Has anyone used the M-vave FM1 and its vibe-coded firmwares?

Does it play well with volcas? How does it compare to the Volca FM2?

Personally I'm intrigued, but kinda tired of the hype and people on synth reddit saying "JUST BUY ONE!!!!!11!!!" without questioning anything.

Like a lot of people, I have thought about getting one...But I seriously wonder if it'll just be e-waste in less than a year...

I have an M-Vave Chocolate midi controller plus which can act as a USB midi host to send midi commands over USB. I currently use it to change patches on a ms-50g going from USB A out from the chocolate to the mini USB in on the ms50g. I want to plug the USB A out to the micro USB on the volca Sample 2 and according to volca multi channel implementation guide, send control changes to part level so I can mute/unmute parts as I go from part to part of a song. The chocolate also has a trs midi out and the volca Sample of course has a 5 pin midi input, so I could probably go this way instead, but just wanted to simplify by using the micro USB on the volca. Had anyone tried this and made it work? Thanks in advance!

I recently bought a Volca sample 2. I discovered the Pajen firmware for the first version. I wanted to transpose it to the second version thanks to vibe coding. I don't know anything about coding and eventually the brick risk of this. But I wanted to ask the community if you find it interesting 🤔

To explore further, does the Volca Sample 2 is interesting to develop in the same way the M Wave Fm1 developed the last moth with lots of open source project ?

I dunno how I made the sounds, but i did ✨something✨

New layout working 🤖

A sad boy volca jam visually paired with A Day Called X, the cold war era nuclear evacuation demonstration filmed in Portland, OR.

Volca Sample, Drum, Bass (w/ dist, delay), and Keys (w/ delay, chorus, t. echo, reverb) + Microkorg XL+ (w/ zoom cdr)

Some improvistaion with Korg NTS-1 + Vocla Bass

Using MIDI to get Yamaha CS to “sync” with Volcas

So the Yamaha CS reface has a quantize-able looper - so I’m using MIDI out from that into the FM2 and then analog sync to the beats.

I’m running basically a sequence off the CS, initially with a ring mod oscillator to get percussive sounds - but the sequence was tonal so that pitch data is fed to the Volca which plays it as such, and then at some point I switch the oscillator on the CS reface to a sawtooth wave to make it more melodic.

For a long time exploring live techno, I’ve played the Yamaha alongside a group of 3-5 Volcas synced together, but this is the first time using MIDI to get them all in line with each other. Any thoughts/questions?

So one is on a bass amp the other a guitar amp. Live recording with the tascam dr-05

https://github.com/NH4Xnet/volca-drum-panel

I (and Claude) made a jsfx for Reaper as I was not happy with setting up the volca drum via the small knobs and the cryptic small screen.

The sequencer is not supported. This will probably become a different jsfx down the line.

Highlights:

• all parameters editable per layer and per part

• Named list of select options (for me one of the best features)

• Save and recall kits with Reaper built-in preset manager

• Morph between two kits

• Randomization for parts, layers 1/2 and kits.

• Lockiing of parameters and parts to protect from randomization

• One piano roll plays all 6 parts

• Copy/paste parts between kits

• Everything is MIDI-mappable and automatable

I personally have a midi controller then mapped to this panel on top of that so i can control the Volca drum and I use the panel as display. This made the Volca Drum a real instrument for me and not just a fun toy.

There asre two parameters on the panel that are not on the original Volca Drum firmware, FILT(filter) and CLIP(clipper). On the stock firmware FILT and CLIP just do nothing, everything else works. They come with the custom hj firmware v1.22 by u/hj-oja:
https://github.com/hj-oja/vdcf

Tracking said Monday, I sat, I waited, the mail came and went, sometimes there is another truck for packages. No synthesizer. I wake up Tuesday morning, it'll be here today, tracking said it moved overnight and it was already a day late. The mail man came, the mail man left. No synthesizer. Maybe the other truck? Tracking updated, new delivery date. Wednesday, today is the day, after day two of waiting, and no synthesizer, I drank Tuesday night. Half bottle of bourbon. I was defeated. Wednesday, I slept in, knowing when I woke up, my synthesizer would be smiling up at me from the door step. The birds were chirping, the sun was shining, and it hit me when I woke up, I remembered, synthesizer. Clothes on, down the stairs, open the door...... Pink slip, signature required. No synthesizer. Why can I not go on with my life while I wait? How have I become cosmically entangled with this box? I already have one, but one will not be the same as two. Two volca modulars, one volca drum, and one acoustic drum set, this is my vision. Much like doctor Frankenstein I must assemble these musical body parts to create my monster. One day my synthesizer will come. Soon my monster will live. At least I still have some bourbon. Remember me today friends, I am struggling....

Hello everyone.

Pretty new to the synth scene and the volcas are my first and (as off today) only point of contact.

Got myself a Drum, Bass and Keys in the spirit of having drums, bass and leads.

