I know this sub is for the M Vave but it seems appropriate to ask here since this is the place where the magic is happening. Lemme cut to the chase...
When does my Novation Circuit get a cool new update?
Or my Sonicware Mega Synthesis?
Or my Korg Monologue?
I want my other synths to become other instruments too lol
My first techno beat with the XOX custom firmware!
808 + 909 + dual 303-style bass synths + sampler — all packed into this tiny $50 groovebox.
Can it acid? Absolutely! ☢️
Hey everyone! I've been away for just a few days working on major firmware updates, I see this sub has been really really busy, a lot of exciting things going on I have to catch up on! I want to say how appreciative I am of everyone's messages and support and great input and ideation, this community is seriously awesome and it's so good to see people being so creative and collaborative.
I just posted Version 96 ("Now with more Chiptune!")on https://baudgirl.com/, free to download as always, with some serious improvements:
I'm also working on the port to the SMK-37 Pro and Elite, but I have some additional UX adjustments and testing to do!
I wanted to mention, I haven't directly tried out any of the new firmwares the community has been making, but its exciting to see the new stuff in everyone's videos! Since people have been making comparisons to try to wrap their heads around the pros and cons, I just want to say: my philosophy has been not trying to overcrowd the tiny screen with too much information, or where it is too small to read when jamming, and trying to have (as much as possible) less reliance on shortcut button and knob combos and things like that. Consistency is important to make something easy to use. I hope if folks are still used to earlier versions from the last week (it's only been a week!) that the muscle memory from the small things I changed and added make sense (for example, in the new piano roll sequencer, we now maintain the convention from the rest of the UI that SELECT scrolls you vertically and ALGORITHM is either value input or horizontal scroll, the PRESETS knob changes presets like normal but now you hold SEL and turn PRESETS to change patterns, anywhere, which I feel is more consistent conceptually).
Also, fundamentally, this is built as an over-the-top hack of the original V15 firmware from M-VAVE, with the idea that folks can always flash the old firmware back and not lose anything. I've been figuring out a lot of ways around the limitations of that architecture without breaking it, but I would love feedback from folks how important that is, especially when you can use the preset editor on my site to back up presets and things!
Okay sorry for the long post, but thanks so much and I hope people enjoy this! Much more to come.
Baud Girl ✨
If you found yourself that with each new firmware update you have to learn how to use its new features practically from the scratch, here is a personal tip how to do it much faster. For me the fastest way of learning is hands-on using the unit and making concrete beat/song on it. Prerequisite is that firmware of your choice comes with some manual (so far all of them that I checked have it).
Using AI chat of your choice, like ChatGPT for example, give it a prompt (this is example for the latest Sloop 2.5):
"Learn and understand features and functionality of my MVAVE FM1. Link to manual is here: https://raw.githubusercontent.com/isod89/sloop-fm1/refs/heads/main/GUIDE.md
Based on your learning give me step-by-step instruction how to make a nice R&B song."
It works unbelievably well!
Below you can find step-by-step instruction how to make a Soft House beat, using the latest features of Sloop 2.5 with accent on using web editor part (which is really great and becoming more and more and integral part of beat creation process in Sloop). You can accomplish it from start to finish in 10-15 minutes.
(Remark: see it as appendix to the manual to figure out faster how things work and what is possible. Not for cutting the corners on creativity and your creation process.)
Here it is ----->
I’ve read the updated SLOOP 2.5 manual. Let’s make a warm soft-house beat at 116 BPM, with Rhodes chords, a soft bass, and a subtle melody.
We’ll use the FM-1 and the web editor, because some new features are edited through the browser.
| New feature in 2.5 | How we’ll use it |
|---|---|
| PHYS engine | A gentle melody using MUTED GTR |
| Drum synth, SYN1–SYN4 | A custom, softer drum kit |
| Drum delay send | A subtle echo |
| Piano roll | Precise chord entry and note lengths |
| MIDI export/import | Exporting individual patterns for your DAW |
| Song page in the editor | Arranging sections into a song |
Other additions include the NOISE engine, 153 factory sounds, MIDI CC control, bulk DX7 patch import, and 48 kHz USB audio.
Correction to my earlier instructions: the current manual calls the scale button SEL, located between FX and ENV. SELECT is a separate knob.
1. Connect the device and prepare a project
Create a new project on the FM-1:
Under Settings in the editor, set:
| Setting | Value |
|---|---|
| BPM | 116 |
| Global SWING | 0 |
| CLICK | OFF |
| SYNC | INT |
We’ll add swing only to the drums. Leave REC off: we’ll enter notes directly.
