Mutable Dreams

MUTABLE DREAMS 1.4 — RELEASE NOTES Independent open-source firmware for the M-VAVE FM-1

NEW SOUND WORLDS • 48 new factory Biomes: 156 musical Biomes plus Blank in total. • 16 new tone presets: 352 in total. • Curated PRESET-dial and browser order puts contrasting sound families near one another. Existing factory IDs are unchanged; saved Biome references remain meaningful. • New starting points span drones, airy textures, resonant percussion, bass movement, broken rhythms, Lo-Fi kits and quiet meditation. The synthesis engines and sample kits are the established, qualified set; this update expands their musical combinations.

PLAYABILITY • Muted voices are visibly dimmed across the Home row and meter and marked MUTED. A separate Solo function is not included. • Five added scales: Ukrainian Dorian (Dorian #4), Harmonic Minor, Double Harmonic Minor, Harmonic Major and Double Harmonic Major. Thirteen scales in total are available in firmware and browser. • Per-track MIDI input routing: Off or channels 1–16. Several tracks may share a channel. Kit input can be routed to channel 10; the channel-16 macro shortcut can be disabled when channel 16 is used for notes. Existing MIDI settings migrate to the new format. USB MIDI was device-tested. TRS MIDI has not yet been tested with an external sender.

LOOK AND EDITOR • Distinct page-family backgrounds with restrained, value-responsive organic forms, smoother trails and more legible gradients. Stronger glass-card edges and less ambiguous control colours. • Larger, clearer condensed labels and improved contrast on the FM-1. Long scale names were checked for fit. Held-key help remains available on each page. • Browser atlas contains the 1.4 Biomes and sound presets. The playable browser instrument, patch import/export, browser User Banks and live USB device editor remain available. Browser 1.4 saves use their own storage key; export older browser patches before moving them between versions.

PERFORMANCE AND INSTALLATION • Rings' audio buffers are no longer cleared redundantly. The previously published Biome audio hashes matched in the host comparison; the device stress checks found no new audio errors. • The exact tested package is identified by its SHA-256 in the download manifest. After an initial safe refusal, the stock-return guard was extended to the verified official V16 boot head. The exact 1.4 build passed 1.4 → Stock V15 → 1.4 on the development FM-1, followed by byte-identical .mddb bank restoration and live-patch comparison. • Measured device image: 551,376 / 581,564 bytes. Static RAM: 74,568 / 98,304 bytes. DSP pool: 334,896 / 344,064 bytes; after an 8,192-byte safety reserve, 976 bytes remain discretionary. New large DSP engines or buffers are therefore not implied by this release. • A six-Choir ECO plus granular case reached 72.29% of the audio callback budget; a Lo-Fi-kit-plus-three-synth case with granular reached 54.1%. These were short post-roundtrip tests with zero XRuns, overloads, nonfinite samples, dropped commands or host USB overflows. Earlier 48-Biome USB-audio checks were also clean. These measurements do not replace personal listening or long-term testing.

KEEP YOUR WORK Save your current Biome and export a separate live JSON if you have unsaved edits. Back up all saved User Banks and preferences as .mddb before changing firmware. Returning to Stock V15 erases saved Mutable Dreams data; reinstall 1.4 and restore the .mddb with physical SEL confirmation on the FM-1. Granular audio and calibration are not included in the .mddb backup. Keep power and USB connected until the installer confirms the final device identity.

LIMITS AND OPEN REQUESTS Bluetooth MIDI is intentionally excluded. MIDI CC Learn, a separate Solo mode and a one-step Save As / Init workflow remain design requests. Physical TRS-MIDI input still needs an external-cable test. An independent report of a black screen after an interrupted Firmware Hub update remains under investigation. The release does not claim recovery of devices that no longer enumerate over USB; use the Firmware Hub's documented rescue resources and seek device-specific help.

Mutable Dreams is a free, independent community project, unaffiliated with and not endorsed by Mutable Instruments or M-VAVE. Selected Plaits, Rings and Elements Strike algorithms retain their original attribution and notices. Our granular bus, Round Bass, Biomes and FM-1 interface are separate project work.

