Rui CarmoThe M-VAVE FM-1 is a compact, battery-powered FM synthesizer with six operators, 32 algorithms, up to 12 voices and DX7 SysEx bank import. It has 27 silicone keys, a built-in speaker, effects, an arpeggiator and a sequencer, plus USB MIDI, Bluetooth LE MIDI and a 3.5mm MIDI input.
It stores 128 patches in four banks of 32. FM1 Editor and DXcompanion can send patches to it, but cannot read them back. Keep the source banks and save the FM-1 effects settings separately, since those aren’t included in DX7 SysEx files.
Resources
| Category | Link | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Community | M-VAVE FM-1 subreddit | Community discussion of FM-1 firmware, patches, tools and troubleshooting. |
| Documentation | JieLi AC79 development-board documentation | Chinese-language AC79 SDK development-board overview and hardware documentation. |
| Official manual | Controls, operator editing, MIDI implementation and patch-bank transfers. | |
| Official downloads | Desktop utilities, firmware and MIDI control documents. Check the version on the instrument before applying updates. | |
| MIDI control reference | Official English MIDI control reference in Word format. | |
| Firmware release notes | Version-specific changes to editing, sequencing and MIDI handling. | |
| Editors | DXcompanion | Web MIDI editor with FM-1 voice and effects controls. It cannot read patches from the instrument. The MIDI mapping is in its FM-1 profile. |
| FM1 Editor | Benny Sparra’s browser editor for voices, effects and patch banks. Uses Web MIDI. It cannot read banks from the FM-1, and its DX7 SysEx exports leave out effects settings. | |
| FM1 Editor source | Editor source, patch-transfer documentation and limits on browser storage. | |
| Firmware | FM-1+VA | Custom firmware for the FM-1 with live-performance improvements and a Virtual Analog engine; installable from a browser over USB |
| FoMni | GPL-3.0-only Omnichord-inspired chord-harp firmware with strum keys, chord buttons, ten OM-84 rhythms, browser demo and installer. | |
| X0X | Felucca-based groovebox firmware with 808/909 drums, two Open303 parts, sliced breakbeats and a step sequencer. | |
| Felucca | GPL-3.0 custom firmware for the FM-1, with nine synth engines, four tracks, sequencer, effects, presets and a web editor/installer; browser demo | |
| SLOOP | GPL-3.0 Felucca-based FM-1 groovebox firmware, with four tracks, nine synthesis engines, drum kits, sample upload, and web editor; browser installer | |
| Groove OS | Commercial FM-1 groovebox firmware with FM and virtual-analog sounds, an 8-track sequencer, live-performance features, and browser-based USB installation | |
| Research | FM-1-RE | Firmware disassembly and USB-MIDI updater analysis, with architecture notes and a successful return to stock firmware. Recovery after an interrupted write is untested. The main branch focuses on research and documentation. |
| fm1-custom-fw | Teardown photographs, macOS updater analysis and SysEx research. The author lists the flasher as untested on hardware. | |
| Resources | FM1 firmware directory | Directory of FM-1 replacement firmware, with feature comparisons and project links. |
| awesome-fm-1 | Community-curated collection of FM-1 firmware, editors, reverse-engineering projects and other resources. | |
| Reviews | Synth Anatomy V15 update | V15 update coverage. The official changelog has the detailed MIDI and editing changes. |
| Synth Anatomy librarian article | July 2026 article about Benny Sparra’s librarian, now at fm1-editor.com. | |
| Synth Anatomy FM-1 review | July 2026 hands-on review using V14. Later firmware changes affect some reported limitations. | |
| Tools | ghidra-jieli | Ghidra support for JieLi processors, linked from the FM-1 reverse-engineering projects. |
| jl-misctools | Tools for inspecting JieLi firmware files and resources, linked from the FM-1 reverse-engineering projects. | |
| jl-uboot-tool | JieLi bootloader tools. Compatibility with WL82/AC791N and recovery of a retail FM-1 have not been demonstrated. | |
| FM-1-transporter | RP2040-based utility for reading and writing FM-1 flash, with full dumps and verified changed-sector writes; requires wl82loader.bin and careful wiring | |
| Videos | DECIMA1 demo | No-talking FM-1 demo. Recording setup unknown. |
| Noob Tones cinematic demo | FM-1 demo processed with external Valhalla Shimmer and UJAM UFX Delay. | |
| Synth Anatomy video review | Video version of the Synth Anatomy review. |
Related
- Yamaha DX7 – software synths, patches and tools for editing and assembling banks.
- MIDI – SysEx transfers and MIDI monitoring.
- My MiniDexed build