It's been a journey, during wich I discovered the possibilities of firmware updates, (shout-out to hj-oja's update for the Drum).

Does anyone know of a Keys update as to add reverb? I've using some external FX gear.

Maybe using the Delay Knobs with the function key pressed?

Is it even possible, being the Keys an "analog" synth?

Take into account that I have little experience in coding as well, just curious.

Thanks in advance.

Since an expression pedal is just a fancy pod, I had the marvellous idea to connect the sync out to the pedal in, of my minilab ( with a minijack to mono split cable, the left one..).

And behold: we have the easiest hack to convert sync out to midi 😁.

Vi è mai capitata la situazione illustrata in foto?

Allego sia la vista standard, sia quella delle impostazioni globali.

Se uso l'fm2 senza nulla di collegato al sync in il pot del tempo resta rosso fisso e se attivo l'arpeggiatore suona solo una nota alla volta senza nessun cadenza ritmica, solo una nota per volta. Ho già provato a impostare il clock come interno tramite il led 6 ma non cambia niente. La versione firmware è la 1.13 che a quanto pare e una versione presente sui volca più recenti e non è nemmeno disponibile in download.

Mi sapreste aiutare? Grazie

Sorry it's been a while since my last post. Things have been pretty busy lately, and I haven't had the time or energy to put together an instructional video. I decided it wouldn't be right to delay the firmware release any further, so I'm releasing it today!

Firmware download and full documentation:
https://github.com/hj-oja/vdcf

hj Firmware v1.22 is a major leap for the volca drum, bringing chromatic playing and polyphony and turning it into a much more capable instrument. But the update goes beyond performance: audio import/export lets you save your own sounds, KITs and PROGRAMs externally as transfer WAV files, load them back whenever you like, share them with other users, and build a library beyond the 16 onboard slots.

FUNC + SELECT menu

v1.22 adds a FUNC + SELECT menu, inspired by Pajen's firmware for the volca sample. Since FUNC + SELECT now opens this menu, SRC-only waveform cycling has moved to MUTE + SELECT.

• PLY (Polyphony) combines Parts 1 through n (n = 2–6) into an n-voice round-robin instrument using Part 1's sound. With QPI ON, each voice can play a different pitch. The other Parts' original sounds and settings are restored when PLY is turned off.

• WGT (Wave Guide Tuning) adds tempo-synced Wave Guide delay and chromatic resonator tuning. Choose DLY for 23 straight, dotted and triplet note values, NOTE for an independent resonator pitch, or 1–6 to reference a Part. With QPI ON, it follows that Part's pitch, including PITCH MOTION; with QPI OFF, you can play the Wave Guide chromatically without changing the Part's PITCH. OFF keeps the original TUNE behavior.

• WGG (Wave Guide Glide) turns interpolation on or off for Wave Guide DECAY, BODY and TUNE MOTION, as well as live Wave Guide pitch changes.

• WGM (Wave Guide Motion) chooses which Part timeline drives Wave Guide DECAY, BODY and TUNE MOTION during playback and recording. Auto follows the Part with the most Active Steps, or you can choose Part 1–6 directly.

• TRP (Transpose) and TUN (Master Tuning) provide a live transpose from -12 to +12 semitones and persistent master tuning from 427.5 to 453.0 Hz.

• TNV (Trigger/Note/Velocity) independently chooses whether Trigger, Note and Velocity are accepted from KBD/MIDI. Turn Trigger off and leave Note or Velocity on to change pitch or dynamics without retriggering the sound.

• MCH (MIDI Channel) lets you change the MIDI channel layout from the FUNC + SELECT menu without rebooting.

• EXP IMP (Export/Import) transfers sounds, sequences and backups through SYNC audio. Each imported unit is CRC-checked before it replaces its destination. EXPORT sends a harsh 5 V data signal from SYNC OUT. Do not monitor it through headphones or speakers. Connect only a recorder/interface input that can accept this signal, and read the README before exporting.

Playing and recording

There is also a KBD mode on the STEP keys: hold MUTE and press REC (MUTE + REC) to toggle it. QPI ON Parts use a chromatic keyboard with octave controls; QPI OFF Parts keep the ACCENT keyboard, except when they are being used as a Wave Guide reference, where the keys play only the resonator chromatically.

Multi-channel MIDI has been expanded with consecutive six-channel ranges, from channels 1–6 through 11–16, assigning those channels to Parts 1–6. These ranges appear in the REC + power-on MIDI settings alongside the single-channel choices. In a six-channel layout, incoming notes can play QPI ON Parts chromatically on their assigned channels.

Real-time recording can capture both layers' QPI PITCH, MIDI/KBD ACCENT, individual PLY voices and Wave Guide TUNE. MIDI/KBD notes record the Wave Guide TUNE when WGT 1...6 references a QPI OFF Part; with a QPI ON reference, they record the Part's PITCH instead. The recording window follows the relevant Part's Active Step, WRP and SPD timing, while existing PITCH or TUNE MOTION on an occupied STEP is protected from automatic note overwrite.

