Project Xylo
Midi Device for Royal College of Art
Project Xylo reimagines midi interaction through a gamified, social platform for music making. Accessible to all skill levels, it simplifies beat creation with harmonic and tempo sync. Swappable cartridges and snap together devices support collaboration, while a retro, modular design enhances usability and style. Project Xylo is a series of portable midi devices designed for everyday music creation, offered in three sizes: sample, pocket, and midi.
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Project XYLO by Kevin Yang
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Midi Device by Kevin Yang
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Kevin Yang Project XYLO
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Kevin Yang Midi Device
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Royal College of ArtBrand Logo
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Project Xylo Midi Device Press Releases
Press releases tailored for Project Xylo are available in the languages: English.
Project Xylo Midi Device Translations
Our Project Xylo translations are now available in a wide range of languages: Midi Device EN, Na'urar Midi HA, Mea Midi HAW, מכשיר מידי HE, मिडी उपकरण HI, Cuab Yeej Midi HMN, Midi Eszköz HU, Midi-tæki IS, Ngwaọrụ Midi IG, Perangkat Midi ID, Gléas Midi GA, Dispositivo MIDI IT, MIDIデバイス JA, Piranti Midi JV, ಮಿಡಿ ಸಾಧನ KN, Midi Құрылғысы KK, ឧបករណ៍មីឌី KM, Igikoresho cya Midi RW, 미디 디바이스 KO, ئامێری میدی KU, Midi Түзүлүшү KY, ອຸປະກອນ MIDI LO, Instrumentum Midi LA, Midi ierīce LV, MIDI įrenginys LT, Midi-Apparat LB, Midi Уред MK, Fitaovana Midi MG, Peranti MIDI MS, മിഡി ഉപകരണം ML, Apparat Midi MT, Taputapu Midi MI, MIDI उपकरण MR, Миди Төхөөрөмж MN, मिडी उपकरण NE, Midi-enhet NO, Midi-enhet NB, Dispositiu Midi OC, ମିଡି ଉପକରଣ OR, میدي ډیوایس PS, دستگاه میدی FA, Urządzenie Midi PL, Dispositivo MIDI PT, ਮਿਡੀ ਡਿਵਾਈਸ PA, Midi Yanapana QU, Dispozitiv MIDI RO, MIDI-устройство RU, Masini Midi SM, मिडि यन्त्रम् SA, Midi Uređaj SR, Mudziyo we Midi SN, ميڊي ڊوائيس SD, මිඩි උපාංගය SI, Midi zariadenie SK, Midi naprava SL, Qalabka Midi SO, Sesebediswa sa Midi ST, Dispositivo MIDI ES, Alat MIDI SU, Kifaa cha MIDI SW, MIDI-enhet SV, Aparatong Midi TL, Дастгоҳи Миди TG, மிடி சாதனம் TA, Миди Җайланмасы TT, మిడి పరికరం TE, อุปกรณ์มิดี้ TH, མི་ཌི་བཟོ་ཆས། BO, ናይ ሚዲ መሳርሒ TI, Midi Cihazı TR, Midi Enjamy TK, MIDI-пристрій UK, میڈی ڈیوائس UR, مىدى ئۈسكۈنىسى UG, Midi Qurilma UZ, Thiết Bị MIDI VI, Dyfais Midi CY, Midi-apparaat FY, Isixhobo seMidi XH, מידי מכשיר YI, Ẹ̀rọ Midi YO, Idivayisi Ye-Midi ZU, Midi-toestel AF, Pajisje Midi SQ, ሚዲ መሳሪያ AM, جهاز ميدي AR, Միդի սարք HY, মিডি ডিভাইচ AS, Midi Cihazı AZ, Midi Gailua EU, MIDI-прылада BE, মিডি ডিভাইস BN, MIDI Uređaj BS, MIDI Устройство BG, MIDI ကိရိယာ MY, Dispositiu Midi CA, Kagamitan sa Midi CEB, Chipangizo cha Midi NY, MIDI 裝置 ZY, MIDI设备 ZH, Apparecchiu Midi CO, MIDI uređaj HR, Midi zařízení CS, Midi-enhed DA, Midi-apparaat NL, MIDI-Aparato EO, MIDI seade ET, MIDI-laite FI, Dispositif Midi FR, Uidheam MIDI GD, Dispositivo MIDI GL, მიდი მოწყობილობა KA, MIDI-Gerät DE, Συσκευή Midi EL, Mba'e'oka Midi GN, મિડી ડિવાઇસ GU, Aparèy Midi HT, for global reach.
