Groove OS is a new custom firmware for the M-VAVE FM-1 that turns the 60€ FM Synthesizer into an 8-track groovebox.
In the last two weeks, the market for open-source custom firmware for hardware products has skyrocketed—thanks to AI, your helpful assistant. A major contributor to this wave is the small $60/60€ M-VAVE FM-1 FM synth.
It received two new custom firmware versions (Baud Girl and Felucca) in just one week. But it doesn’t stop at two. Now, Groove OS—developed by Peter Gombos—is ready; it transforms the synth into a groovebox. This time, though, it isn’t free.
Groove OS
The new Groove OS is a new custom firmware/OS for the M-VAVE FM-1 FM Synthesizer.
Given how quickly it was produced, I assume an AI agent was involved here, too. Otherwise, it takes months to implement something like that, and the FM-1 hasn’t been on the market that long yet.
With its stock firmware right from the Chinese factory, the FM-1 is a classic DX7-style FM synth that plays one sound at a time. This firmware changes everything: Groove OS transforms the FM-1 into a groovebox with eight tracks, each looping at its own length.
Indeed, 8 full tracks, featuring drums, bass, chords, and a lead. At its core, it uses familiar engines but also adds new elements. According to the developer, you can use up to 20 voices at once (12 FM and 8 VA), shared by all your tracks.
4 Engines
The GOS firmware features four engines: the original FM-1 FM engine, a virtual analog (VA), an acid, and the drum machine. VA and acid are also available in Felucca firmware, for example.
VA offers four waveforms (saw, square + PW, triangle, and sine), a super mode with up to 7 detuned copies, a sub-oscillator, noise, drift, and a multimode filter with drive (lowpass 24dB/oct ladder, LP12, BP or HP).
In addition to the synth engines, it also includes a built-in drum machine engine with eight tracks summarized on a single track. You have three onboard drum kits (punch, dusty, and steel) that can play as either FM drums or VA drums.
To refine your sounds, every track (synths + drums) has its own send into the FM-1’s effects (delay, reverb…). The six effects run in one chain, in any order, and a limiter prevents clipping.
Sequencing
Like a classic groovebox, you can also sequence sounds in the Groove OS. Each sound track has its own step sequencer with up to 64 steps and 8 bars.
It supports monophonic and polyphonic note entry (chords), scales, and you can set velocity, length, and chance per note. A dedicated chord editor with built-in scales gives you everything to create your own.
For extra movement and fun, you can even create parameter locks/knob automation and use dice to create instant variations. Alongside the note sequencers, the drum sequencer powers the drum machine.
This has 8 tracks but only takes a single track of the overhaul groovebox. You can program them with the 16 white keys while you pick your sounds with the black keys.
Per hit, you can set the velocity, ratchet, flam, chance, and choose from 11 different conditions. On top of that, you also have the dice parameter that rolls a new variation of the pattern with every SHIFT + SEQ button combo press. The unit stores 16 patterns and chains.
Groove OS also features a mixer with mute and solo for each track and a send FX. To make things more performative, the developer has included a “Perform” page. This turns the FM-1 keyboard into the controls for a set.
The white keys can drop tracks in and out, while the black keys launch scenes. Plus, you get eight punch-in FXs (dive, lift, echo, wash, repeat, fill…) that you can activate with the top keys, letting you mangle your tracks on the fly.
Each track has its own MIDI out channel with clock in and clock out. You can save sets in three slots and export them at any time to your computer. It also has a neat onboard autosave function.
Groove OS First Impression
Yes, you’re seeing that right: it’s still the M-VAVE FM-1. But at its core, it’s now a full-fledged groovebox that fits in your pocket. It’s crazy to see the transformation the little, super-affordable FM-1 synthesizer is currently undergoing.
This new custom firmware seems to be the most comprehensive yet, turning it not just into a new synth but into an entire groovebox. It’s a shame it isn’t open-source and free.
I have a bit of an issue with paying for something that can actually brick the hardware. If it came from M-VAVE itself, I would welcome that, because it would come directly from the developer and under warranty.
