What is ETCH?

ETCH turns your FM1 into a hands-on synthesizer built around waveforms you draw yourself. Shape Wave A and Wave B, morph between them, use Wave C to modulate the result, and explore a full set of filters, effects and performance tools.

Firmware: V1.88 · M-VAVE FM1 · Package/USB identity: FM-1_1500 · Project format: PJT32 · License: GPL-3.0-only.

Sound engine

Wave A ── [A inserts] ──┐
                        ├─ MORPH ── FILTER / DRIVE ── WAVE AMP ── ADSR ── FX ── OUTPUT
Wave B ── [B inserts] ──┘    ↑
                             │
Wave C ──────────────── PHASE / MORPH / FX MODULATION

• DRAW: edit all 128 points of Wave A, B or C directly on the FM1.
• Three drawing brushes: DETAIL (5-point local brush), SOFT (17-point smooth brush), EDGE (single-point sharp brush). Select with the ALGORITHM encoder in DRAW.
• Wave shaping tools: PHASE WARP moves the waveform’s half-cycle boundary to create distinct harmonic movement; HALF SYMM blends the second half toward a flipped or repeated first half, suppressing or emphasizing even harmonics. Both work directly on editable points, offer CYAN/AMBER preview, and support Undo/Redo. Go to DRAW → FX → FX → FX → FX (TOOLS), choose tool 13 or 14 with K1, set signed amount with K2 (127 = neutral), select A/B/C using K3 and press SAVE to apply.
• MORPH: blend the shape of A and B, rather than merely crossfading two audio channels.
• WAVE AMP: use A, B or their morphed wave to control volume at oscillator speed, with adjustable depth. ADSR remains independent.
• Modulation: Wave C phase/morph/FX destinations, four-route Mod Matrix, EVOLUTION, ORGANIC analogue-style drift, LIVING, SPECTRAL and PATCH BLEND.
• Effects: pre-morph Wave A/B inserts and global chorus, delay, reverb, drive, modulation and dynamics effects. FX BYPASS skips supported expensive processing while preserving values.
• Performance: up to eight shared voices, ARP/RIFF, up to 256 sequencer steps, harmony tools, GROUPS keyboard splits, four performance macros and two scenes.

Sound design tip: use EDGE at lower/mid pitches with the filter open to hear sharp harmonic differences. High notes use band-limited wavetables, so sharp shapes may sound closer together. SOFT gives smoother contours. DRAW encoder input is polled every 20 ms; edited wavetables are requested from 40 ms when audio is healthy, or 55 ms with USB audio, and automatically paced more conservatively under audio pressure. The on-screen cursor is rendered before wavetable compilation; cursor motion does not itself trigger a wavetable rebuild. Keyboard auditioning does not edit wave points: brief K1–K4 encoder deltas around physical note-on/off are ignored in DRAW, then normal controls resume while the note is held.

Three different kinds of saved data

A computer .etchpreset is a sound snapshot, not a full project, sample or sequencer backup.

Getting started

1. Turn down MASTER and start ETCH. After the VHS-style SIKKENWORKS intro, choose SIMPLE or ADVANCED using K1 and SEL.
2. Press HOME for SOUND. Try K1 MORPH, K2 ETCH, K3 TONE and K4 SPACE.
3. Turn SELECT to MORPH. Use K1/K2 to select Waves A/B and K3 to morph between them. K4 sets Wave C rate; ALGORITHM adjusts ETCH depth on this page.
4. Press EDIT. Turn SELECT to choose A/B/C. Use K1 for horizontal position and K2 to raise/lower the waveform, and ALGORITHM for the brush. K3/K4 edit harmonics.
5. Return to SOUND with HOME. Set FILTER, ENV and FX to taste, then save the waveform and preset separately if you want a reusable wave and a saved sound.

SIMPLE and ADVANCED

To switch: GLO → SYSTEM / WORKFLOW → K2. In ADVANCED, the WORKFLOW catalog uses K3 to select and K4 to open a permitted page. Some CPU-heavy modulation pages require MONO mode. The header displays V188S or V188A according to the selected workflow.

Controls & shortcuts

K1–K4 always control the parameters displayed on the current page. SEL is a button; SELECT is a rotary encoder.

Do not use double-HOME for PROJECTS. Use HOME + SAVE. The full user manual contains the screen-by-screen K1–K4 reference and the interactive cheat sheet provides searchable shortcuts.

Draw, sculpt & play

In DRAW, K1 selects one of the 128 waveform points and K2 adjusts it vertically. DETAIL is for precise contours; SOFT produces rounded slopes; EDGE introduces sharp shapes and stronger harmonic contrasts. The editor uses the existing wavetable banks, recompiling only changed waves. Waveform edits still support 16 shared Undo/Redo history snapshots.

Flat line: hold EDIT, choose YES with K1, press SEL. Only the active wave becomes a zero line, and ENV can undo. Selecting NO or HOME cancels without touching it.

Live effects vs waveform tools: WFX, SCULPT and tools alter the editable waveform when baked; Wave A/B inserts and global FX process playback without changing those saved points. Use DRAW → SAVE for a reusable wave, and normal SAVE → PRESET for a playable patch.

