Golana
One analog-style synth for the M-VAVE FM-1
laid out like the classic microKORG, with a screen that draws the sound
Install · Try it in your browser · Website · Download 1.1
Golana turns the M-VAVE FM-1 into a single, deep analog-style synthesizer with its own interface: two oscillators, five filters, two envelopes, two LFOs, a patch bay, an arpeggiator and a step sequencer. Every page draws what it does. It is a fork of Felucca.
The synth
| Section | |
|---|---|
| OSC 1 | SAW (an octave-up saw blended in), PULSE (width), TRI (wavefold), SINE (cross modulation from OSC 2), MORPH (1.3: the saw to the square) |
| OSC 2 | SAW, SQR, TRI, MIX · RING, SYNC or both · semitone, tune |
| MIXER | OSC 1, OSC 2, NOISE, and FOLD, a wavefolder before the filter |
| SUB / DRIFT | a sub oscillator, square, sine, saw or a mix, one or two octaves below OSC 1 · DRIFT, analog age: every note a little out of tune, its own way |
| FILTER | LPF24, LPF12, BPF, HPF and MS20, a driven 12 dB low-pass whose resonance screams · EG INT, KEY TRACK |
| EG / LFO | FILTER EG and AMP EG · two LFOs (SAW, SQR, TRI, SIN, S&H) with key sync and tempo sync |
| PATCH 1–4 | FEG, AEG, LFO 1, LFO 2, velocity or keyboard to pitch, OSC 2, CTRL 1, noise, cutoff, amp or LFO 2's rate |
| VOICE | POLY, MONO, LEGATO, UNISON (eight detuned oscillators) · DETUNE, PORTA, SPREAD |
| ARP / SEQ | ten arp types over 1–4 octaves (1.1: ORDER, CONVERGE, PEDAL, DOUBLE) with latch and swing · a 16-step sequencer with ties, accents and slides |
| EFFECTS | MOD FX (chorus, flanger, ensemble, phaser, METAL distortion), delay, reverb, in three orders |
| PLAYING | (1.3) SCALE LOCK in 16 scales, CHORD from one key, the MIDI mod wheel as vibrato or a patch source |
| PROGRAMS | 32: FAT BASS, ACID LINE, SYNC PAD, 80S BRASS, SOFT BELLS, SUB BASS, WORN TAPE, AGED PAD, SUPERSAW… 25 factory sounds and seven free |
On the screen
Each page draws its shape from the values: the waves, the filter's curve, the envelopes, the LFOs running. HOME draws the sound playing (TRAIL, ORBIT or RIDGE). Four palettes: NIGHT, CRT, PAPER and NEON.
The controls
| Control | |
|---|---|
| HOME | PERFORM: cutoff, resonance, EG int, LFO 1 rate |
| EDIT / SCL / ENV / LFO | the oscillators and mixer / the filter / the envelopes / the LFOs and the patch bay |
| GLO / REC / SEQ / FX | amp, voice, global, setup / the sequencer / the arpeggiator / the effects |
| KNOB 1–4 | the four cards on the screen · ALGORITHM: the cutoff from any page · PRESETS: the program |
| ARP / PLAY / SAVE | arpeggiator on and off / the sequencer / write a program |
Install
- Open the web installer in Chrome or Edge on a computer.
- Connect the FM-1 with a USB data cable, straight into the computer.
- Follow the five steps: the checklist, a backup, the build, connect, install. About two minutes.
From a terminal instead: python3 tools/fm1_install.py Golana-1.1.fwsc (needs pip install mido python-rtmidi).
If something goes wrong: switch the FM-1 on while holding OCT−. It starts GOLANA USB RESCUE, with only USB, ready for a new install (it also starts by itself after two failed starts). The firmware never writes the FM-1's boot code, and the installer can put the official M-VAVE firmware back at any time.
The code
main | the latest release, now 1.1 |
next | the work on the next version |
| Releases | every version: its notes and its package |
gh-pages | the website: project page, installer, emulator, package |
- The manual: every section, page and control
- What changed, version by version · How a version is released
- Building: BUILDING.md (
./build.sh --release 1.1); the tests:sh tests/run_tests.sh
Credits
Golana is by Gadlele. It is a fork of Felucca by Leo Kuroshita (@kurogedelic), Hügelton Instruments. The USB rescue follows zvenson's dinghy. See LICENSING.md for every bundled work and its licence.
Golana is free software under the GPL-3.0, with no warranty. M-VAVE and FM-1 are trademarks of their respective owners, microKORG is a trademark of Korg; Golana is independent and not affiliated with them.