gesture synth not working
A Complete Gesture Synth Troubleshooting Decision Tree
When Gesture Synth is not working, begin with the first missing signal instead of trying random browser changes. The page needs to load over HTTPS, receive a video-only camera stream, detect both hands and resume Web Audio after your Start action. Each stage has a different symptom and a different fix.
After every change, return to the same simple test: reload the canonical page, select Start once, allow the camera, show both hands without overlap and raise the right hand to a moderate height. A repeatable test tells you which change helped and prevents one solved problem from being confused with another.
Play the instrument ↑- First check
- HTTPS page and browser permission
- Recognition test
- Both hand indicators respond
- Audio test
- Tab unmuted and right hand raised
- Performance test
- Recent Chrome or Edge
Identify the First Step That Fails
If the camera permission prompt never appears, the failure is before hand tracking. Open gesturesynth.me directly instead of an embedded social or search preview, confirm the address begins with HTTPS and inspect the camera icon in the address bar. If permission was blocked earlier, change this site's camera setting and reload once.
If live video appears but the Left and Right indicators do not respond, permission is already working. Move to lighting, framing and model-loading checks. If both indicators and the chord display respond but no sound is audible, leave camera settings alone and move to the audio branch.
- No prompt or black video: check camera permission and camera conflicts.
- Video works but no hands: check light, distance, framing and model load.
- Hands and chord react but silence remains: check browser audio and right-hand height.
- Everything reacts slowly: separate tracking lag from output-device delay.
Fix Camera Access before Hand Recognition
Close other apps that may own the webcam, including video meetings and another Gesture Synth tab. Select the intended camera in browser site settings, allow access and reload. On macOS or Windows, confirm the browser itself is permitted to use the camera before changing the site's controls again.
For recognition, use even front lighting, a simple background and enough distance to keep fingers and wrists inside the frame. Do not cross the hands. Hold one clear pose briefly so the model can stabilize; rapid motion and cropped fingertips can look like a broken camera even when the stream is healthy.
Follow the camera permission checklist → · Improve lighting, framing and camera position →
Restore Sound without Requesting a Microphone
Gesture Synth generates audio in the browser and does not need microphone permission. Select Start to satisfy the browser's user-action rule, unmute the tab, raise system output and verify that the correct speaker or wired headphones are selected. Then raise the right hand, because right-hand height controls live chord volume.
Keep master volume modest while testing. Disconnect Bluetooth once to distinguish synthesis from wireless output latency or routing. If another website plays but Gesture Synth remains silent while both hands are detected, stop the session, reload and start again so the Web Audio context can resume cleanly.
Use the dedicated no-sound checklist → · Check supported browser capabilities →
Reduce Lag, Reset Safely and Report a Reproducible Issue
Close heavy tabs, disable video effects, use a lower camera resolution when available and enable the low-performance option for slower hardware. Compare built-in or wired audio with Bluetooth. Visual delay points to camera or processing load; sound that arrives late after a timely visual response points to the output path.
If the controlled test still fails, record the browser version, operating system, device type, exact first failing step and visible error message. Do not send camera footage, passwords or verification codes. A short reproducible description is safer and more useful than a screen recording containing private surroundings.
Diagnose tracking and audio delay → · Contact support with safe diagnostic details →
Answers before you play
Gesture Synth Troubleshooting FAQ
Why does Gesture Synth not ask for camera permission?
Open the HTTPS site directly, select Start and inspect the address-bar camera control. Embedded previews and a previously blocked site permission can suppress the prompt.
Why is the camera visible but no hands are detected?
Improve front lighting, keep fingertips and wrists in frame, separate the hands and wait briefly for the model to load and stabilize.
Why do the controls move but no sound plays?
Start the session, unmute the tab, select the correct output, raise the right hand for volume and retry after reloading the Web Audio context.
Does troubleshooting require microphone access?
No. Gesture Synth requests video only and produces sound through Web Audio; microphone permission is not part of the diagnostic path.