FM-1 firmware · v1.4.2

OberVave

An eight-voice synth inspired by early Oberheim instruments, with two oscillators per voice, two sequencer tracks, separate sounds for A and B, and chorus, delay and reverb. It suits playing chords, shaping a sound and building two-part patterns.

Turns it into: An Oberheim-inspired, eight-voice synth: paired oscillators, A/B sounds, two sequence tracks and three effects
Best for: Vintage-style poly sounds and two-part sequencing
Install: hub or source tag

Where everything is on OberVave

TapSwipe across the panel, then tap any control to see what it does on OberVave.

Printable skin (PDF)Key strips (PDF)

Start here

The README identifies v1.4.2 as running on the FM-1 without a beta qualifier; the hub beta label concerns the SMK-37 build.

This guide comes from reading the tagged source; an independent checker found zero errors (round 3, 2026-10-16). Nothing here was tested on a unit.

The modes

Tap means press and release without using the held layer: SEQ, EDIT, GLO, SAVE and FX taps must be shorter than 600 ms. Their holds give the keys and knobs another job. Normal page knob rows assume no layer; the layer rows take precedence. SEQ step-key rows apply only while recording is neither armed nor active.

A and B share eight voices and 256 sequencer steps. ALGORITHM chooses the track. B can share A’s sound or have its own program; its own sound makes the panel’s program name orange. Both sounds have their own arp settings, but their effects come from sound A.

