That white bar is showing the detected pressure of the key changing and then using that to drive aftertouch on the CS-1 a Yamaha CS-80 style synth https://twochannels.github.io/CS-1/

Credit to Charles Vestal (Velo project (fm1-velocity) found the technique and wrote the sensing code CS-1 uses. The idea is to read the resistance of the carbon pill under each key through the chip's ADC, with the row driven high. Velo also measured the settings. His MONK-1 firmware (fm1-monk) contributed the fix that counts pressure from where the key rests rather than where it landed, and the test CS-1 runs.

Hey all, it is your "Most underrated" firmware developer! (Not my words.)

So uh this took a while but promise you it is worth it. I'll make a stream again going through the changes later, baby has my attention and I only have 1 available hand at this point. Here's the changelog!

• Redesigned interface: larger text throughout, a choice of Rubik or Melodee Pixel fonts, clearer menus and dialogs, coloured track rows, new palettes, and dots showing the whole pattern. Things to try: Press HOME at HOME.

• FX rack views: easier navigation between track inserts and shared effects, with chain/split routing accessible from the rack. ECHO, ROOM and REVERB gain a TONE control running from DARK through FULL to THIN (Hi pass - low pass), with less bass buildup in repeats and tails.

• C64 SID modes and drum kits: SID now has C64 6581/8580 modes, including fast arpeggios from held chords. SID KIT and SID DIGI add chip-style drums, with synthesized kick and snare played through the emulated four-bit volume register in DIGI mode. Retriggers and voice stealing are improved too. Things to try: Set SID engine to one of the C64 modes and play a chord. Suddenly 80's vibes.

• Better recording and pattern performance: explicit REC keeps recording across loops, while pattern shortcuts offer a single pass. Whole-take undo/redo restores notes, motion and timing together. Destructive pattern operations wait for the loop end, and SEQ’s black keys select tracks. Things to try: Hold SEQ, press an empty pattern in the notes. Empty patterns arm for recording for the duration of the pattern.

• One to four tracks per song: start small and add tracks as needed. Tap HOME for the chord wheel, showing sounding notes, chords and the waveform. Assign SELECT on Stage, or GLO+SELECT across pages, to your preferred performance control. If you put 1 track you can use it as a synth only!

• One shared preset bank: U001–U384 can hold any mix of Prophet, FM6, CZ-1, SID and Drum sounds. Native voice data stays with each preset, and supported older banks migrate automatically.

• Simpler USB audio: one duplex device named Melodee replaces the separate playback and recording devices. Computer volume and mute affect playback without changing recordings. Stereo master and four isolated mono track stems remain available.

• Online manual: an illustrated guide covering the instruments, effects, recording, editor, installation and recovery. Thanks to relyt29 for writing it!

Smaller improvements include remembered pages in the EDIT map, more reliable knob navigation, clearer modulation destination names, corrected SysEx import routing, audio optimizations, more RAM available for audio, and a saved shared voice budget.

Current builds use both CPU cores. Stability issues are for the most part a thing of the past. Back up projects and presets before upgrading, and keep power connected during migration. Older firmware cannot read the new shared preset bank.

Install · Manual · Release downloads

ChoralRoot v0.22 is here!

I made a video explaining how to use it.

Get it here:

https://quixotic7.github.io/ChoralRootFM1/

https://quixotic7.github.io/ChoralRootFM1/webapp/installer/

v0.22 brings a lot of awesome new features:

• Velocity & Aftertouch thanks to Charles Vestal u/charlesv42
  • Only works for bottom 20 keys, but very cool
• The amazing Prophet 5 Engine from Kerem Kilic u/keremimo
  • You can load real Prophet 5 patches via the device manager
• Reworked Digitone FM-Tone engine
  • You can now load real Digitone 1 presets.
  • Engine reworked to better match the real Digitone Synth
• More user preset slots
• Favorite and filter presets
• End stage master filter
• Snap in key mode
• Knob acceleration to make it quicker to program sounds
• Dual-Core is default and retweaked
  • Please let me know if the Dual-Core crashes.
  • A single core version can be installed from the web installer's advanced options

Full release notes: https://github.com/Quixotic7/ChoralRootFM1/blob/main/docs/releases/0.22.md

JUAN IF YOURE OUT THERE AND LISTENING I NEEEEEEED JIANT FOR THE SMK37 omg im addicted to it on the fm1 i cant imagine the possibilities on the smk

Hi all, I confess I’m not a big fm guy but i got this lil thing because I’m intrigued by the firmware options. I play an old lowrey organ in a band, generally love the sounds of transistor organs, analog synths, the Yamaha ps20, and yr classic cheap 80s Casio.

I’m leaning towards Duell because I like the idea of layering two patches. Do any of the other firmwares do this?

Any firmware recs based on what I like to play?

Also, I’m noticing the stock firmware doesn’t allow decay unless I hold a key down. Do any of the alternatives allow notes to ring without being held?

Thanks, excited to dive in

Finally, MC-1 is here! https://dspaudio.github.io/mc-1/

This fw pretty fun, playing around with the stock preset that comes preloaded

New in this beta:

- **Web editor with a librarian and a piano roll.** Export, import and drag patches between the 128 slots, import DX7 .syx banks as FM6 patches, back up and restore, draw step patterns on a piano roll, and send your own wavetables. Chrome or Edge, over USB.

- **128 patch slots.** Hold SAVE to save over any slot, RESTORE brings the factory sound back.

- **TAPE and VINYL inserts.** Tape wow, flutter and saturation; vinyl dust, noise and warp.

