Getting around
- tap HOME
- HOME: one creature per track; KNOB 1-4 its main sound controls.
- turn ALGORITHM
- Pick the track: T1-T4 (T1-T6 with TRACKS 6).
- turn SELECT
- Scroll the pages of this button; on HOME: the song generator.
- tap GLO
- MIXER, then GLOBAL (BPM, SWING, CLOCK, TUNE), then SYSTEM.
- tap OCT-
- Octave down (OCT+ up), both: 0. Dialogs: OCT- NO, OCT+ YES.
- hold HOME
- The MENU: display, controls, audio, system. HOME closes it.
Playing
- turn PRESETS
- Browse sounds of every engine, then your user presets.
- hold GLO+turn SELECT
- Tempo, from any page (SELECT alone no longer does it).
- hold OCT-+tap PLAY
- Song generator: KNOB 1 GENRE, OCT+ writes a piece, PLAY listens.
- hold OCT-+tap ARP
- Next of six drive-and-filter looks on this track (HEARTH .. ECLIPSE).
- hold LFO+turn KNOB 1
- Macros M1-M4 (KNOB 1-4); stay latched until you tap LFO.
- tap ARP
- ARP: MODE, RATE, OCT, GATE; tap again for ARP 2 (HOLD).
Sound
- tap EDIT
- EDIT 1, EDIT 2 (engine knobs), FILTER, VOICE ...; tap for next.
- tap EDIT+turn SELECT
- FILTER page: TYPE LP, HP, BP, COMB, VOWEL, SCREAM; CUT, RES.
- tap ENV
- ENV: ATK, DEC, SUS, REL; tap again for ENV DEST.
- tap LFO
- LFO, LFO DEST, MOD matrix and MSEQ pages; tap for next.
- hold EDIT+turn SELECT
- Dice the sound: SELECT again rerolls, OCT+ keeps, OCT- cancels.
- hold EDIT+white key 1
- INIT: the track's sound back to its engine default (asks first).
Sequencer / patterns
- tap PLAY
- Start / stop. With GLO held: restart from the top.
- tap SEQ
- STEP piano roll (DRUM: step grid); tap for the other SEQ pages.
- tap REC
- Arm the track: playback starts, the keys record live.
- tap SEQ+tap REC
- Stopped on STEP: keys write the cursor step, PRESETS moves it.
- hold SEQ+turn SELECT
- Dice a new sequence for this track; OCT+ keeps it.
- hold OCT-+tap ENV
- MUTATE page, ORBIT on: the loop evolves every few bars.
- hold GLO+black key 1-6
- Mute T1-T6 (latched); white keys 1-6 solo while held.
- hold REC+white key 1
- Clear this track's steps and automation (no dialog).
- hold SEQ+tap REC
- CLEAR ALL SEQUENCES? on every track.
Effects
- tap FX
- FX: DIST, CHORUS, DLY, REV sends; two quick taps: next FX section.
- tap FX+turn SELECT
- DIST page: TYPE SOFT .. FOLD, HEARTH, BLAST, PLASMA, FLUX.
- hold FX+white key 1-15
- Punch-in while held: REPEAT, LPF / HPF, OCT, STUTTER, ARP ...
- hold FX+turn KNOB 1
- Performance FILTER (KNOB 2 CRUSH, 3 THROW, 4 DEPTH).
- hold FX+turn SELECT
- Dice this track's effects; OCT+ keeps, OCT- cancels.
Saving & loading
- SAVE twice
- PROJECT: KNOB 1 project 1-8, KNOB 2 section A-D.
- SAVE twice+turn KNOB 4+tap OCT+
- Stopped: save the music there; name it, OCT+ again: SAVED.
- SAVE twice+turn KNOB 3+tap OCT+
- Load that section (stops playback).
- tap SAVE
- USER: one sound in U01-U32 (KNOB 4 SAVE, OCT+).
- hold SAVE+white key 1-4
- Play section A-D (next bar); white keys 5-8 store A-D.
- hold GLO+white key 9
- UNDO the last big change (dice, clear, load); again: redo.
Recovery
- hold OCT-+hold OCT++power on
- HARDWARE CALIBRATION: teach every button and knob.
- hold OCT-+hold OCT+
- 5 s while running: update mode (UBOOT) for the web installer.
- hold REC+power on
- Run on one core this session (clicks or crashes).
Good to know
- Nothing survives power-off unless you save it into a section: RESTORE LAST (MENU > SYSTEM) is OFF by default, so the FM-1 starts empty.
- T5 / T6 silent? TRACKS is 4 by default: GLO > SYSTEM > TRACKS 6 wakes them (more CPU).
- STOP TO EDIT / STOP TO SAVE: saving and most edits need the transport stopped.
- On the generator screen SELECT turns its three pages (GENRE / SEED / ENERGY / FORM, part amounts, LEAD / SWING ...); OCT+ again rolls another piece, HOME leaves.
- The 4-track tape recorder and WAV export are in the Web Studio in the browser, not on the FM-1.
- Coming from another custom firmware? Return to official V15 with the web installer first, then install.
A community cheat sheet by the hub, not by the firmware's makers: when in doubt, their manual is right.