FM-1 016 Firmware Release Notes
Compared with: the 015 release (single-timbral, 12-note polyphony)
The user manual on the official website has been updated accordingly. Please refer to it for detailed operating instructions.
Prepared: October 20, 2026
Terminology: “Voice” on the display refers to a timbral part. “Polyphony” refers to the total number of synthesis voices available across the instrument.
1. Multitimbral Operation and Expanded Polyphony
1. Expanded from one timbral part to eight Voices. Play different sounds simultaneously or layer multiple sounds together.
2. Total polyphony increases from 12 to 20 synthesis voices, dynamically shared across all eight parts. The instrument provides 20 voices in total, not 20 per part.
3. Each Voice has its own preset, On/Off setting, MIDI receive channel, level, pan, pitch-bend up/down ranges, and glide settings.
4. Added independent Fine Tune for each Voice, adjustable from -100 to +100 cents.
5. Assign Voices to the same MIDI channel for layering, or to different channels for independent control from an external keyboard or sequencer.
2. SEQ Sequencer and Multitrack Arrangements
1. Each Pattern now supports up to 64 steps instead of 16. The Pattern pool remains at 16 Patterns.
2. Replaced sequential Pattern chaining with an eight-track, eight-column arrangement. Each row corresponds to a Voice. Assign any Pattern to a cell or leave it empty; multiple rows can play simultaneously.
3. The arrangement view displays four Voice rows and four columns at a time. It scrolls automatically when selecting rows or columns outside the visible range. Disabled Voices and cells beyond the playback length are dimmed.
4. Arrangement length is adjustable from one to eight columns. Multiple cells can reference the same Pattern; editing that Pattern updates every reference.
[...]
Last checked 26 Oct 2026
CUSTOM FIRMWARENOT FROM M-VAVE
Looking for custom firmware for the FM-1?
The community is building alternative firmware for it. The best known:
Connect the FM-1 to your computer with a USB-C cable, download the .fwsc firmware file and the M-UPGRADE app (Windows or macOS) from the FM-1 product page on m-vave.com, then open M-UPGRADE, load the .fwsc file and follow the on-screen prompts. macOS note: M-UPGRADE for Mac is not notarized by Apple, so the first launch is blocked by Gatekeeper. Try to open it once, then go to System Settings > Privacy & Security, scroll down and click "Open Anyway" (alternative in Terminal: xattr -dr com.apple.quarantine /Applications/M-UPGRADE.app). The disk image mounts as "M-EFCS", that is normal. If the updater reports "Failed to enter upgrade mode!", keep M-UPGRADE open, unplug and re-plug the USB cable, then continue.
What you need
M-UPGRADE — the software M-Vave uses to load firmware onto the M-Vave FM-1. Download links below.
Changelogs summarised from the manufacturer's release notes.
Version V16 — 21 Oct 2026
Release notes for this version are listed above.
Version V15 — 30 Jul 2026
LED lights have increased the basic brightness
Glob
Reset tone, reset to the last imported tone, you can choose which group to reset, A, B, C, D four groups
Add Glide sliding function: Glo interface second page, range 0-1s, parameter range 0-100, can only be used when the current tone is mono
Seq
1. Add recording of long notes. In the current step, hold down the desired note and rotate 'select' to select the target step. Release the button and the long note recording will not overwrite the previous note
2. Add voice selection, on the second page of seq, each pattern can be bound to a voice. After entering seq, the preset knob is invalid
3. Add step selection, seq first page, play according to the selected step value
4. Add chain mode, seq first page, parameter range 1-16, can choose to play several patterns continuously, starting from the current pattern
Edit
1. New tone template: On the second page of the globe sub page in the Edit interface, after rotating K1, all parameters will become a basic numerical value
2. New tone renaming: On the second page of the globe sub page in the Edit interface, rotate K2 to enter the renaming interface: op1: A-Z op1: a-z op1: symbol op1: number op5: delete
3. New timbre copying: On the second page of the globe sub page of the Edit interface, you can select other timbres to overwrite the current timbre. Turn K3 to the right to enter, and turn K3 to the left in the selection interface to exit. Rotate K4 to select the timbre to be copied, and rotate select to confirm
4. Long press the OPX button to mute the OP and switch the tone to reset it
FX
1. Change the numerical adjustment from the previous 0-10 to 0-100
ENV
1. Change the numerical adjustment from the previous 0-10 to 0-100
MIDI
1. Identify the situation where the note on force is 0 as note off, for example: 90 30 00 will be recognized as 80 30 00
[...]
1. Add BPM synchronization function for ARP and Seq
2. The OP interface will remember which page the current tone is and which OP it is on
3. Add tone changing function to the sequencer
4. Update some factory tones to make the volume more even
5. Add glob strength options 1-127
6. New MIDI channel selection: Change the value from note ch to MIDI ch before the value is in the glob, and the current default is ALL full channel
7. Add PC code control for sound quality:PC 0 -PC127
8. Add two new rates: 1/1 and 1/2
(This version downloads software in major update to perform overall firmware software updates)
Version V09 — 24 Jun 2026
1. Add ENV envelope function switch
2. Add RATE modification during SEQ recording process
3. Added SEQ Empty beat and note replacement function
The latest firmware for the M-Vave FM-1 is version V16, released on 21 Oct 2026. FW//RADAR last checked M-Vave's official page on 26 Oct 2026.
How do I update the M-Vave FM-1?
Connect the FM-1 to your computer with a USB-C cable, download the .fwsc firmware file and the M-UPGRADE app (Windows or macOS) from the FM-1 product page on m-vave.com, then open M-UPGRADE, load the .fwsc file and follow the on-screen prompts. macOS note: M-UPGRADE for Mac is not notarized by Apple, so the first… Full instructions on M-Vave's official firmware page.
What software do I need to update the M-Vave FM-1?
You need M-UPGRADE, available from m-vave.com.
Where can I download M-Vave FM-1 firmware and drivers?
Directly from M-Vave's official firmware page — FW//RADAR links to the source and never hosts firmware files. Official firmware page →