WAVE AMP: in ADVANCED, use LFO navigation or WORKFLOW to open WAVE AMP. K1 selects OFF/A/B/MORPH; K2 sets depth. This is audio-rate volume modulation, not a one-shot volume envelope.

FX BYPASS: hold FX in ADVANCED. K1 selects an effect; K4 or SEL toggles ON/BYP; K2 bypasses all; K3 restores all. Bypass status is temporary in RAM and does not change saved effect settings.

Sequencing & live performance

• ARP / RIFF: eight ARP modes including mode 7 RIFF, a scale-aware 16-step generator. In mode 7, turn K4 for another riff.
• SEQ: up to 256 steps and eight note triggers per step; live REC, HOLD, GRID, LOCKS, BAKE and CLOCK editors. Six lock destinations: MORPH, ETCH, cutoff, chorus, delay, reverb.
• GROUPS: HOME + FX opens two optional saved-preset keyboard zones alongside MAIN; all parts share the total eight-voice budget and post-mix effects.
• PERFORMANCE: HOME + ARP opens four assignable macros and scene A/B capture/recall. Save a project to retain scenes.
• MOTION: record a short performance of MORPH, ETCH, cutoff and SPACE controls.
• USB MIDI: notes, clock and implemented expression handling. Booting while holding SEQ starts a MIDI-keyboard-only mode, with local synth audio disabled.

Presets, projects & backups

To save a preset or project: press SAVE outside DRAW, use SELECT to choose the kind of save, then K1 slot, K2 name position, K3 character and K4 backspace. Confirm with SAVE. Wait for SAVING / VERIFYING and a clear success before powering off. If ETCH reports NOT SAVED, the current patch is still RAM-only.

To save a wave: while in DRAW, press SAVE and use the same slot/name controls. To load a saved wave: LIBRARY → K1 slot → K2 A/B/C destination → REC twice.

Computer backup: use the bundled ETCH-Project-Preset-Manager.html with Chrome/Edge and Web MIDI/SysEx to read the current sound from RAM, download .etchpreset or send one to RAM. It does not include entire projects or sequencer patterns and does not automatically write to flash. The current snapshot protocol supports WAVE AMP and .etchpreset V1/V2.

STORAGE LOCKED / foreign data

ETCH protects data belonging to other firmwares. If a first-boot prompt offers FORMAT FOR ETCH?, NO preserves it but leaves the affected storage locked. YES, SEL and an additional three-second SAVE hold may format only ETCH's designated region (0xB4000–0xDBFFF), destroying any previous data in those sectors. Do not choose YES without a backup of affected data. A valid ETCH project or flash read error should not trigger destructive takeover.

If your sound is unsaved, do not reboot, format or update the firmware. Make a RAM-based .etchpreset backup first when the running firmware supports it.

Installation & recovery

• Current firmware: release/ETCH-V1.88.fwsc, one regular public package, original identity FM-1_1500.
• Installer: WebInstaller.html, in the clean PHOSPHOR layout. Its critical checks and risk confirmation are still required even though long technical notes are tucked into a neutral expandable section.
• Required browser: desktop Chrome/Edge, Web MIDI/SysEx permissions, proper USB data cable and exclusive access to the FM1 MIDI port.
• Safety: keep a verified backup, trusted package checksums and an independently tested recovery procedure for your FM1. Device-side package validation, loader checks and post-update verification must succeed. Never bypass a failed CHECK.
• Cross-firmware OTA: structurally compatible Felucca-family application-only updates are validated by the installed device-side loader/check path. Official stock restore uses a separately verified official package/loader. A successful USB transfer is not proof of guaranteed firmware switching or physical recovery.

Status: V1.88 is software-built and host-tested, but long-term USB-audio reliability, listening tests, flash transitions and independent ROM recovery have not been fully qualified on physical FM1 hardware. Smooth note-on, wavetable-switch and voice-steal fades reduce some digital clicks; they cannot guarantee elimination of every audible or analogue startup pop.

Source & development

Building requires an independently obtained JieLi pi32v2 toolchain, Python 3 and the repository's build scripts. Source tests and a successful compile do not prove hardware flash or recovery safety. Follow the appropriate project scripts for the platform; never substitute unrelated stock boot data.

Credits and licensing

ETCH is an independent SikkenWorks project. The waveform-drawing, A/B shape-morphing and Wave C-centred instrument design, plus ETCH-specific synth, editing and performance work, are developed on top of existing FM1 community foundations.

Core project and directly derived foundation

Felucca is not merely an inspiration: its GPL-covered firmware and updater infrastructure provide substantive foundations in ETCH. Retain its notices and corresponding source when redistributing a modified firmware or installer.

Additional upstream projects and attribution inventory

The upstream Felucca licensing inventory also records the following authors and projects. They are credited here for provenance, reference or inherited notices; this list does not claim that every listed synthesis engine or font binary is present or used directly in ETCH. Consult the source and license folders for actual inclusion.

License files retained in this project: LICENSE (GNU GPL v3), LICENSES/FELUCCA-LICENSING.txt (upstream provenance) and firmware/fm1-native/LICENSES/ (MIT, Apache-2.0 and SIL OFL notices). These copyright and license notices take precedence over this prose summary. No third-party font files are offered for download by this README.

ETCH is not officially endorsed by M-VAVE, JieLi Technology, Hügelton Instruments or the credited upstream projects.