- **PLATE reverb,** a smooth stereo plate, with a low cut on the reverb input so the bass stays clear. The SHIM reverb can now shimmer down or both ways, with a slow drift.

- **Advanced Delay modes:** DIGI, PING, RAND and OCT+.

- **BASS MONO:** the output goes mono below a frequency you choose.

Try here: https://oscillr.github.io/DUELL/emu/

Install: https://oscillr.github.io/DUELL/install/

Beta, flash at your own risk.

i have this question, i´m waiting for my FM1 to get home and I saw a lot of great firmwares but I don´t know which one is the best groove box one, I got experience using iPadOS apps like korg gadget or Ableton note, so I would like something similar

My M-Vave FM1 is on it's way, but I know I'll want to put on some caps on the knobs.

Anyone else get ones that fit?

The pic shows 2 brown knobs that fit perfect on my Korg NTS-1 MkII.
The bigger/wider knobs make all the difference.

I have knobs that I put on my Korg Volcas, Teenage Engineering Pocket Operators and some other tiny synths.

the specs on the ones I've used are all:
Davies 1900h knobs
they fit 6.4mm (0.25") shaft size

they have tiny screws on the side to tighten them up

Let me know what anyone is using on their M-Vave FM1
Thanks!

This time, it’s orange!

Hi, I am making a custom bootloader for fm-1 and smk-37. This bootloader will let you recover if you accidentally brick your device without the need of any additional hardware (just your computer). In addition I made a flasher which lets you easily backup and restore the full 1MB of memory on your device (windows/mac/linux). This WILL NOT work if you have already bricked your device. I have smk-37 myself and did testing on the device, but I am looking for somebody who has fm-1 and already has the hardware to unbrick the device just in case. If you are that person please DM me.

Hello everyone, a new version of PIGEON, the Felucca based old school sampler style firmware is now out! We've added a lot of necessary features and upgrades, thanks to your feedback on V0.1. New features include:

• Sample storage expanded from 408 to 496 KiB. (More than a 20% increase!)
• Eight shared song voices + four dedicated drum voices.
• Redesigned, unified sampler interface.
• Page buttons respond immediately; HOME returns to the waveform and opens Settings.
• Hold EDIT + trigger a chop to audition its ending.
• Copy complete chops between keys; swap and move assignments.
• More sequencer controls: step pitch, probability, repeats, nudge and conditions.
• Sample Loader 2.0: select/delete audio, split, rearrange, copy/paste and undo.
• Append multiple files to either song, with clip trimming, gain and fades.
• Merged songs keep whole sections on the first keys, followed by automatic chops.
• Import/export emulator banks and sessions, including patterns.
• Open banks directly between the loader and emulator.
• Removed unused synth screens, assets and the empty-slot synth fallback.
• Fixed startup selection and sequencer state restoration.
• Updated tutorials, controls and installation guides.

Feedback? You can reply here, create an issue on our GitHub, or email us at [Pigeon@theshrimpblimp.com](mailto:Pigeon@theshrimpblimp.com) !
Thank you!

EDIT: Forgot to mention that we now also have a web emulator!

I won’t be mad at all?

First time playing around with the mutated part of the sequencer with the JIANT firmware. The drum beat has a 50% mutation on the pattern every 8 bars, and the acid base has a 50% mutation on the sound every 4 bars. You could make some constantly evolving, generative music with these.

I wish there was a way to lock a musical pattern mutation to a set chord or progression.

I got a m vave FM-1 to play along with and sample into my PO-33.

As soon as the community firmwares started coming out for the FM-1 I wondered (and hoped) someone would create a pocket operator style workflow for it. Different firmwares have now done different bits of this. But someone has gone one step further and made the FM-1 display and function feel just like a PO :) You can even have a play on the emulator linked: https://devrvega.github.io/LCD-4/

Not my work, just sharing as it's fresh out (spotted by the awesome charlesv) and as my thanks to the dev who has done a great job with this (it's working perfectly on my device).

The AMB-1 firmware is a meditative experience, really something special.

I couldn't stop myself, and I ended up building another game for the FM-1.

This time, the goal was creating an interactive space experience built specifically around jamming out to synthwave while flying through the cosmos.

A few new mechanics I managed to pack into this build:
Enemy dogfight/pursuit system: Hostile ships that actively track and chase you down.

Dual perspective camera: You can view approaching planets both directly from inside the cockpit and from an external third-person chase cam.

Live synth jamming: The core audio engine remains hands-on so you can tweak patches and play live synthwave leads while navigating space.

Dropping a better demo clip below. It's

Have you peeled the screen protector off yet?

I’ve fallen in love with the M-VAVE FM-1 running custom groovebox firmwares. It’s tiny enough to take anywhere, even to bed. Yet I can build surprisingly complete grooves with its synth engines. For a hobby instrument that I actually pick up and use, its value is incredible.

I keep looking at much more expensive gear, but I can’t find a clear upgrade for how I use it. What I want is a battery powered, lap friendly standalone groovebox with good synth engines, drums, a screen that visibly shows the step sequencer/piano roll, and enough arrangement capability to develop ideas into complete songs. An internal speaker isn’t necessary.

Am I overlooking something? Has anyone found a genuinely portable groovebox that feels like a meaningful upgrade from the FM-1 without sacrificing its pick up and play freedom?

Back with a lot of audio fixes and tweaks, a tape effect (for instant Boards of Canada vibes), more midi options, a web emulator finally, and a (WIP) sequencer with p-locks.

https://patttf.github.io/fm-106/

https://patttf.github.io/fm-106/emu/index.html

https://patttf.github.io/fm-106/Librarian.html