2. Create a softer custom kit — new in 2.5
Open Drum synth in the editor.
Start with small changes to the existing kit:
| Sound | Adjustment |
|---|---|
| KICK | Reduce CLICK slightly for a softer attack |
| KICK | Shorten Tone DECAY if the kick rings out too long |
| CLAP | Shorten Noise DECAY slightly |
| HAT | Lower Out LEVEL slightly |
| OPEN HAT | Shorten Noise DECAY so it doesn’t wash over the next beat |
These are suggestions to adjust by ear, rather than factory settings from the manual. Leave the other parameters unchanged for now.
Click Store on the FM-1, then Use on the drum track.
Saving your project and storing your SYN kit edits are separate actions.
3. Program the drums
In the editor, select track 4 → Sequencer → Grid.
Set:
Click the following cells in the grid. Select the appropriate Level before entering each instrument:
| Instrument | Steps | Level |
|---|---|---|
| KICK | 1, 5, 9, 13 | NORM |
| CLAP | 5, 13 | SOFT |
| HAT | 3, 7, 11 | SOFT |
| OPEN HAT | 15 | SOFT |
| SHAKER | 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16 | GHOST |
| RIM | 12 | GHOST |
Press PLAY.
You should hear a steady kick, a clap on beats two and four, and a gently swinging shaker. In SLOOP, SWG 0 means straight timing; 12 gives a small amount of swing.
4. Enter Rhodes chords using the new piano roll
Stop playback. Select track 2 → Sound → Presets → RHODES.
Check these settings:
We’ll enter the individual notes of each chord.
Open Sequencer and set:
At each starting step below, enter all four notes from that row:
| Bar | Chord | Notes | Starting steps |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Am7 | A3, C4, E4, G4 | 3 and 11 |
| 2 | Fmaj7 | A3, C4, E4, F4 | 19 and 27 |
| 3 | Cmaj7 | G3, B3, C4, E4 | 35 and 43 |
| 4 | G7 | G3, B3, D4, F4 | 51 and 59 |
For example, enter the first chord like this:
Clicking at the starting step of a chord adds another note to that chord, up to four. Drag a note’s right edge to adjust its duration.
The result: two short, syncopated chords per bar. These chord voicings keep the notes close together for smooth changes.
5. Soften the Rhodes
On track 2 → Sound:
Aim for a clear attack with rounded high frequencies. Keep the reverb in the background.
6. Add the bass
Select track 1 → Sound → SUB BASS.
Check CHORD OFF, ARP OFF, and TRN 0. In Sequencer, set LEN 64, DIV 1/16, and SWG 0, then open Piano roll.
Set note length to 1/8 and enter:
| Bar | Note to enter | Steps |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | A3 | 3, 7, 11, 15 |
| 2 | F3 | 19, 23, 27, 31 |
| 3 | C4 | 35, 39, 43, 47 |
| 4 | G3 | 51, 55, 59, 63 |
According to the manual, SUB BASS already sounds two octaves below the notes you enter. Don’t transpose these notes down another two octaves.
The bass plays between the kicks. Leave its reverb and delay at zero for now.
7. Add a gentle PHYS melody — new in 2.5
Select track 3 → Sound → MUTED GTR. This preset uses the new PHYS engine.
Set CHORD OFF, ARP OFF, and TRN 0, then configure Sequencer:
Enter this sparse melody:
| Step | Note |
|---|---|
| 7 | E5 |
| 15 | G5 |
| 23 | A5 |
| 31 | G5 |
| 39 | E5 |
| 47 | D5 |
| 55 | B4 |
| 63 | D5 |
If it sounds too bright, reduce BRIT slightly on the PHYS BODY page. Add a little reverb and lower the track level so the melody sits subtly above the Rhodes.
8. Add delay, including the new drum send
Open Sound → FX → DLY, or tap FX on the device until you reach the DLY page.
Set:
On track 3, raise FX → DLY send slightly.
Next, open Settings → DRUMS → DLY in the editor and raise it just above zero. On the device, this is GLO → DRUMS → KNOB 4.
This sends the entire drum track into the delay, including the kick. Keep it very quiet, adding just a little space around the rhythm.
9. Add house pumping and balance the mix
Under Settings → MASTER, start with:
| Parameter | Starting value |
|---|---|
| DUCK | 25% |
| DUST | 6% |
| FILT | Neutral / OFF |
DUCK lowers the synth tracks when the kick hits, then brings them back up, creating gentle house pumping.
Open Tracks in the editor:
Use headphones or external speakers to judge the bass.
