Baud Girl FM-1+VA is a new custom firmware for the M-VAVE FM-1 that turns the super-affordable FM synth into a 303-style supersaw VA synth.
Summer 2026 was quiet on the hardware Synthesizer front. The hot topic was the M-VAVE FM-1, a small 12-voice DX-7 synth from China for under 70€. Many people bought the synth, many out of curiosity or to see what it offers for the price.
Some people also bought the FM-1 synth to do other things with it, like Baud Girl, who has released a new custom firmware FM-1+VA.
Baud Girl FM-1+VA
The new FM-1+VA is an unofficial custom firmware for the M-VAVE FM-1 FM Synthesizer, focused on live performance and new features.
Baud Girl FM-1+VA centers on two key elements: a new user interface concept and an upgraded engine. According to the developer, most of the work went into how the FM-1 feels to play.
First, the menu structure changes. Every screen is a list in the FM-1+VA firmware, six rows at a time, with the setting’s name on the left and its value on the right. With the SELECT knob, you scroll the list and more.
Then, the firmware alters the knob’s workflow and makes it more flexible to use. All four knobs adjust parameters in real time from any screen on the device, including the sequencer and the menus.
Each knob can be custom-assigned to parameters, including on-the-fly by holding SEL. The select knob has also been more deeply integrated into the control concept.
It now works as ENTER on every screen. There is also a new group system with settings sitting in groups, and a group can hold more groups.
Upgraded Engine With VA And New Sequencer
The new Baud Girl FM-1+VA firmware isn’t just about cosmetics or workflow; it changes something much deeper—the engine itself.
Don’t panic, FM fans. The DX-7 engine is here to stay. With the new FM-1+VA, you get a new classic virtual analog engine with a single oscillator that you can run in place of FM synthesis.
It has classic shapes (sine, saw, square, and triangle) with a super parameter that fades in six more copies, giving you superwave sounds. Detune spreads them apart in pitch, and drift gives them motion.
Behind this VA oscillator lies a traditional subtractive engine with a multimode filter with low-pass (12/24), band-pass, and high-pass with an adjustable and shapable envelope
Those who prefer the FM engine benefit from an optimized engine that plays DX7 patches exactly as they were programmed. This is made possible by improvements addressing flaws in the M-VAVE engine.
The new custom firmware also completely overhauls the original sequencer. It introduces a new 303-inspired sequencer with 64 steps (16×4) that you can program using a dot matrix. It supports moving, copying, and pasting steps, as well as copying patterns.
Alongside the note and velocity data, the new firmware also brings powerful per-step features: ratcheting, chance, gate, transpose, accent, slide, and more.
First Impression
In my review, I was very impressed with the FM-1 for its price, even though it had some limitations. The new firmware eliminates many of them and even brings a VA engine to the table that I would like to see in a second M-VAVE hardware unit
An exciting custom firmware that makes the FM-1 even more interesting. Baud Girl will also release it as open-source firmware, along with dedicated editors.
Baud Girl FM-1+VA is available now as a free download. This is not M-VAVE’s firmware, and you install it at your own risk.
More information here: Baud Girl
M-VAVE FM-1 is available from my partners
I think I commented on here of all places that M-VAVE should put out the same device with a VA synth engine and it looks like I wasn’t the only person who had the thought, gonna try this out on my FM-1!
Absolutely love things getting hacked specially cheapo things like this and not so cheapo like the Ableton Move sideload shadow OS hack thing. To me it goes from uninteresting to must have. The Cherry on top of this would be MVave making the OS open source.
If I were M-Vave, I would bless and build upon BaudGirl’s firmware once she makes it available. She’s been super-quick to accept feedback and address bugs, and at her initial release made the FM-1 completely compatible with the remaining DX7 patches that didn’t quite work right in the original firmware. Kudos!
desde luego hay que valorar estas iniciativas tan potentes y que ademas lo haya publicado en código abierto.
muchas gracias.
This is so cool. Those few bucks spend just gets better and better. 🙂
This is genuinely brilliant.
I haven’t really tried the VA engine yet, but just the sequencer alone is a massive upgrade. The menus are so much easier to navigate.
Big thanks Baud Girl.
To think, this has only been out a few months. And, as awesome as this is, hopefully we’ll get some other people doing equal cool stuff with little box.
I literally bought it as a low cost hardware Dexed box, it now has the potential to be so much more.
I installed it.
And it works much better.
The MIDI clock with the sequencer no longer has any issues.
The arpeggiator is still slow to respond.
My son found Sloop a lot more intuitive and usable. Wish this was on the SMK37Pro. We live in interesting times… already got another device for the kids to play with.