Sixty-second recovery / start here
Reset the shortest possible chain.
Do these checks in order. Stop when the status reaches RAISE A HAND and an open palm produces sound.
- Read the statusNote whether the instrument is waiting for audio, camera, vision, or a hand.
- Check outputRaise device volume and confirm the speaker icon inside Gesture Synth is not muted.
- Free the cameraClose meeting, recording, and camera apps, then allow camera access for this site.
- Reload onceReload the page, select Start again, and keep one full open hand in front light.
Camera permission, sound output, and hand visibility are separate. Identify the interrupted stage before changing browser data.
Audio path / visual works, room stays silent
If the skeleton appears but no sound plays.
Check both mute controls
Raise the device or operating-system output volume. Then inspect the speaker button in the lower instrument toolbar. If its accessible label or tooltip says Unmute, select it once.
Close and reopen the hand
A note begins when the openness gate changes from closed to open. Make a loose fist for a moment, then clearly extend the fingers. Keep the whole hand visible while changing shape.
Start from a fresh user action
Browsers can suspend audio when a page sits in the background. Return to the tab and select Start Gesture Synth again. Do not rely on a tab restored from an old browser session.
Confirm the output device
Disconnect an unused Bluetooth headset or monitor, or choose the intended system output. Bluetooth can also create a delay between movement and the sound you hear.
Video input / permission and ownership
If the camera is blocked, busy, or missing.
Camera access is off
Use the camera or site-settings control beside the browser address bar and allow camera access for `gesture-synth.net`. Reload the page after changing the setting. The instrument requests video only.
The camera is busy
Quit video meetings, recording software, virtual-camera tools, and other browser tabs that may own the camera. On mobile, fully close the camera app before returning to the browser.
No camera found
Reconnect an external camera, open a laptop privacy shutter, and check the operating system's camera privacy settings. If the browser cannot see any video device, the site cannot create one.
A secure connection is required
Use the `https://` production URL. Camera APIs are restricted to secure contexts. Never bypass a browser certificate warning to use the instrument.
Vision input / geometry before speed
If the camera works but the hand does not.
Why is my hand not detected?
Keep the full wrist, palm, and fingertips visible, face the palm broadly toward the camera, move about an arm’s length away, and improve front lighting. Avoid placing a bright window directly behind you.
Why do notes jump or flicker?
Slow down, keep fingers clearly open or clearly closed, move farther from the lens, and avoid crossing hands. Partial fingers and borderline fist shapes can make the openness estimate change between states.
Two hands merge or swap voices
Separate the palms horizontally, avoid overlapping fingers, and introduce the second hand only after the first is stable. Crossing hands makes any position-based identity match harder.
The note will not release
Bring all fingers into a clear, loose fist for several frames. A half-open hand intentionally sits in a neutral band so small tracking changes do not chatter the sound on and off.
Full wrist + full fingertips + front light + visible space around the hand.
Device load / delayed or uneven response
Protect the musical loop first.
Close other graphics-heavy tabs, video calls, games, and camera utilities. On a phone or tablet, connect power and allow the device to cool if the frame rate changed during a long session.
The VISUAL readout can move from full to reduced or fallback quality. That is expected: Gesture Synth lowers camera rendering cost before it compromises the hand-to-sound mapping. A simpler visual treatment is preferable to delayed notes.
If movement feels immediate but sound arrives late, test the built-in speaker or a wired output. Wireless audio latency is controlled by the connected device and operating system, not the gesture tracker.
Screen language / what each state means
Use the top status as a diagnostic probe.
- Waking the synth
- Audio is starting
- Wait briefly. If it does not advance, reload and start from a direct click or tap.
- Waiting for camera
- Permission or camera startup
- Respond to the browser prompt and close any app already using the camera.
- Calibrating vision
- Model is loading
- Keep the tab active. Reload once if the state does not advance on a stable connection.
- Raise a hand
- Instrument is ready
- Show one complete, open palm. This is the normal waiting state.
- Signal interrupted
- Recoverable error
- Read the specific title and action, correct the cause, then choose Try again.
Why is there no sound?
Check device volume and the in-page mute button, then close and reopen your hand. Start Gesture Synth from its button rather than restoring an old background tab, because browsers require a fresh user interaction before audio can begin.
Why is the camera not starting?
Confirm camera permission is allowed, close other apps using the camera, and reload the page. The site must be opened over HTTPS or localhost, and the device must expose a working video camera to the browser.
Why does tracking feel slow?
Close camera-heavy and graphics-heavy tabs, connect mobile devices to power, improve lighting, and let the visual quality reduce automatically. Bluetooth audio can also add output delay even when tracking is responsive.
Still stuck after the ordered checks? Confirm the device appears in the browser and device support matrix, then test once in a second supported system browser. That distinguishes a site permission from a device-level camera problem.