10. Save the beat and export MIDI — new in 2.5
Stop playback.
You’ll get separate MIDI files for the bass, chords, melody, and drums. MIDI stores the notes, not the FM-1’s sound; record its USB audio output as well if you want to preserve the exact sound.I’ve read the updated SLOOP 2.5 manual. Let’s make a warm soft-house beat at 116 BPM, with Rhodes chords, a soft bass, and a subtle melody.We’ll use the FM-1 and the web editor, because some new features are edited through the browser.New feature in 2.5 How we’ll use it
PHYS engine A gentle melody using MUTED GTR
Drum synth, SYN1–SYN4 A custom, softer drum kit
Drum delay send A subtle echo
Piano roll Precise chord entry and note lengths
MIDI export/import Exporting individual patterns for your DAW
Song page in the editor Arranging sections into a songOther additions include the NOISE engine, 153 factory sounds, MIDI CC control, bulk DX7 patch import, and 48 kHz USB audio.Correction to my earlier instructions: the current manual calls the scale button SEL, located between FX and ENV. SELECT is a separate knob.1. Connect the device and prepare a projectConnect the FM-1 to your Mac with a USB data cable.
Open the SLOOP editor in Chrome or Edge.
Click Connect and allow MIDI access.
If you have work you want to keep, open Projects → Backup → Save a backup.
Stop playback.Create a new project on the FM-1:Tap GLO, then SAVE.
Turn SELECT to find TOOLS.
Turn KNOB 4 — NEW one click, then another within approximately 1.5 seconds.Under Settings in the editor, set:Setting Value
BPM 116
Global SWING 0
CLICK OFF
SYNC INTWe’ll add swing only to the drums. Leave REC off: we’ll enter notes directly.2. Create a softer custom kit — new in 2.5Open Drum synth in the editor.Choose an available SYN slot, such as SYN1.
Under Start from, select D.HOUSE, then click Copy.
Name the kit SOFTHOUS — eight characters.
Enable Play on change to hear your adjustments.Start with small changes to the existing kit:Sound Adjustment
KICK Reduce CLICK slightly for a softer attack
KICK Shorten Tone DECAY if the kick rings out too long
CLAP Shorten Noise DECAY slightly
HAT Lower Out LEVEL slightly
OPEN HAT Shorten Noise DECAY so it doesn’t wash over the next beatThese are suggestions to adjust by ear, rather than factory settings from the manual. Leave the other parameters unchanged for now.Click Store on the FM-1, then Use on the drum track.Saving your project and storing your SYN kit edits are separate actions.3. Program the drumsIn the editor, select track 4 → Sequencer → Grid.Set:LEN: 16
DIV: 1/16
SWG: 12
Roll: x1Click the following cells in the grid. Select the appropriate Level before entering each instrument:Instrument Steps Level
KICK 1, 5, 9, 13 NORM
CLAP 5, 13 SOFT
HAT 3, 7, 11 SOFT
OPEN HAT 15 SOFT
SHAKER 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16 GHOST
RIM 12 GHOSTPress PLAY.You should hear a steady kick, a clap on beats two and four, and a gently swinging shaker. In SLOOP, SWG 0 means straight timing; 12 gives a small amount of swing.4. Enter Rhodes chords using the new piano rollStop playback. Select track 2 → Sound → Presets → RHODES.Check these settings:VOICE / VCE: POLY
CHORD: OFF
ARP MODE: OFF
Transpose / TRN: 0We’ll enter the individual notes of each chord.Open Sequencer and set:LEN: 64
DIV: 1/16
SWG: 0
View: Piano roll
Note length: 1/8 — two sixteenth-note stepsAt each starting step below, enter all four notes from that row:Bar Chord Notes Starting steps
1 Am7 A3, C4, E4, G4 3 and 11
2 Fmaj7 A3, C4, E4, F4 19 and 27
3 Cmaj7 G3, B3, C4, E4 35 and 43
4 G7 G3, B3, D4, F4 51 and 59For example, enter the first chord like this:At step 3, click the A3 row.
At the same step, add C4, E4, and G4.
Repeat at step 11.Clicking at the starting step of a chord adds another note to that chord, up to four. Drag a note’s right edge to adjust its duration.The result: two short, syncopated chords per bar. These chord voicings keep the notes close together for smooth changes.5. Soften the RhodesOn track 2 → Sound:Leave FX → DST at zero.
Add a little CHO and REV.
Move FILTER slightly toward the low-pass side, left of its neutral position.
