Vector37

Name: Vector37
Author: genkigenki

Watch it: Vector37 0.3 on YouTube · Try it: in your browser · Install: https://genkigenki.github.io/smk37/#fw-vector37

Vector37 playing

An orbiting overtone synth for the M-Vave SMK-37 (and, experimental, the FM-1). Four corners, each two overtone generators, a blend and a filter. A sun runs along a path, a moon circles it, and where the moon is decides how much of each corner you hear. One screen: the orbit, a small universe with a planet in each corner. The pads and the knobs are the planets (four pad groups of 2 x 2; eight knobs for the selected planet's sound: the planet draws them, and you hear it alone while you change it), the four faders are the path (family, size, speed, morph: they glide to where you move them). Thirty-two factory sounds in two banks (FACTORY, and FACTORY 2: the basics, pads, strings, choir, organ, keys, basses, sequences, brass, a lead, wind and drums, each a whole scene) and a USER bank of sixteen of yours, one a pad: PATCH opens the sound list (a pad: play; held 1 s: SAVE there; < > the sounds of the bank). Wavetables: each generator can read one of eight banks of 32 frames, and the moon moves its place as it nears the planet (SCALE: the WAVE knobs). The 3.5 mm MIDI jack sends the keys and wheels as played (TRS MIDI OUT; BT, the SETUP set: its channel, the USB MIDI IN channel, the pad light 25 .. 100 %, the sound at power-on). The knob sets (CHORD, FX, FADER BANK, ARP, SCALE, BT) open with a tap and stay open until tapped again. Unofficial firmware, not affiliated with or endorsed by M-Vave. Install at your own risk.

Control map · Design · On the FM-1

Install

Python: connect the SMK-37 by USB, then

python tools/fm1_install.py --yes vector37.fwsc

Installing clears another firmware's stored data on the keyboard (and the other way round). To go back to the stock firmware, install it the same way. Rescue: hold OCT - while switching on. The SMK-37 Elite and the MKE-P37 take vector37-elite.fwsc / vector37-mke.fwsc.

On the FM-1 (experimental)

Untested on a unit. vector37-fm1.fwsc is the same synth and screen for the M-Vave FM-1 (identity FM-1_700, the FM-1's flash layout and update loader). It is built and checked on the host (its panel, its screens, its flash guard, the package), but nobody has played it on an FM-1 yet: install it only if you can go back (the stock firmware or Felucca installs the same way; rescue: hold OCT- while switching on; OCT- + OCT+ held 5 s: the update mode). Reports welcome.

The FM-1 has four knobs, no pads, faders or wheels, so their jobs move:

SMK-37	FM-1
K1..K8	KNOB 1..4 on page 1 (K1..K4) and page 2 (K5..K8); SEL: the next page, SELECT turns them, HOME: page 1. The screen tags the four knobs in play with 1..4 and dims the other row
Faders: FAMILY, SIZE, SPEED, MORPH	page 3, the PATH: KNOB 1..4
Mod wheel: MOON SPEED	the ORBIT set (no planet selected), page 2, KNOB 4 (BPM: the ARP set, or PLAY)
SELECT pads: the planet	ALGORITHM: none, 1, 2, 3, 4
The 16 pads (SELECT, MODE, FILTER, MUTE)	EDIT held: the lowest 16 keys, four groups of four, the same order; their LEDs show the pads' state
< >	PRESETS
CHORD, FX, FADER BANK, ARP: the knob sets (a tap opens one, again closes)	ENV, FX, LFO, ARP, the same (SEL still turns the page)
SEQ, REC, PLAY, GLOBE, PARA	SEQ, REC, PLAY, GLO, SAVE (the same jobs)
REPEAT (RESTART), PATCH twice (all notes off)	EDIT + PLAY, EDIT + SEQ
37 keys with velocity	27 keys (F3..G5), velocity 100; their LEDs light the notes held
Volume	MASTER (the pot)
TRS MIDI OUT, KNOB BANK (the guide), SAVE and the SETUP set	none (the FM-1's jack is MIDI IN; no store of its own, below)

Vector37 keeps no data of its own on the FM-1 and writes only its update staging: another firmware's store (Felucca's projects and settings) stays as it was. The full map: docs/CONTROLS.md.

FM-1: a planet's knobs, page 1

Build

sh build.sh                        # Linux / WSL: JieLi toolchain (tools/get_toolchain.sh)
MODEL=elite sh build.sh            # (or mke) the same for the SMK-37 Elite / the MKE-P37
BOARD=fm1 sh build.sh              # the FM-1 (experimental): build/vector37-fm1.fwsc
sh tests/run_tests.sh OUTDIR       # engine renders, every control on the screen, board layer tests
sh web/sim/build.sh                # the simulator (Emscripten), then serve build/sim
sh tools/docs_img.sh               # the screenshots and the animation in docs/img

Credits

Inspired by the Beetlecrab Vector and its Orbiter. Board layer from SLOOP by isod89, based on Felucca by Leo Kuroshita. Master stage after Melodee by Kerem Kilic (GPL-3.0). Plate after J. Dattorro, "Effect Design 1" (1997). Terminus font (SIL OFL 1.1). ref/ holds the Vector manual for reference only (CC BY-SA 4.0, Beetlecrab s.r.o.); it is not part of the firmware.

By genkigenki. Licence: GPL-3.0 (see LICENSE).