Thank you for listening and helping shape this update. Mutable Dreams 1.3 gives the M-VAVE FM-1 more contrasting sound worlds, more movement, and safer ways to explore.

What is new

• Five original Lo-Fi kits with 40 drum and texture one-shots. Choose one kit with three synth tracks, or keep six freely assignable synth tracks.
• 48 new tone presets and 16 new Biomes: 336 tones and 108 musical Biomes plus Blank in total.
• Two independent LFOs per synth track, five sequence directions, four new pattern generators, longer chord journeys and nearby root moves.
• A warning before changing a Biome with unsaved edits.
• Clearer type, living page backgrounds and Off / Dim / Soft button lighting on GLO → LOOK / STARTUP → K4.

Play and edit on the website · Watch the update film · Read the illustrated guide

Installation and recovery

Save your User Banks as .mddb and any unsaved live patch separately as JSON. A full bank restore requires physical SEL confirmation. Stock V15 and V16 were tested as starting points for the exact-device USB installer. Official M-UPGRADE installed manufacturer V16 from V15 but rejected this custom 1.3 package with “File format error”. Use the browser installer or included Python installer kit. Other third-party firmware paths are not certified.

The exact 1.3 binary passed device audio/UI stress checks, byte-identical restoration of 22 saved objects and a cold start. USB MIDI was tested; physical TRS MIDI awaits a cable test. Arbitrary WAV import and Bluetooth MIDI are outside 1.3. See the qualification report for measured scope.

Firmware SHA-256: d9400aa360048a8422028f1e005f6a434cd96f9c8db2f0fbef35cda39ebab1d6

The complete source tree is browsable in this repository and supplied as a ZIP. Earlier 1.0, 1.1 and 1.2 releases remain unchanged.

With gratitude to Émilie Gillet, Mutable Instruments and the FM-1 community. Mutable Dreams is an independent community project, unaffiliated with and not endorsed by Mutable Instruments. Selected original algorithms retain their notices and licenses; other inspired modules are independent interpretations.

Warmer voices, more personal sequences, and an interface that grows with your music. Thank you to everyone whose listening, patches and feedback shaped this update.

What changed

• Refined FM, VA and resonant voices; more carefully balanced tones and Biomes; smoother shared granular processing and mixable filtered Air noise.
• Three new sound families: Velvet Keys, Spectral Bloom and Breath Texture. Six assignable tracks, 15 engines, 288 tones and 92 musical Biomes plus Blank.
• Up to 32 steps per track, note/rest, velocity, gate and probability; four phrase generators, keyboard/USB-MIDI step entry and monophonic live recording.
• Four chord journeys with selectable pace and participating tracks.
• Clearer antialiased text and organic backgrounds that respond to settings. Contextual held-button help remains available.
• Updated playable browser instrument and bidirectional USB editor, with separate browser/device User Banks, live JSON export and .mddb backup/restore.

Play, edit, install and read the guide · Watch the update

Update and recovery

Back up saved banks as .mddb and unsaved edits as JSON before updating. Read Recovery-1.2.txt. Stock V15 round trip, saved-bank restore and cold start were tested. For 1.0, use the documented legacy route through 1.1. Returning to V15 erases user data; full restore requires physical SEL confirmation. Keep original backups for downgrades.

Validation and limits

The exact device build passed 29 controlled FM-1 cases / 31 assertions without xruns, overloads, nonfinite audio, dropped buffers or capture faults. Dense combinations may require ECO. USB MIDI is tested; physical TRS-MIDI cable testing remains outstanding. See DEVICE-TEST-REPORT-1.2.txt for scope.

Firmware identity: FM-1_710010200 SHA-256: 828891e0f506d6a07ee0c6fa844e54207985c464e0f2d9cbb423e73ae522f7fb

The complete corresponding source is directly browsable in the repository and supplied as a separate source archive with an 830-file manifest. The approved device binary was not rebuilt for release packaging. Published 1.0 and 1.1 tags and assets remain unchanged.