Mode	Get there	What you see or do
PERFORM	Press HOME.	The four knob positions are CUTOFF, RESONANCE, FILTER ENV, AMP RELEASE.
OSC 1	With no locked layer, press HOME, then tap EDIT.	The four knob positions are OSC 1 WAVE, OSC 1 PW, OSC 1 LEVEL, NOISE.
OSC 2	Tap EDIT again after OSC 1.	The four knob positions are OSC 2 WAVE, OSC 2 PW, OSC 2 LEVEL, OSC 2 SEMI.
OSC MOD	Tap EDIT again after OSC 2.	The four knob positions are SYNC, X-MOD, ENV TO OSC 2, OSC 2 FINE.
FILTER	Tap EDIT again after OSC MOD.	The four knob positions are RESONANCE, FILTER ENV, KEY TRACK, FILTER TYPE.
FILTER +	Tap EDIT again after FILTER.	The four knob positions are DRIVE, VEL FILTER, VEL AMP, MORPH.
FILTER ENV	Press ENV from outside the envelope pages.	The four knob positions are FLT ATTACK, FLT DECAY, FLT SUSTAIN, FLT RELEASE.
AMP ENV	Press ENV again after FILTER ENV.	The four knob positions are AMP ATTACK, AMP DECAY, AMP SUSTAIN, AMP RELEASE.
LFO	Press LFO from outside its three pages.	The four knob positions are LFO SHAPE, LFO RATE, LFO DELAY, LFO PHASE.
LFO DEST	Press LFO again after LFO.	The four knob positions are LFO PITCH, LFO PWM, LFO FILTER, LFO AMP.
LFO +	Press LFO again after LFO DEST.	The four knob positions are PITCH TARGET, PWM TARGET, -, -.
ARP	Press ARP from another page.	The four knob positions are ARP MODE, ARP DIV, ARP OCTAVES, ARP GATE.
CHORUS	Tap FX from outside the effects pages.	The four knob positions are CHORUS RATE, CHORUS DEPTH, CHORUS MIX, -.
DELAY	Tap FX again after CHORUS.	The four knob positions are DELAY TIME, DELAY FB, DELAY TONE, DELAY MIX.
REVERB	Tap FX again after DELAY.	The four knob positions are REVERB SIZE, REVERB DAMP, PRE-DELAY, REVERB MIX.
VOICE	Tap GLO again after GLOBAL.	The four knob positions are VOICE MODE, UNI VOICES, UNI DETUNE, GLIDE.
OUTPUT	Tap GLO again after VOICE.	The four knob positions are VINTAGE, SPREAD, BEND RANGE, SOUND LEVEL.
GLOBAL	Tap GLO from outside GLOBAL, VOICE and OUTPUT, or after OUTPUT.	Tempo, click, MIDI channel and tuning, with audio processing time below.
TRACKS	Tap SEQ from a sound page.	Two rows show the programs, lengths, mute states and step playheads for A and B.
STEPS	Tap SEQ again after TRACKS.	The piano roll, cursor chord, step overview and STEP, NOTE, GATE and VELO knobs.
STEP+	Tap SEQ again after STEPS.	The piano roll with STEP, RATCHET, CHANCE and ON/OFF knobs.
TRACK	Tap SEQ again after STEP+.	The piano roll with LENGTH, DIV, SWING and TRANSP knobs.
PATTERNS	Tap SEQ again after TRACK.	Eight pattern slots, their saved track lengths, the current slot and queued destination.
SEQ layer	Hold SEQ, or press HOME during the hold to keep the layer open.	White keys address the sixteen steps on the selected page and the first eight black keys choose pages while recording is off; knobs edit the track or held step.
EDIT layer	Hold EDIT, or press HOME during the hold to keep the layer open.	Keys erase their pitch from the selected track; knobs shift, resize and transpose it.
GLO layer	Hold GLO, or press HOME during the hold to keep the layer open.	Keys mute or solo tracks and G5 sets tap tempo; the four knobs have no action.
SAVE layer	Hold SAVE, or press HOME during the hold to keep the layer open.	Keys choose or copy patterns and SEL randomizes the selected sound; the four knobs have no action.
FX layer	Hold FX, or press HOME during the hold to keep the layer open.	Keys still play notes; the four knobs control the shared effects mixes and delay time.
Held sequencer step	With recording off, hold a white key in the SEQ layer.	The four knobs edit the held step instead of the track.
Locked layer	Press HOME while holding SEQ, EDIT, GLO, SAVE or FX.	The locked layer retains its own keys and knobs until a page or layer button dismisses it.
Program save armed	Outside the full-screen sequencer, tap SAVE once.	A second SAVE tap within three seconds stores the selected sound in its program.
Recording armed	Release REC in under 700 ms while stopped.	With the selected track enabled, the first note starts recording from step one, or PLAY starts it with the optional count-in.
Live recording	Release REC in under 700 ms while playing, or start from armed recording.	Notes overdub the selected enabled track and note releases determine gates and ties.
Track-clear hold	Keep REC held for longer than 700 ms.	A progress hint appears until the track clears after more than two seconds.
USB rescue	Power on with OCT- alone held, leaving OCT+ released.	Audio and normal instrument controls are stopped while USB firmware installation remains available.
Startup	Power on normally.	The splash precedes the instrument.
USB update	Start a firmware install over USB.	Update stages replace the instrument screen outside rescue.
USB bootloader	Request UBOOT from the connected installer.	The instrument stops and enters the chip USB bootloader.
Fault display	Appears if the running firmware encounters a trapped fault.	A red fault display precedes an automatic restart.

Play, choose sounds and move around

Play and choose a track

Do this	What happens
SELECT · turn	Sets internal tempo from 40 to 240 BPM even with a layer held, silently queuing globals for a write after more than two seconds once stopped and quiet with no undo.
ALGORITHM · turn clockwise	Selects track B for editing and playing, using its own sound when assigned or sound A otherwise.
ALGORITHM · turn anticlockwise	Selects track A for editing and playing.
PRESETS · turn	Outside sequencer views other than TRACKS, chooses A’s program with wraparound or B’s own program with a lower shared-A choice, replacing unsaved edits to that sound without asking or program undo and queuing A’s selection or B’s pattern change for the later silent save.
MASTER · turn	Changes the output level of the whole instrument, including the USB recording feed, independently of program volume.
All 27 keys · press	Plays its printed pitch shifted by the keyboard octave in the selected sound and sends USB MIDI, unless a key layer or step-entry mode gives this press another job.
All 27 keys · release	Releases the note started by this key in its original sound and sends USB MIDI when this key began as a note.

