I’ve been experimenting with building hardware to make tekno for a while now. With recent advancements in AI coding tools, it’s become way easier to hack and customize existing cheap hardware to suit our needs, making DIY grooveboxes much more accessible and affordable.
Recently, the M-Wave FM1 came out for super cheap (€50–60), and the community started hacking on it. Over the last few days, I’ve been turning it into a dedicated tekno groovebox firmware called FM1-Tribe.
Current Features & Engines:
- 2 Kick Engines: Great for building punchy, hard-hitting tekno.
- 909 & 808 Drum Engines: Classic drum sounds for layering.
- 303 Synthesizer Engine: Basic line-synth engine for acid basslines/leads (still work-in-progress, but functional!).
- Clip-Based Sequencer: Clip/pattern workflow inspired by devices like the Roland MC-101 or Ableton Live.
What’s next & feedback needed: I’m planning to refine the 303 engine and add more synth engines and features over time. Keep in mind that this hardware has clear MCU and memory limitations, but within those boundaries, I want to optimize it as much as possible for tekno live sets and jamming.
I’d love your input: What features, sound engines, or workflow tweaks would make a mini device like this even better for making tekno?
How to try it: If you happen to have an FM1, you can install the firmware directly through your web browser (no complex setup required).
Check out the demo, source code, and easy web installer here:https://apiel.github.io/fm1-tribe/