If the chords overlap too much, reduce ENV → REL.Aim for a clear attack with rounded high frequencies. Keep the reverb in the background.6. Add the bassSelect track 1 → Sound → SUB BASS.Check CHORD OFF, ARP OFF, and TRN 0. In Sequencer, set LEN 64, DIV 1/16, and SWG 0, then open Piano roll.Set note length to 1/8 and enter:Bar Note to enter Steps
1 A3 3, 7, 11, 15
2 F3 19, 23, 27, 31
3 C4 35, 39, 43, 47
4 G3 51, 55, 59, 63According to the manual, SUB BASS already sounds two octaves below the notes you enter. Don’t transpose these notes down another two octaves.The bass plays between the kicks. Leave its reverb and delay at zero for now.7. Add a gentle PHYS melody — new in 2.5Select track 3 → Sound → MUTED GTR. This preset uses the new PHYS engine.Set CHORD OFF, ARP OFF, and TRN 0, then configure Sequencer:LEN: 64
DIV: 1/16
SWG: 0
Note length: 1/8Enter this sparse melody:Step Note
7 E5
15 G5
23 A5
31 G5
39 E5
47 D5
55 B4
63 D5If it sounds too bright, reduce BRIT slightly on the PHYS BODY page. Add a little reverb and lower the track level so the melody sits subtly above the Rhodes.8. Add delay, including the new drum sendOpen Sound → FX → DLY, or tap FX on the device until you reach the DLY page.Set:TIME: 1/8D
FDBK: low, for a few quiet repeats
COLR: toward a darker sound
MIX: high enough to hear the echo when you raise a sendOn track 3, raise FX → DLY send slightly.Next, open Settings → DRUMS → DLY in the editor and raise it just above zero. On the device, this is GLO → DRUMS → KNOB 4.This sends the entire drum track into the delay, including the kick. Keep it very quiet, adding just a little space around the rhythm.9. Add house pumping and balance the mixUnder Settings → MASTER, start with:Parameter Starting value
DUCK 25%
DUST 6%
FILT Neutral / OFFDUCK lowers the synth tracks when the kick hits, then brings them back up, creating gentle house pumping.Open Tracks in the editor:Use the drums as your foundation.
Bring up the bass until it supports the kick clearly.
Add the Rhodes until the chords fill the space.
Keep the melody quieter than the other musical elements.Use headphones or external speakers to judge the bass.10. Save the beat and export MIDI — new in 2.5Stop playback.On the FM-1, hold SAVE and press white key 5 to save to section A. If A is occupied, choose another slot or deliberately confirm the overwrite.
Open Projects → Backup → Save a backup for a complete backup.
In Sequencer, select each track separately and click Export MIDI.You’ll get separate MIDI files for the bass, chords, melody, and drums. MIDI stores the notes, not the FM-1’s sound; record its USB audio output as well if you want to preserve the exact sound.
Hey all, it's me again. One of the folks buying the shovels in the gold rush. I've been busy with my own thing same as anyone. Anyways without further ado,
The big one: CZ-1
A new engine that plays native Casio CZ-1 tones: the real 144-byte tone data, not an approximation built from ADSR knobs.
The synthesis follows Devin Acker's uPD933 model from MAME. It hasn't been compared against a real CZ-1 yet, so if you own one and try it, I'd love to hear how close it gets.
Also in 0.11
Upgrading from 0.10: projects, templates, settings and user presets carry over. Anything that used SAMPLE, GRAIN or SLICE needs a new sound; the custom drum kit plays as the 808.
Install: plug the FM-1 in by USB, open the web installer in Chrome or Edge and press Install. It backs everything up first, and "Return to official V15" takes you back to the stock firmware any time.
Haha, sorry in advance for the excitement!
It might sound like a joke, but this thing is actually running buttery smooth on my FM1.
I just pushed the deployment to GitHub and ran my first test, and I’m still blown away that everything is actually working!!
Obviously, this is just an early concept/beta prototype, so I haven't done anything too crazy yet. I based it on SLOOP and used sloop-web-emu for testing before flashing... (thanks u/sabliran93)
But this project is already giving me so many ideas on how to push this synth way beyond what it was originally designed to do.
In terms of new functionality, I didn't add anything extra yet.
Overall, what my code does is swap in a series of sprites that re-skin the entire SLOOP interface into something much more visual:
So basically, these are simple visual mappings to features that are already there.
The complex part I wanted to experiment with was enemy density, frame rate performance, and overall potential... for example, tweaking audio fx, impacts the environmental weather (like intensifying rain, adding fog to the scene, etc.).