Open pages and layers

Do this	What happens
SEQ · hold	Temporarily gives the keys and knobs the SEQ layer jobs until released, unless HOME locks it open.
SEQ · release	Opens TRACKS, then cycles STEPS, STEP+, TRACK and PATTERNS on successive taps on release of a tap shorter than 600 ms that used no layer function.
SEQ, EDIT, GLO, SAVE, FX · release	Ends its unlocked layer after a used hold or a hold lasting at least 600 ms, without opening a page.
HOME · press	Opens PERFORM when no layer is held or locked.
EDIT · hold	Temporarily gives the keys and knobs the EDIT layer jobs until released, unless HOME locks it open.
EDIT · release	Cycles OSC 1, OSC 2, OSC MOD, FILTER and FILTER + unless STEPS or STEP+ gives EDIT its rest-entry job on release of a tap shorter than 600 ms that used no layer function.
GLO · hold	Temporarily gives the keys and knobs the GLO layer jobs until released, unless HOME locks it open.
GLO · release	Opens GLOBAL, then cycles VOICE and OUTPUT on release of a tap shorter than 600 ms that used no layer function.
SAVE · hold	Temporarily gives the keys and knobs the SAVE layer jobs until released, unless HOME locks it open.
SAVE · release	Outside the full-screen sequencer, arms a program save for three seconds without writing yet on release of a tap shorter than 600 ms that used no layer function.
FX · hold	Temporarily gives the keys and knobs the FX layer jobs until released, unless HOME locks it open.
FX · release	Cycles CHORUS, DELAY and REVERB on release of a tap shorter than 600 ms that used no layer function.
ENV · press	Cycles FILTER ENV and AMP ENV when no layer is locked.
LFO · press	Cycles LFO, LFO DEST and LFO + when no layer is locked.
ARP · press	Opens ARP from another page when no layer is locked.
SEL · press	Does nothing unless the SAVE layer is active.

Transport, recording and octave

Do this	What happens
PLAY/STOP · press	Starts both sequencer tracks from step one or stops playback and active recording, allowing pending pattern and settings writes when quiet without asking or adding an undo snapshot.
REC · press	Starts timing the REC hold without yet changing recording state.
REC · release	A release in under 700 ms arms recording when stopped, starts overdubbing when playing or ends an armed or active take, without writing flash at that moment.
REC · hold past the threshold	After more than two seconds, clears every step of the selected track without asking, ends active recording, keeps one pattern undo and queues the edited pattern for automatic saving once stopped and quiet.
OCT- · press	Moves the keyboard down one octave within two octaves either side, except in the EDIT layer or the SEQ layer with recording off, and silently queues globals for a write after more than two seconds once stopped and quiet with no undo.
OCT- · press together with OCT+	Returns the keyboard octave to zero outside EDIT and the SEQ layer with recording off, silently queuing globals for a write after more than two seconds once stopped and quiet with no undo.
OCT+ · press	Moves the keyboard up one octave within two octaves either side, except in the EDIT layer or the SEQ layer with recording off, and silently queues globals for a write after more than two seconds once stopped and quiet with no undo.

Connect and recover

Do this	What happens
Power switch · power on holding OCT-	Starts USB rescue with OCT- alone held and OCT+ released, leaving audio off and making no data save just for entering rescue.
USB-C · display / connection	Carries USB MIDI input and output, audio recording to the computer and firmware updates in the default FM-1 build.
MIDI IN · display / connection	Has no enabled TRS MIDI input in this build, so use USB for incoming MIDI.

Write and arrange patterns

STEPS and STEP+ use the keys as notes for the cursor chord; let the last key go to advance. Holding SEQ instead turns the white keys into steps. These are separate ways to enter notes.