With gratitude to Émilie Gillet, Mutable Instruments and the FM-1 open-source community. Independent project; selected algorithms, not complete ports of every module. Combined distribution GPL-3.0-only, original component licences retained.

Thank you for the music, questions and feedback that shaped this update.

Play, edit and install · Watch the English walkthrough

Illustrated English guide and browser addendum

Read the 23-page PDF user guide · Manual on the website

Step-by-step FM-1 and browser instructions, screenshots, all 19 pages, warmer sound design, phrases, User Banks, MIDI, backups, direct 1.0 updates and return to V15. The PDF is also attached below.

Browser packaging correction (25 October 2026): use the current website or the supplemental Mutable-Dreams-1.1-Browser.html below instead of the HTML in the original offline ZIP. The original page contained unexpanded template markers; the corrected page embeds the existing 1.1 engine/support scripts and improves editor contrast. Device firmware, source archive, existing release files and v1.0 are unchanged. No reflash is required for this website/documentation update. See Documentation-Update.txt and SHA256-Documentation.txt for details.

Warmer worlds, your own Biomes

25 October 2026

Thank you for the recordings, questions and generous feedback that shaped this update. Mutable Dreams remains a free, independent community instrument for the M-VAVE FM-1, with deep gratitude to Émilie Gillet and Mutable Instruments.

What is new since 1.0

• Twelve engines across six freely assignable tracks. New Round Bass, Elements Strike, Mellow Drift and Satin Morph expand the original palette.
• 224 factory tones and 76 musical Biomes plus Blank. New soft, warm starting points include Mellow Canopy, Satin River and Velour Dawn.
• Global mixer with levels and granular, delay and room sends. Shared effects bring melodic voices, bass and percussion into the same space.
• Bassline modes, glide and editable 16-step phrases with notes, rests, track-level accent and probability. Independent STEP mode does not use Euclidean gates.
• Sixteen named User Biomes and sixty-four User Sound slots, with overwrite confirmation. Save while stopped and using the internal clock.
• Original Marbles-inspired remembered variation, Tides-inspired cyclic modulation and Warps-inspired ring blending. These are not full module ports.
• USB and TRS MIDI input and external clock support. USB was tested; the physical TRS connector still needs a cable test. No MPE, MIDI output or live MIDI recording is claimed.
• Live bidirectional browser editor, live-patch JSON import/export and complete .mddb saved-bank backup/restore. Full bank restore requires physical SEL.
• Nineteen device pages, organic animated backgrounds, leaf-shaped controls, clearer headings and contextual held-button help.
• Audio scheduling and DSP block optimizations, storage/transfer safeguards, granular checks across Grain Size 19/20/21 and higher values, and the Density slider synchronization fix.

Update and recovery

Direct update from the published Mutable Dreams 1.0 is supported and tested on the exact 1.1 release file. You do not need to visit Stock V15 first. Original Stock V15 installation and return are documented. Read Recovery-1.1.txt and use the backup procedure for your current version: 1.0 does not have the new full-bank .mddb protocol. Returning to V15 erases 1.1 User Banks/preferences. On 1.1 keep BOTH .mddb for saved data and JSON for any unsaved live edits. The published v1.0 release, firmware files and tag remain unchanged.

Qualification and limits

Exact final file: 8e039bb0e9681fbbb0504e9b7d251895958fd88ae97f11ff0342b4aef38143d2 USB identity: FM-1_710010100. Firmware size: 610136 bytes. Measured final-build dense playback tests peaked at 84.67% and 79.60% of the callback budget, with zero NEW audio faults in those windows. A stopped flash restoration produced one separately recorded timing event; saving is not an uninterrupted playback operation. Full V15 roundtrip/cold-start/longer stress evidence belongs to the functional predecessor with identical DSP, platform and update loader. See DEVICE-TEST-REPORT.txt for exact scope. The owner's visible browser tests include import and restore; no automated browser GUI test is claimed. Not every possible six-track patch has been exhaustively tested. The second CPU core stays disabled; no unlimited polyphony claim.