And through all of that, CPU usage never even went past 32%, which blew me away... That definitely showed me there's plenty of headroom to add more complex features down the road!
Just to be completely upfront and avoid any friction: full disclosure, I vibe-coded this (used Opus 5.5). I already work full-time as a developer, so I had to make the most of my free time tonight.
Huge respect to everyone writing code from scratch by hand.
I definitely don't mean to disrespect the real grind!
I'm mostly sharing this because of how insane this whole trend is! Honestly,
the only limit right now seems to be the creativity of everyone making these custom firmwares.
I reckon we're going to see a flood of new firmwares over the next few weeks, and eventually only the best ones will stick around. But I think that's good! It leaves so much room for creative ideas that can inspire other projects. I totally get it if this kind of stuff feels a bit crazy or overwhelming; using AI to re-imagine something this complex is surreal.
By the way, the video I uploaded here was mostly to walk through what I had in mind for the design.
I haven't designed every single screen yet, just the main ones. But I had so much fun with this that tomorrow morning I’m going to start drawing (by hand) better sprites for everything and hand-animating a few of them so it feels more handcrafted and less "AI-generated."
The link below leads to GitHub if anyone wants to test it out (I'll drop a video of it working in the comments as well). The main bug/issue I noticed is UI sizing: everything looked great in Figma and in the web simulator, but on the physical FM1 screen, a lot of stuff ended up too small and hard to read.
https://hericdk.github.io/fm1-quest/webapp/installer
If you have any suggestions, feedback, or ideas, feel free to drop them! This is only the second time I’ve shared a project like this on GitHub, so I’m still pretty new to all this, but feel free to suggest improvements or open issues over there and here too.
Well, with the community only 10 days old and so many firmwares and forks already popping up, we can conclude one thing... BaudGirl and Felucca are our parents ♥.
I see most people going for whatever looks "visually pleasing," which means Sloop. That's not bad, it has its qualities, but personally I'm on team pioneers.
The one that has stood out most for bringing something different on top of Felucca is X0X, which turned it into a really interesting groovebox. It's worth trying on their site.
That said, we already understand that it's not about having one firmware that does everything, but about which one fits what you need best!
My thoughts:
BaudGirl V96: The build quality is still impeccable. I loved the 8-bit engine, the piano roll everyone wanted, and the knob banks I suggested myself ♥. And I have no words for this web editor, it's so refined and precise. Congrats!
There's not much to say about improvements, since everything already works so beautifully, haha. But what a lot of people will definitely want is more channels, considering the other firmwares that have been released. I'd also suggest a chord scale mode, if possible. It helps a lot when we're away from the PC and have to play on those tiny keys.
Felucca 1.0.2: What a cool little toy you've created! The flat interface is great, and there are so many engines that my eyes light up. And why is nobody talking about the modulation page? Being able to control PAN through the LFO is amazing, for example! And MOTION, which lets you create small parameter automations, is simply incredible!
As for improvements, please focus on knob reading. You can still notice a lot of steps being lost when turning quickly. As for "Knob Accel," I think it could be a bit faster, maybe 8 or 10 steps at a time.
When FX LATCH is ON, it could act on the FX tab itself. Instead of an effect staying held down permanently, the FX tab could stay active after holding FX for a few milliseconds. That would leave both hands free to apply effects simultaneously, and to exit you'd just press FX again or go to another tab. I think the same applies to EDIT and GLOBE.
In the Sequencer, the only thing missing is being able to hold a note or chord and turn Knob 1 to lengthen or shorten it. Going step by step and switching to TIE is exhausting.
Lastly, on the SONG tab, I think it would be more useful to choose which channel to play instead of which pattern. A combination of which pattern + which channel to play would be the peak, but I don't know if we need that much, lol.
Sorry if I'm asking for too much. As I always say, I'm just a layman when it comes to making firmware, and the only thing I can do is test and comment, haha.
Once again, I want to thank Madeline and Leo Kuroshita for bringing joy to so many ♥
Giving away the Ai coded firmware to YouTubers for “Free” to market their slop-ware. It’s 30 dollars. KOALA is 5 dollars and isn’t trying to convince you teenage engineer is cool.
Simulator : https://sabliran.github.io/sloop-web-emu/
real firmware compiled to WebAssembly
I do not remember if I ever created some song so fast. This was 5min including figuring out how it works for the first time, so I can confirm it is quite intuitive. I wanted OP1, now I want 10 more of FM1s for all great firmwares that will come (hope 10 would be enough for next 2 weeks; with the tempo they are releasing those it's crazy!)
