Crossole: A Gestural Interface for Composition, Improvisation and Performance using Kinect

Meaning crossword of sound, Crossole is a musical meta-instrument where the music is visualized as a set of virtual blocks that resemble a crossword puzzle. In Crossole, the chord progressions are visually presented as a set of virtual blocks. With the aid of the Kinect sensing technology, a performer controls music by manipulating the crossword blocks using hand movements. The performer can build chords in the high level, traverse over the blocks, step into the low level to control the chord arpeggiations note by note, loop a chord progression or map gestures to various processing algorithms to enhance the timbral scenery.