In this case, it comes from a new third party. And don’t forget, we are still in “hacking” territory, since M-VAVE doesn’t explicitly list this as a feature. Nevertheless, the project looks very exciting. I’m curious to see how many more custom firmwares we’ll have by the end of next week.
Groove OS is available now for $29. It runs on the M-VAVE FM-1 Synthesizer. You can try out the firmware in your browser.
More information here: GOS
M-VAVE FM-1 is available from my partners
this is absolutely the most impressive music vibecoded thing i have ever seen
the webpage for it literally just lets you use the thing itself interactively right on the marketing webpage that i thought was just a video of the interface running or something but its all just running live right there
its like if TE put opxy on a webpage fully implimented??
im seriously impressed
how will actual hardware developers ever compete against hacked together firmwares for their own devices that worlds and worlds vastly improve upon what they themselves built over years of firmware updates in most cases and we have individual people who may not even be developers or atleast not necessarily dsp programmers building complete new instruments and workflows on the template of existing hardware and showing it is far far more powerful than what the original makers came up with
each one of these firmwares has hugely impressed me this one most of all; i even saw someone is working on a tracker for it on twitter
at some point do grooveboxes just become platforms for everyone to make their own custom workstation ontop of
i think it sounds great
shwung really paved the way
i just worry like you about possible brickings if something goes wrong somewhere unforseen with some edge case that the ai didnt consider
i think Roland should consider this sort of thing with their project lydia pedal thing like why just a pedal why not do a groovebox black box platform interface and hardware ui; make a base for it and let people do whatever they want
this exists already. what you want from Roland.
But sadly it seems it isn’t shipping yet.
Search for dadamachines tbd-16
The synthstrom deluge is also in that direction.
But a M WAVE FM1 much cheaper and but also doesn’t have a SDK.
What in the world does it mean to be music vibe-coded 😭😭
idek what it means to be regular vibe-coded 😝😝
Everyone keeps mentioning AI, so are all of these made with AI?
I’m neutral on AI, but I’m just confused as to what’s going on and how it is being used.
*gasp* are Baud Girl and Groove OS not even real people, just AI aliases that have hacked into synthanatomy to brick all of our 70$ synthesizers??
Speaking of which, I hope they hack something interesting into my behringer micros, because I don’t have M-wave (with a German accent) yet.
I agree with above, vibe coded or not, it’s pretty slick looking, and yeah, the webpage alone is awesome. I just ordered the synth from Amazon, gonna try it out tomorrow. These companies should take notice; while I’m sure they don’t won’t to endorse something like this in case something gets bricked, they should at least, silently, allow it to happen and not block it with a patch. I’m sure I’m not the only one buying the device to try this out. Won’t be surprised if companies start releasing devices with open firmware, just make money off of the hardware itself and leave it to the community to make the software.
its great achievment but from what i can hear itdoes not sound that good – which might be subjective
Looks slick, appreciate the engines and apparent ability, but no way I’m paying half the value of the synth again for vibe-coded firmware that might brick it.
I’m willing to take a shot if it’s free or even, like, an itch.io ‘pay what you feel’ perfunctory thing like a tip for putting it out, but come on. If it’s vibe-coded someone else will just make a copy and give it away if you wait a week.
It seems pretty cool, but two things stop me: 1. Sloop already does a lot of this and more and it is free.
2. $29 for a new firmware for a $60 synth? That is kind of steep. I’d drop $10 on it in a heartbeat, maybe even $20 after I give it some time to see what others think of it, but $29? Nah
Exactly this. $29 is ridiculous.
The guys obviously dreaming if he thinks enough people are going to pay that.
felucca firmware is free and looks also very good
When developers start monetizing on a mostly community driven project. This can have adverse impacts and cause developers to take pause with sharing their work openly in the future. Hesitating if they should release their work open source in fear someone might attempt to make money off it.
This isn’t the best path the take going forward as it could slow the momentum we’ve been seeing in the community.
Not to mention asking almost 50% of what the actual hardware costs is insane. Baud Girl released their work for free and people showed up and donated funds willingly. You wouldn’t pay $500 for firmware on a $1200 synth would you?
I paid 29 dollars for this piece of … , which doesn’t save a thing.
It’s a rip-off.