Project Xylo Midi Device Media Articles
Leverage our ready-to-publish articles on Project Xylo, offered in a range of languages: Russian, Japanese, Portuguese, Chinese (Mandarin), French, Korean, Arabic (Standard), Hindi, German, Spanish, Turkish, Indonesian, Dutch, Italian and English.
Unique Properties
Project xylo is a series of portable midi devices designed for everyday music creation, offered in three sizes: sample, pocket, and midi. The goal is to gamify music composition, making it a social and accessible experience. Design targeted to simplify beat-making with harmonic and tempo consonance, bridging knowledge gaps. Its nostalgic trading cartridges let users share custom sounds and compositions; devices sync to create collaborative music, turning users into part of a band's performance.
Tags
Midi Device, Game, Nostalgic
Production Technology
Project XYLO undergoes prototyping using FDM printing to refine form, button layout, component placement, and device co-collab precision. The final SLA-printed model was sandblasted for a semi-transparent, Game Boy-like CMF, it went through multiple resin transparency tests to balance component visibility while maintaining the surface texture. Transitioning all electronics into the compact housing was challenging. The prototyping program, built via GODOT and run on Raspberry Pi Zero (ARM64), it faced limitations but was tested for basic functions and graphic capability.
Design Challenge
First, achieving the nostalgic semi-transparent shell required multiple CMF testing to balance resin transparency and sandblasting. Second, developing the program and structuring the BOM to fit components was difficult due to housing size. Third, balancing appearance with performance was tough—ESP32 lacked graphics power, leading to a switch to Raspberry Pi Zero. XYLO underwent rapid iterations to address these, though production remains uncertain due to design complexity.
Project Duration
The project started in March 2024 and prototyped in May 2024, it is a student project at Royal College of Art, London, UK.
Operation Flow
XYLO makes music creation fun and accessible by transforming complex MIDI operations into an intuitive, hands-on experience. Users record, mix, and shape beats using simple button and slider controls, with harmonic and tempo frameworks ensuring accessible music-making. Swappable cartridges add a nostalgic touch for easy sound sharing. Devices snap together for instant sync, turning solo play into a collaborative jam—like forming a digital band anywhere.
Research
XYLO’s research simplified music composition by categorizing sound into SFX, beats, chords, and melodies. The goal was to create an intuitive tool that ensures harmonic and tempo consonance for easy beat-making and collaboration. Through sound collection, prototyping, and applied to cohort surveys, insights showed that structured tempo enhances harmony and rhythm accessibility, forming the foundation for XYLO.
Inspiration
Project XYLO was conceived to democratize music creation by transforming MIDI operations into an engaging, portable, and social experience. Inspired by the desire to lower barriers in music composition, XYLO aimed to gamify the process, making it accessible to enthusiasts of all skill levels. Design focused on integrating harmonic and tempo consonance to facilitate intuitive beat-making. Additionally, nostalgic trading cartridges reference classic game consoles, making it fun and easy to share.
Image Credits
Image #1: Photographer Yunmu Bai and Yan Qing, XYLO, 2024. Image #2: Photographer Yunmu Bai and Yan Qing, XYLO, 2024. Image #3: Photographer Yunmu Bai and Yan Qing, XYLO, 2024. Image #4: Photographer Yunmu Bai and Yan Qing, XYLO, 2024.
Project Overview
Project Xylo Midi Device has been a Golden winner in the Toys, Games and Hobby Products Design award category in the year 2024 organized by the prestigious A' Design Award & Competition. The Gold A' Design Award is granted to designs that demonstrate a high level of innovation and a significant impact on their intended audience. Recognized as a major achievement by the A' Design Awards, these designs are characterized by their visionary approach and the exceptional skill of their creators. Winners of the Gold A' Design Award are noted for their ability to push the envelope in art, science, design, and technology, delivering solutions that not only meet but exceed expectations. These designs serve as benchmarks for excellence, encouraging further innovation and inspiring future generations of designers.
Golden Recognition
Kevin Yang was recognized with the coveted Golden A' Design Award in 2025, a testament to excellence of their work Project Xylo Midi Device.
Kevin Yang Press Releases
Our press releases on Kevin Yang and their work are made freely available for press members looking to add depth to their content. Unlock 3 press releases now, directly accessible to journalists.
Project Xylo Wins Golden A' Design Award for Innovative, Social MIDI Device Series
Kevin Yang's Project Xylo, a series of portable MIDI devices designed to gamify and democratize music creation, has been awarded the prestigious Golden A' Design Award in 2025 for its unique blend of accessibility, collaboration, and nostalgic design, developed at the Royal College of Art in London.
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