TRACKS

Do this	What happens
Screen · display / connection	Shows two rows with the programs, lengths, mute states and step playheads for A and B.
KNOB 1 · turn	Sets the selected track length, starting an off track at up to sixteen steps clockwise if space permits and using jumps of sixteen on fast turns, with A and B sharing 256 steps and B at zero switched off.
KNOB 2 · turn	Changes the volume of the selected track sound, using sound A when B shares it.
KNOB 3 · turn	Changes the cutoff of the selected track sound, using sound A when B shares it.
KNOB 4 · turn	Adjusts B’s effects send when B has its own program, otherwise shows a hint without changing a setting.
SAVE · release	Queues both tracks and their pattern settings into the current pattern slot on an unused tap shorter than 600 ms, without asking, writing once stopped and quiet without creating an undo snapshot.

STEPS

Do this	What happens
Screen · display / connection	Shows the piano roll, cursor chord, step overview and STEP, NOTE, GATE and VELO knobs.
KNOB 1 · turn	Moves the step cursor and wraps around the track, or requests sixteen steps for an off track clockwise if the shared step space permits.
KNOB 1 · turn while holding a note key	With step entry active, a clockwise turn ties the cursor chord into the next step and replaces that step with it without asking, stopping at the track end and leaving the edited pattern to save automatically once stopped and quiet.
KNOB 2 · turn	Moves the cursor step chord by a semitone, or puts the last played notes into an empty step.
KNOB 3 · turn	Changes the cursor step gate up to TIE, provided it contains notes.
KNOB 4 · turn	Changes the cursor step velocity from 1 to 127, provided it contains notes.
EDIT · release	Clears the cursor step and advances on an unused tap shorter than 600 ms, with no question, one pattern undo available and the changed pattern later saved automatically when stopped and quiet.
SAVE · release	Queues both tracks and their pattern settings into the current pattern slot on an unused tap shorter than 600 ms, without asking, writing once stopped and quiet without creating an undo snapshot.
PRESETS · turn	Selects the adjacent pattern slot after saving outgoing edits when stopped, or queues it for A’s loop end while playing; with an older edited pattern already waiting for stop and quiet, an edited current pattern cancels any queued switch before the new request is refused with STOP ONCE, edits made after another switch was queued can be silently discarded while that older pattern is still waiting to be saved, and returning to the waiting pattern loads stale saved contents that can later overwrite its waiting edits, while a changed B program drops unsaved B sound edits and reselecting the current pattern during playback cancels the queue with STAYS.
All 27 keys · press	With an enabled track, no layer and recording off, plays the key and writes its pitch into the cursor chord, replacing the old chord on the first press, with up to four notes, one pattern undo and a later automatic pattern save when stopped and quiet without asking.
All 27 keys · release	Releases this key’s note and advances the cursor once the last key used for this entry is released.

STEP+

Do this	What happens
Screen · display / connection	Shows the piano roll with STEP, RATCHET, CHANCE and ON/OFF knobs.
KNOB 1 · turn	Moves the step cursor and wraps around the track, or requests sixteen steps for an off track clockwise if the shared step space permits.
KNOB 1 · turn while holding a note key	With step entry active, a clockwise turn ties the cursor chord into the next step and replaces that step with it without asking, stopping at the track end and leaving the edited pattern to save automatically once stopped and quiet.
KNOB 2 · turn	Sets one to four hits on the cursor step, provided it contains notes.
KNOB 3 · turn	Changes the cursor step chance in five-percent increments, provided it contains notes.
KNOB 4 · turn	Enables the cursor step clockwise or disables it anticlockwise while keeping its notes, provided it contains notes.
EDIT · release	Clears the cursor step and advances on an unused tap shorter than 600 ms, with no question, one pattern undo available and the changed pattern later saved automatically when stopped and quiet.
SAVE · release	Queues both tracks and their pattern settings into the current pattern slot on an unused tap shorter than 600 ms, without asking, writing once stopped and quiet without creating an undo snapshot.
PRESETS · turn	Selects the adjacent pattern slot after saving outgoing edits when stopped, or queues it for A’s loop end while playing; with an older edited pattern already waiting for stop and quiet, an edited current pattern cancels any queued switch before the new request is refused with STOP ONCE, edits made after another switch was queued can be silently discarded while that older pattern is still waiting to be saved, and returning to the waiting pattern loads stale saved contents that can later overwrite its waiting edits, while a changed B program drops unsaved B sound edits and reselecting the current pattern during playback cancels the queue with STAYS.
All 27 keys · press	With an enabled track, no layer and recording off, plays the key and writes its pitch into the cursor chord, replacing the old chord on the first press, with up to four notes, one pattern undo and a later automatic pattern save when stopped and quiet without asking.
All 27 keys · release	Releases this key’s note and advances the cursor once the last key used for this entry is released.