Folks have had issues with firmware installation across many different firmwares, with different installation methods (M-UPDATE, mine, others I'm not aware of), and using different types of computers. I'm hoping to try to get to the root of them. This thread is not about my installer, but many folks have used my installer with varying success and I'm making efforts to improve it for everyone to use for whatever firmware they want, so I will mention what I've been up to:
I just posted a new installer. I'm hoping the better communication and problem-solving will help mitigate most of the issues. I'm also doing a number of things differently from a mechanical standpoint that will help:
Also, I can now compare how often installs finish with the new installer and with the old one, which should help. More data!
If you have an issue or think you soft-locked your device and need help, please talk about it here! What firmware, what firmware and version did you overwrite, what kind of computer, what browser, previous failures, any failures with M-UPDATE, any failures with the Baud Girl installer, etc.
>BTW: I think we should also have a separate megathread specifically for community solutions for a bootloader tool. Lots of folks have been building them, you can buy the real JieLi Force Updater but it's expensive for what it is, and I made one with an ESP32-S3 but it needs some resistors and isn't easy for non technical people. Ideally we get 99%+ of the issues solved through better firmware installers, and those that truly soft-locked their device can have an easier way to get back to firmware soon.
**[GUIDE] Unbricking a soft-bricked FM-1 (black screen / "WL82 UBOOT1.00") over plain USB, no extra hardware: confirmed working**
**TL;DR:** If your FM-1 died during a firmware update (black screen, installers say "FM-1 not found", and the PC shows it as **WL82 UBOOT1.00**), you can most likely restore official V15 with just a USB cable, a Windows PC and **jl-uboot-tool**. I did it today. The key: write the *extracted* flash image to **0x4000**, never the .fwsc itself and never at address 0.
Big credit to **u//International-Soup24**, whose post showed jl-uboot-tool could talk to and dump a bricked FM-1. That's what made me try this route. Full credits at the bottom.
---
## What happened to mine
I updated Felucca 0.9-beta → 1.0.1 with the web installer. Afterwards: black screen, nothing boots, web installer and `fm1_install.py` both say *FM-1 not found*. macOS/Windows showed it as a USB storage device, `VID_4C4A PID_8057`, "WL82 UBOOT1.00", which is the JieLi chip's built-in ROM boot mode.
**Interesting finding:** I dumped the flash and compared it block by block:
- `0x0000–0x3FFF` (boot head): identical to stock V15
- `0x4000–0x92FFF` (firmware): an **exact, complete** copy of Felucca 1.0.1 (143/143 sectors)
- my saved projects and settings: intact, valid CRCs
So in my case the install **didn't fail**. 1.0.1 was written perfectly but wouldn't start on my unit. I've reported that to the Felucca dev on GitHub. Bricked by a half-finished install instead? This process covers that too, because you rewrite the whole firmware area.
---
## Before you start: read this
- This is **at your own risk**. It worked on mine. I can't promise it'll work on yours.
- It only applies if your FM-1 shows up as **WL82 UBOOT1.00**. Check first (Step 3).
- **Always make a backup first** (Step 5). That's your undo button.
- **Only ever write at `0x4000`.** Never write anything below it. That area holds the boot code. It's what lets the chip recover at all.
- **Only use the commands in this guide** inside jl-uboot-tool. `erase`, `erasechip` and writes at other addresses can make things much worse.
- This guide is for **Windows**. jl-uboot-tool also supports Linux (slightly different device paths) but **not macOS**.
---
## What you need
- Your FM-1 and a USB **data** cable (not charge-only)
- A Windows PC
- **Python**, from python.org (tick *"Add python.exe to PATH"* during install)
- **jl-uboot-tool** by kagaimiq: https://github.com/kagaimiq/jl-uboot-tool → *Code → Download ZIP*, unzip to e.g. `C:\fm1\jl-uboot-tool-main`
- **Official FM-1 V15 firmware** (`FM-1.fwsc`) from M-VAVE: https://www.m-vave.com/product?id=fm-1
- **fm1_extract_app.py**, a small script that pulls the right image out of the .fwsc: https://gist.github.com/Acrawf1/ae2b9930b49231db397568cfc2abc2a8
Put `FM-1.fwsc` and `fm1_extract_app.py` **in the jl-uboot-tool folder**.
---
## Step 1: Open an admin PowerShell
Right-click **Start** → **Terminal (Admin)** (Win 11) or **Windows PowerShell (Admin)** (Win 10). Admin is required for raw USB disk access.