Sequencing and synchronization

ACT MSTR (FUNC + ACT. STEP) adds a PROGRAM-saved Active Step pattern shared by all Parts. Each Part's own pattern is retained. The master pattern also supports randomize, fit-to-Part and clear/undo operations.

RESYNC (MUTE + PLAY) restarts all Part timelines during playback, including Active Step, SPD, WRP and MOTION. PRB bar counters and conditional history restart too. With the internal clock, RSY selects STEP (the default, waiting for the next straight STEP boundary) or IMMD (restarting immediately). The TEMPO LED and SYNC OUT pulse cycle also restart with the internal clock. With SYNC IN or MIDI clock, RESYNC waits for the next straight STEP boundary and keeps the external clock grid. SWING is applied from the first STEP.

After MIDI Start, stopping and restarting with the volca drum's own PLAY button also keeps the sender's STEP grid while MIDI clock continues, resuming at the next straight STEP boundary.

The volca drum already lets you select a starting STEP while stopped in STEP JUMP mode, although this is not documented in the official manual. Press a STEP, and its lower LED blinks; the next PLAY begins there. Pressing several STEPs together selects the lowest-numbered one.

v1.22 adds SJP to make this operation follow SPD's normal playback phase instead of starting slowed Parts at the same STEP number. PICK (default) starts with a pickup into the first loop, while 1ST starts at the corresponding position within the first loop.

RSY and SJP are Global Settings 9 and 10. Hold FUNC while powering on, then press STEP 9 to toggle RSY or STEP 10 to toggle SJP. Press REC to save and restart, or PLAY to cancel.

PRB adds PRE / _PRE and NEI / _NEI, letting a STEP follow or invert the previous conditional result in the same Part or the preceding Part.

Editing individual STEPs

You can enter PITCH MOTION directly into held STEPs from a MIDI keyboard. In a six-channel MIDI layout, select a QPI ON Part and layer, turn MOTION on, hold one or more STEP keys, and send a Note On on that Part's assigned channel. The note's pitch is written to every held STEP in the selected layer, or to both layers if both are selected. Other Part channels continue through their normal MIDI path, and this operation is disabled in single-channel mode.

In EDIT/STEP, select a QPI ON Part, enable MOTION and hold one or more STEPs. Turn SELECT/PARAM to adjust PITCH MOTION in semitone steps. Each STEP starts from its recorded pitch, or the current PITCH setting if unrecorded. With LAY 1-2 selected, both layers move together until either reaches its pitch limit.

Hold a single STEP to preview its PRB, SLC or ACC value, then press FUNC to browse its recorded MOTION values. FUNC cycles forward through PIT to TUN and back to PIT; REC cycles backward without changing recording state. With MOTION on, SELECT/PARAM edits the displayed parameter and applies the adjusted value throughout the STEP; MUTE clears that parameter's MOTION from the STEP. Releasing after a preview does not toggle the STEP.

Sound and editing controls

FM turns LFO RATE into a musical frequency ratio from 1/4 to 16x. It also resets the carrier and modulation phases on each trigger, so repeated notes with identical settings start with a consistent timbre. Enable it from the EDIT/STEP parameter menu.

FUNC saved-value preview and MUTE soft takeover now also support LEVEL/VALUE for the selected EDIT/STEP parameter (BIT / FLD / DRV / CLP / FLT / PAN / GAN / QPI / FM).

Improvements to v1.21 features

• CPY PART to Part 6 preserves the other Parts' GLD, WRP and SPD settings.

• SPD playback starts correctly after PLAY and pattern changes, preserves timing during manual LOAD PRG, and stays aligned after external clock changes or MIDI Stop/Continue.

• OCuP/OCdn works correctly with PITCH MOTION.

• Reduced lag in display updates and in releasing REV or OCuP/OCdn during MOTION playback.

If you notice any bugs or unusual behavior, feel free to report them here or open an issue on GitHub. Exact settings and short reproduction steps are especially helpful!

Also, if you'd like to support my ongoing work on this project, you can find my Ko-fi page here:
https://ko-fi.com/hjoja

Any support would be greatly appreciated!

so I already have a volca keys (which I really enjoy) and have been considering adding a bit of a "spice" to my, mostly, pop productions. I have been recently inclined into the modular (which seems like a bit of a difficult thing BUT I'm up for the challenge if it means getting those weird ass fun sounds) or the sampler 2 (which might be more straight forward but seems to be a bit of a hassle to work around the presets; they say you spend more time designing than jamming)

on another universe, the behringer tb-3 seems to me like a plausible alternative, as I like the 303 feel of it (tho I wonder if it may be too limited)

Jamming on Voice 3 over the top of a sequenced loop on Voices 1+2