TRACK

Do this	What happens
Screen · display / connection	Shows the piano roll with LENGTH, DIV, SWING and TRANSP knobs.
KNOB 1 · turn	Sets the selected track length, starting an off track at up to sixteen steps clockwise if space permits and using jumps of sixteen on fast turns, with A and B sharing 256 steps and B at zero switched off.
KNOB 2 · turn	Sets the selected track note division.
KNOB 3 · turn	Sets the selected track swing from 50 to 75 percent.
KNOB 4 · turn	Sets the selected track playback transpose within two octaves either side.
SAVE · release	Queues both tracks and their pattern settings into the current pattern slot on an unused tap shorter than 600 ms, without asking, writing once stopped and quiet without creating an undo snapshot.
PRESETS · turn	Selects the adjacent pattern slot after saving outgoing edits when stopped, or queues it for A’s loop end while playing; with an older edited pattern already waiting for stop and quiet, an edited current pattern cancels any queued switch before the new request is refused with STOP ONCE, edits made after another switch was queued can be silently discarded while that older pattern is still waiting to be saved, and returning to the waiting pattern loads stale saved contents that can later overwrite its waiting edits, while a changed B program drops unsaved B sound edits and reselecting the current pattern during playback cancels the queue with STAYS.

PATTERNS

Do this	What happens
Screen · display / connection	Shows eight pattern slots, their saved track lengths, the current slot and queued destination.
KNOB 1 · turn	Selects one of the eight pattern destinations.
KNOB 2 · turn	Does nothing in PATTERNS.
KNOB 3 · turn clockwise	Selects the selected pattern slot after saving outgoing edits when stopped, or queues it for A’s loop end while playing; with an older edited pattern already waiting for stop and quiet, an edited current pattern cancels any queued switch before the new request is refused with STOP ONCE, edits made after another switch was queued can be silently discarded while that older pattern is still waiting to be saved, and returning to the waiting pattern loads stale saved contents that can later overwrite its waiting edits, while a changed B program drops unsaved B sound edits and reselecting the current pattern during playback cancels the queue with STAYS.
KNOB 3, KNOB 4 · turn anticlockwise	Does nothing on an anticlockwise turn in PATTERNS.
KNOB 4 · turn clockwise	For a destination other than the current pattern slot, queues the selected destination to receive whichever pattern is active when stopped and quiet, including intervening edits or pattern switches, requiring the action again within three seconds only for a recognised saved destination and keeping no source snapshot or undo for the overwritten destination.
SAVE · release	Queues both tracks and their pattern settings into the current pattern slot on an unused tap shorter than 600 ms, without asking, writing once stopped and quiet without creating an undo snapshot.
PRESETS · turn	Selects the adjacent pattern slot after saving outgoing edits when stopped, or queues it for A’s loop end while playing; with an older edited pattern already waiting for stop and quiet, an edited current pattern cancels any queued switch before the new request is refused with STOP ONCE, edits made after another switch was queued can be silently discarded while that older pattern is still waiting to be saved, and returning to the waiting pattern loads stale saved contents that can later overwrite its waiting edits, while a changed B program drops unsaved B sound edits and reselecting the current pattern during playback cancels the queue with STAYS.