```
cd C:\fm1\jl-uboot-tool-main
py -m pip install -r requirements.txt
```
## Step 2: Make the file to write
```
py fm1_extract_app.py FM-1.fwsc app_v15.bin
```
You should see:
- `identity: FM-1_015`
- `= official M-VAVE V15`
- `app sha256: 6edf3c37fb5bbbc33607c89375ee024d5477c17914d72221c8c68e58a8255686`
**If you don't get that hash, stop.** Your V15 file isn't the genuine one or got damaged.
## Step 3: Plug in the FM-1 and find it
Plug the FM-1 **directly** into the PC and switch it on (the screen stays black). **If Windows offers to format a disk, click Cancel!**
Note: `jldevfind.py` usually says *"No devices found"* on Windows, because it only scans drive volumes. Find the FM-1's disk number yourself:
```
Get-CimInstance Win32_DiskDrive | Format-Table Index, Model, InterfaceType
```
Look for **`WL82 UBOOT1.00 USB Device`** (InterfaceType USB) and note its **Index**. Mine was 5. **Don't point the tool at any other disk.** Those are your real drives.
## Step 4: Connect to the chip
Replace `5` with your Index:
```
py jluboottool.py --device '\\.\PhysicalDrive5'
```
The Quick info must show **Chip key: 0x980F** and **ID: 0x856014**. If not, type `exit` and stop.
## Step 5: Back up the whole flash (do NOT skip this)
At the `=>JL:` prompt:
```
read 0 0x100000 backup.bin
read 0 0x100000 backup2.bin
exit
```
Check both copies are identical:
```
Get-FileHash backup.bin, backup2.bin
```
The hashes must match, which proves the connection is reliable. Keep `backup.bin` somewhere safe; if you had Felucca, your projects are in it.
## Step 6: Write V15
Reopen the tool (Step 4), then type **exactly**:
```
write 0x4000 app_v15.bin
```
You'll see *Erasing* then *Writing*. **Don't unplug anything** until `=>JL:` comes back. This erases and writes exactly `0x4000–0x92FFF` and nothing else.
## Step 7: Verify every byte
```
read 0x4000 0x8F000 verify.bin
exit
```
Back in PowerShell (make sure you see `PS ...>`, not `=>JL:`):
```
Get-FileHash verify.bin
```
It must be **`6EDF3C37FB5BBBC33607C89375EE024D5477C17914D72221C8C68E58A8255686`**. If it doesn't match, **don't restart**. Run the write again.
## Step 8: Restart
Unplug USB → switch off → wait 5 s → switch on. Mine booted straight into stock V15. 🎉
---
## Notes and troubleshooting
- **"Unknown syntax: Get-FileHash"**: you're still inside jl-uboot-tool. Type `exit` and wait for `Bye!`.
- **SyntaxWarning about `\s`** when running jldevfind: harmless.
- **Your disk number can change** after unplugging/replugging. Re-check it every session.
- **Your on-device songs:** stock firmware may overwrite the area Felucca stores projects in, but they're in your backup.
- **Going back to Felucca:** maybe wait for the dev's response before reinstalling 1.0.1 if it bricked you, since mine was written correctly but wouldn't start. The script also works on Felucca's own .fwsc files if you want an older version.
- **Didn't show up as WL82 UBOOT1.00 at all?** Then this guide doesn't apply, and the hardware route is the **FM-1 Transporter** (an RP2040 board wired to the USB lines): https://github.com/kurogedelic/FM-1-transporter
---
## Credits
- **u/International-Soup24**: first showed jl-uboot-tool detecting and dumping a bricked FM-1, which pointed me down this path
- **kagaimiq**: author of jl-uboot-tool, which made talking to the chip's boot mode possible: https://github.com/kagaimiq/jl-uboot-tool
- **Leo Kuroshita (kurogedelic) / Hügelton Instruments**: Felucca and the FM-1 Transporter. Their open-source docs explained the package format and the flash layout, including the rule that nothing below 0x4000 ever gets written: https://github.com/hugelton/Felucca
- And Claude (Anthropic's AI), which did the flash analysis and wrote the extractor script with me over a very long evening 😅
Questions welcome. Happy to help anyone stuck.
Update: cause found. If you updated from Felucca 0.9-beta to 1.0.x and bricked: the
new firmware gets stuck on startup because of the old 0.9-beta data. Fix while in UBOOT
(after a backup!): erase 0x97000 0x8000 and erase 0xFC000 0x2000, then power-cycle.
1.0.2 boots fine afterwards. That erases your Felucca songs/settings on the device, so back
up first. Reported to the dev on GitHub.
