: see below.
- Cache › Clear caches… clears rendered audio for this part, this session, or everything. Cleared audio is rendered again.
- Graphics card: Cantai uses your graphics card when it can, so the singing is ready sooner. Turn it off if it causes trouble on your computer.
- Support: write to us or export your logs (see Getting help).
- Reset instance settings…, at the bottom, forgets the part and voice chosen in this window. Your score doesn't change.
Pronunciation
Settings › Pronunciation shows the lyrics of the part. Click a word and write it the way it should sound (for example BLESS-id), or switch to IPA. Then choose where it applies: This one (only that word, in this part), This score (every time it appears, all parts) or All scores. Only that word changes; every other word is sung as before. Changes lists everything you've set and where it applies.
Dynamics & expression
You don't need to draw any MIDI automation. Write your score the way you would for human performers, and Cantai interprets it: written markings shape the voice itself (more effort and a brighter tone at forte), and loudness follows Dorico's dynamics playback, like your other instruments.
Dynamic markings p, mp, mf, f, ff, etc. Hairpins crescendo, decrescendo Tempo markings Allegro, Andante, ritardando, etc.
Tips for best results
- Write singable lines: Cantai performs best on parts a real singer could manage.
- Avoid extremely fast melismatic passages on unstressed syllables.
- Hyphenate multi-syllable words so each syllable aligns to its note. Cantai reads Dorico's lyric hyphens to map phonemes correctly; in the lyrics popover, press - after each syllable to advance to the next note. For example:
beau- ti- ful·hal- le- lu- jah·a- maz- ing - If a word sounds unexpected, check the spelling first: misspelled lyrics produce incorrect phonemes. If it's spelled right and still not how you want it, set it in Pronunciation.
Exporting audio
- Choose File > Export > Audio.
- Select the flows and players you want to include.
- Choose your format: WAV for highest quality, MP3 for a smaller file.
- Click OK to export.
Cantai audio exports at full quality: the same engine used for playback renders the final file.
Getting help
If something isn't working, open Settings › Support in the Cantai window and choose Write to support…. Tell us what happened; your logs go with your message, even when the engine won't start.
You can also reach us through the Help chat button in the bottom-right corner of any page on cantai.app. Choose Export logs… in Settings › Support and drag the file it saves into the chat window.
Licensing
One license covers Dorico and Sibelius: $9.99 a month, $99 a year, or $299 for a lifetime license with free updates. The free trial is the full plugin, up to 30 seconds of audio.
Cantai is made by Turing Opera Workshop. We build tools for composers who take vocal writing seriously.