SEQ layer

Do this	What happens
Screen · display / connection	Shows the SEQ layer controls over the current page, with a piano roll on a full-screen sequencer view or layer hints on a sound page.
KNOB 1 · turn	Sets the note that an empty step receives and replaces the remembered chord with that single note.
KNOB 1 · turn while holding a white step key	Moves the held step chord by a semitone, or places the remembered single note into an empty step, without making a new undo snapshot.
KNOB 2 · turn	Sets the selected track note division.
KNOB 2 · turn while holding a white step key	Chooses GHOST, SOFT, NORM or HARD velocity for the held step, without making a new undo snapshot.
KNOB 3 · turn	Sets the selected track swing from 50 to 75 percent.
KNOB 3 · turn while holding a white step key	Sets one to four hits for the held step, without making a new undo snapshot.
KNOB 4 · turn	Sets the selected track length with single increments on slow turns and three times the detected movement on fast turns, with A and B sharing 256 steps and B at zero switched off.
KNOB 4 · turn while holding a white step key	Changes the held step gate up to TIE, without making a new undo snapshot.
OCT- · press	Moves the selected track step page down by sixteen steps while recording is off, retaining any selected held step so a later destination can extend and overwrite it across pages.
OCT+ · press	Moves the selected track step page up by sixteen steps while recording is off, retaining any selected held step so a later destination can extend and overwrite it across pages.
F3 · press	With recording off, selects this valid step unless it extends an earlier held step, auditions it when stopped and fills empty or disabled steps with the remembered chord and one undo snapshot, while existing enabled steps get no new snapshot before knob edits or the later automatic save without asking.
White keys F3–G5 · release	When this is the held step, stops its audition and clears an existing step if it was neither edited nor supplied with MIDI before release, without asking, keeping one pattern undo before the later automatic save.
White keys F3–G5 · hold	Keeps this step selected for NOTE, LEVEL, RATCHET and GATE edits on KNOB 1–4 while recording is off, while incoming main-channel MIDI can replace its chord without a new undo snapshot before a later automatic save.
F#3 · press	Chooses sequencer page 1 if it lies within the selected track while recording is off.
F#3, G#3, A#3, C#4, D#4, F#4, G#4, A#4, C#5, D#5, F#5 · release	Has no release action when this key began as a SEQ-layer page or unused key.
G3 · press	With recording off, selects this valid step unless it extends an earlier held step, auditions it when stopped and fills empty or disabled steps with the remembered chord and one undo snapshot, while existing enabled steps get no new snapshot before knob edits or the later automatic save without asking.
G3 · press while holding an earlier white step key	If this key’s step on the displayed page lies after the held step within the track, overwrites the steps through that destination with the held chord and ties them together without asking, keeping one pattern undo before the later automatic save once stopped and quiet.
G#3 · press	Chooses sequencer page 2 if it lies within the selected track while recording is off.
A3 · press	With recording off, selects this valid step unless it extends an earlier held step, auditions it when stopped and fills empty or disabled steps with the remembered chord and one undo snapshot, while existing enabled steps get no new snapshot before knob edits or the later automatic save without asking.
A3 · press while holding an earlier white step key	If this key’s step on the displayed page lies after the held step within the track, overwrites the steps through that destination with the held chord and ties them together without asking, keeping one pattern undo before the later automatic save once stopped and quiet.
A#3 · press	Chooses sequencer page 3 if it lies within the selected track while recording is off.
B3 · press	With recording off, selects this valid step unless it extends an earlier held step, auditions it when stopped and fills empty or disabled steps with the remembered chord and one undo snapshot, while existing enabled steps get no new snapshot before knob edits or the later automatic save without asking.
B3 · press while holding an earlier white step key	If this key’s step on the displayed page lies after the held step within the track, overwrites the steps through that destination with the held chord and ties them together without asking, keeping one pattern undo before the later automatic save once stopped and quiet.
C4 · press	With recording off, selects this valid step unless it extends an earlier held step, auditions it when stopped and fills empty or disabled steps with the remembered chord and one undo snapshot, while existing enabled steps get no new snapshot before knob edits or the later automatic save without asking.
