Niagara
Drift

Drone synthesizer firmware for the M-VAVE FM-1.

Two drifting virtual-analog drones, each with a partner, a sub and a resonant filter, through delay and reverb. Inspired by the Stylophone DS-2, Subharmonicon and Lyra-8, and the amplified 1960s drones of La Monte Young and Angus MacLise.

Play it here: the same code the FM-1 runs. Computer keys ↓

Off. Sound starts when you switch it on.

Version 0.1 beta, tested on one FM-1 so far. Installing is at your own risk; the installer can also put M-VAVE's own firmware back.

Basics

Start here

  1. Start the dronesSwitch on PLAY
  2. Tune each droneKNOB 1 KNOB 3
  3. Change the soundENV EDIT LFO …
  4. Save a sound to a scenehold SAVE first, then white key
  5. Stop the dronesPLAY

The keys aren’t notes: the drones play on their own. Black keys are switches, white keys hold scenes.

Knobs and pages

Shape drone I
KNOB 1 KNOB 2 on the drone pages
Shape drone II
KNOB 3 KNOB 4 on the drone pages
Volume
MASTER past ⅘ it overdrives
Go to a page
Tap a button, e.g. ENV
Preview a page
Hold a button, e.g. ENV
Go to page 2
Tap it again
Make a micro adjustment
Hold SEL and turn a knob

Play

The Play page

HOME
Play 1Knob 1, drone I: PitchKnob 2, drone I: CutoffKnob 3, drone II: PitchKnob 4, drone II: Cutoff
Play 2Knob 1, drone I: ResoKnob 2, drone I: LevelKnob 3, drone II: ResoKnob 4, drone II: Level

Start or stop drone II alone: SEL + PLAY

Tone

Tone pages

ENV
Tone 1Knob 1, drone I: DriveKnob 2, drone I: Osc mixosc ↔ subKnob 3, drone II: DriveKnob 4, drone II: Osc mixosc ↔ sub
Tone 2Knob 1, drone I: NoiseKnob 2, drone I: Colourwhite · pinkKnob 3, drone II: NoiseKnob 4, drone II: Colourwhite · pink
EDIT
OscKnob 1, drone I: X‑Wavesine → squareKnob 2, drone I: PWsquare widthKnob 3, drone II: X‑Wavesine → squareKnob 4, drone II: PWsquare width
SEQ
PartnerKnob 1, drone I: Intervalits gapKnob 2, drone I: DetuneKnob 3, drone II: Intervalits gapKnob 4, drone II: Detune

Switches

Black keys some step through settings: dark → lit → winking

Normal

Key 1: Partneron · offKey 2: Sub−1 −2 ⅓ ⅕Key 3: FilterLP BP HP
Key 4: Pitch lockKey 5: LFO resethold: lock
Key 6: Partneron · offKey 7: Sub−1 −2 ⅓ ⅕Key 8: FilterLP BP HP
Key 9: Pitch linkII follows IKey 10: Hard sync
Key 11: I → IIcutoff

On LFO pages · in lilac, I and II are the LFO’s two waves

Key 1: Osc waveI · II · bothKey 2: Osc topitch · X‑WaveKey 3: Filter tocutoff · reso
Key 4: Filter waveI · II · bothKey 5: LFO reset
Key 6: Osc waveI · II · bothKey 7: Osc topitch · X‑WaveKey 8: Filter tocutoff · reso
Key 9: Filter waveI · II · bothKey 10: Delay waveI · II · both
Key 11: I → IIcutoff

Movement

Movement pages

LFO
LFO depthsDrone IKnob 1, drone I: Osc depthKnob 2, drone I: Filt depthDrone IIKnob 3, drone II: Osc depthKnob 4, drone II: Filt depth
LFO modsKnob 1: Rate modLFO speedKnob 2: Mod bywhich waveKnob 3, drone II: X-mod amtI → IIKnob 4: Dly LFOLFO on delay time

Depths: the middle is none; either side moves the opposite way

ARP

Swell on · off: tap ARPSee the Swell menu: tap ARP twice

SwellKnob 1: RateKnob 2: DepthKnob 3: Shapeswell → gateKnob 4: Swing

The LFO the three knobs at the top left, and OCT− · OCT+ below them

SELECTRate
PRESETSWave I
ALGORITHMWave II
Wave I
triangle · square · saw · roundtooth · 2× tri · 2× exp · 4× pattern · random
Wave II
tri 90° · square 90° · exp saw · log tri · 2× saw · 2× pattern · 4× exp · random glide
OCT− OCT+
Less · more movement

Motion loop tap REC three times

  1. RECrecord
  2. RECplay in a loop
  3. RECstop

Effects

Effects pages

FX
Effects 1Knob 1: Time70–450 msKnob 2: RepeatsKnob 3: Dly mixKnob 4: Rev mix
Effects 2Knob 1: Reverb4 typesKnob 2: Speakerlow cutKnob 3: FeedbackKnob 4: Characterclean → vintage

Scenes

White keys lit: a sound is saved there · blinking: the one you’re on

Go to a scene
Tap a white key
Visit, then come back
Hold a white key, let go
Save a sound to a scene
Hold SAVE first, then tap a white key
Save everything
Tap SAVE

Setup

Setup pages

GLO
Setup 1Knob 1: GlideKnob 2: FadePLAY’s fadeKnob 3: Driftslow wanderKnob 4: Stereowidth
Setup 2Knob 1: Morphswitch timeKnob 2: Tune±50 centsKnob 3: Scene switchswitch timeKnob 4: Tuningequal · just

Computer keys in this browser

Turn a knob
drag or scroll
Hold a button
Shift-click or right-click; click again to let go
Start or stop
Space
Black keys
1…0 -
White keys
Q…I A…K
SAVE · SEL (hold)
Enter · C
HOME · EDIT
Esc · V
OCT− · OCT+
Z · X
LFO rate · Wave I
↑↓ · ←→
Any knob
Tab to it, then ↑↓