Source and credits

Complete corresponding source, build instructions, tests and component notices are supplied in Mutable-Dreams-1.1-Source.zip. The combined distribution is GPL-3.0-only; original MIT/MPL-2.0 and font notices remain intact. Selected original Plaits, Rings and Elements algorithms are used. Custom granular, Choir, Round Bass and Satin designs belong to Mutable Dreams. Independent and unaffiliated with Mutable Instruments or M-VAVE; no official endorsement.

Downloads

• Mutable-Dreams-1.1-Release.zip: original offline bundle; use the supplemental Browser.html above for the corrected browser instrument. Firmware, installer, film and source are retained.
• Mutable-Dreams-1.1.0.fwsc: exact tested firmware.
• Mutable-Dreams-1.1-Source.zip: complete corresponding source and build instructions; extract this named archive to build the firmware.
• Mutable-Dreams-1.1-Installer-Kit.zip: alternate Python USB updater.
• Recovery-1.1.txt and DEVICE-TEST-REPORT.txt: backup, update, return and exact qualification scope.
• SHA256SUMS.txt: fingerprints of the files inside the full release bundle.

The v1.0 tag and its release assets are unchanged.

Six voices. Small worlds, endlessly unfolding.

The first public Mutable Dreams release brings generative ambient music, rhythms and a custom granular cloud to the M-VAVE FM-1 and your browser.

64 editable Biomes plus Blank. 128 sound presets. Eight sound engines. Every track freely assignable. Per-track filters and envelopes, Euclidean patterns, swing, probability, accents, shared scales and four live macros. Held-button help, an animated display and an optional startup sound.

The browser instrument runs the actual firmware engine. Edit all six voices, play the keyboard, and export/import your own patch files.

Downloads

• Mutable-Dreams-Release.zip: offline instrument/editor, firmware, tutorial, subtitles, guides, measured validation and source archive.
• Mutable-Dreams-1.0.fwsc: FM-1 firmware; identity FM-1_710010000.
• Mutable-Dreams-Source.zip: complete credited source and test evidence.
• Mutable-Dreams-Installer-Kit.zip: Python USB updater alternative.
• Mutable-Dreams-SHA256.txt: file fingerprints.

The release website includes the USB browser installer, installation from original V15, future updates and a checked return to M-VAVE V15. Read the Recovery Guide and back up your own work before flashing.

With gratitude to Émilie Gillet and Mutable Instruments. Selected original Plaits and Rings algorithms retain their MIT credits. Our granular bus and Choir are custom designs. fm1-base / felucca-bsp: MPL-2.0. This independent project is unaffiliated with Mutable Instruments or M-VAVE.

Validation scope and practical limits are described in the accompanying Validation report. The exact 1.0 release passed the physical-device suite, ten-minute soak, saved-state persistence, and the original-V15 return/reinstall test.

Play, edit, install and explore: https://mutable-dreams.sugarypixie10.chatgpt.site

Additional GPL-3.0 distribution

For source mirroring, use Mutable-Dreams-1.0-GPL-Source.zip. It contains the complete corresponding source, build instructions, tests and component notices. The combined application is additionally offered under GPL-3.0-only; original MIT and MPL-2.0 rights and notices are retained. See Mutable-Dreams-1.0-GPL-Notice.txt and COPYING-GPL-3.0.txt for scope and component details, including separately packaged vendor boot/configuration files.

This is a licensing/source addition, not a firmware update. All original 1.0 assets and the v1.0 tag remain unchanged. Firmware SHA-256: 75008881683cbeb3515e24cfd7830136b90eb293f0752dc66b203b7f2ee7cd9f. GPL-source SHA-256: 48a28ff9fc3dfa118e7dd36ae021693686afed7973ec475feb3444ef9ba192e6. Additional asset fingerprints are in Mutable-Dreams-GPL-SHA256.txt.

GitHub’s automatic source download contains this distribution repository; use the named GPL source archive for the full source tree. No GitHub Actions “Built from source” badge is claimed.

Tutorial on Kid Bunka · Screenshots and listing details