I have big dumb fingers and wanted big dumb knobs. I designed 3 different shapes, so there's some variety.
Mine were printed on a stock prusa mk4 and they're super tight. You may need to scale them up if your printer prints differently than mine. There is a gap of a few mm between the pieces so you can scale up quite a bit before they would hit each other.
Fatty - just a big fat knob.
Paddle- easy to grip and spin, nice visual feedback at a glance kind of
Notch - you can put your finger on it and spin it easily without grabbing the knob.
I've included STEP files so you can modify them more easily if you're into CAD.
https://www.printables.com/model/1868116-knobs-for-the-mvave-fm1
So I bought the Move so that I could sketch song ideas without a phone...on my couch or on a plane.. anywhere. I wanted an inspiration tool, not a full fledged DAW. For its purpose, I'd give the Move a 10 of 10. Quick and easy to use and navigate, great build quality - especially after trying the Yamaha Seqtrak.
Then I bought the Ableton Note app. For 7 USD. It essentially does everything the Move does but includes 4 additional tracks.
THEN I bought the M Wave FM-1 because it was only 50 USD and my favorite Austrian from Bad Gear convinced me it was worth it solely as a fun instrument that recreates the old Yamaha DX and frankly I loved it as is.
Then the firmware race began a week or two ago. I put Baud Girl on it and suddenly it felt like a much better instrument (certainly better to look at).
And finally Sloop came along, swept me off my feet and I've now got a 4 track groove ox for 50 that does 85% of what the Move did for a tenth of the price.
I hate Ableton Live... Anything I create on either device would eventually be replaced in studio by Native Instrument VSTs... and a 430 difference in price paid is just too much to argue for keeping the Move. So while I love it... And I do. I will likely by a second FM-1 to keep as a backup and just use this lil guy to sketch songs on. For the old heads out there... You WILL need reading glasses.
Also, for those nervous about Sloop.. you can quickly revert back to stock firmware directly from the Sloop Installer page.
I'm really excited for all the firmwares out there but I'm a little lost. Which one is the best for turning the M vave into a grovebox?
edit: bad english
I've seen a few posts from people who have bricked their fm1. Is there anything in particular that they're doing that gets them bricked? I've gone from stock to baudgirl to felucca, no issues so far. I'm wanting to do more firmware testing, really enjoying the variety of features that are coming with the new firmwares, but if there's anything that I can do to help keep from bricking I want to make sure I do it.
​
Link: https://mene311.github.io/fm1-pulses/ runs in Chrome, phone or desktop, no install, no accounts.
Repo: https://github.com/mene311/fm1-pulses
Firmware heads-up: the freeze path targets the Baud Girl / FM-1+VA firmware — the 0x20 pattern write exists only there; stock firmware has no pattern-write SysEx at all. On other firmware the app still works as a live MIDI broadcaster (play and morph in real time), just not the freeze.
The FM-1 and its pattern format is undocumented. I reverse-engineered the SysEx write against the Virtual-FM-1 emulator's source and built a generative sequencer on top of it. It works like a small Eurorack chain: clock, gate, LFO, quantizer, buffer.
What it does:
A handful of knobs generates a bank of 16 patterns from one seed. Same seed, same bank, every time.
Rhythm: Gate density plus a Euclidean gradient — 0% is a coin flip per step, 100% is even spacing (tresillo at 3 hits over 8 steps, cinquillo, son clave), everything between mixes the two. A rotate knob shifts the pattern.
Pitch: 9 LFO shapes including a Perlin contour, plus a Shape knob that morphs each wave — folds the sine, bends the ramps, narrows the square into a pulse.
Quantizer with 19 scales, a loop region you can see highlighted in the grid, and Deja Vu (how often the loop repeats itself instead of generating new notes).
Press Freeze and the pattern lands in the FM-1's sequencer over Web MIDI.
Every write is confirmed with a read-back, so the app tells you what the device actually stored — including the "sequencer is playing" refusal instead of failing silently.
Stuff I found while reverse-engineering, for the other FM-1 owners:
BPM is device-global. The firmware acknowledges the tempo bytes in a pattern write and then ignores them. The app reads the unit's real BPM and syncs to it, so the knob always shows what the box will play.
Bluetooth MIDI is notes-only on this firmware. SysEx reads get no reply and writes don't land over BLE. The app plays over Bluetooth and freezes over USB.
Also: banks export/import as JSON, the whole bank downloads as .syx for other tools, five browser preview timbres, and the UI themes are sampled from the hardware's actual case colors.
E
I got the white because I am impatient and it was the one that would ship to me the fastest. I think this looks a little better.