C4 · press while holding an earlier white step key	If this key’s step on the displayed page lies after the held step within the track, overwrites the steps through that destination with the held chord and ties them together without asking, keeping one pattern undo before the later automatic save once stopped and quiet.
C#4 · press	Chooses sequencer page 4 if it lies within the selected track while recording is off.
D4 · press	With recording off, selects this valid step unless it extends an earlier held step, auditions it when stopped and fills empty or disabled steps with the remembered chord and one undo snapshot, while existing enabled steps get no new snapshot before knob edits or the later automatic save without asking.
D4 · press while holding an earlier white step key	If this key’s step on the displayed page lies after the held step within the track, overwrites the steps through that destination with the held chord and ties them together without asking, keeping one pattern undo before the later automatic save once stopped and quiet.
D#4 · press	Chooses sequencer page 5 if it lies within the selected track while recording is off.
E4 · press	With recording off, selects this valid step unless it extends an earlier held step, auditions it when stopped and fills empty or disabled steps with the remembered chord and one undo snapshot, while existing enabled steps get no new snapshot before knob edits or the later automatic save without asking.
E4 · press while holding an earlier white step key	If this key’s step on the displayed page lies after the held step within the track, overwrites the steps through that destination with the held chord and ties them together without asking, keeping one pattern undo before the later automatic save once stopped and quiet.
F4 · press	With recording off, selects this valid step unless it extends an earlier held step, auditions it when stopped and fills empty or disabled steps with the remembered chord and one undo snapshot, while existing enabled steps get no new snapshot before knob edits or the later automatic save without asking.
F4 · press while holding an earlier white step key	If this key’s step on the displayed page lies after the held step within the track, overwrites the steps through that destination with the held chord and ties them together without asking, keeping one pattern undo before the later automatic save once stopped and quiet.
F#4 · press	Chooses sequencer page 6 if it lies within the selected track while recording is off.
G4 · press	With recording off, selects this valid step unless it extends an earlier held step, auditions it when stopped and fills empty or disabled steps with the remembered chord and one undo snapshot, while existing enabled steps get no new snapshot before knob edits or the later automatic save without asking.
G4 · press while holding an earlier white step key	If this key’s step on the displayed page lies after the held step within the track, overwrites the steps through that destination with the held chord and ties them together without asking, keeping one pattern undo before the later automatic save once stopped and quiet.
G#4 · press	Chooses sequencer page 7 if it lies within the selected track while recording is off.
A4 · press	With recording off, selects this valid step unless it extends an earlier held step, auditions it when stopped and fills empty or disabled steps with the remembered chord and one undo snapshot, while existing enabled steps get no new snapshot before knob edits or the later automatic save without asking.
A4 · press while holding an earlier white step key	If this key’s step on the displayed page lies after the held step within the track, overwrites the steps through that destination with the held chord and ties them together without asking, keeping one pattern undo before the later automatic save once stopped and quiet.
A#4 · press	Chooses sequencer page 8 if it lies within the selected track while recording is off.
B4 · press	With recording off, selects this valid step unless it extends an earlier held step, auditions it when stopped and fills empty or disabled steps with the remembered chord and one undo snapshot, while existing enabled steps get no new snapshot before knob edits or the later automatic save without asking.
B4 · press while holding an earlier white step key	If this key’s step on the displayed page lies after the held step within the track, overwrites the steps through that destination with the held chord and ties them together without asking, keeping one pattern undo before the later automatic save once stopped and quiet.
C5 · press	With recording off, selects this valid step unless it extends an earlier held step, auditions it when stopped and fills empty or disabled steps with the remembered chord and one undo snapshot, while existing enabled steps get no new snapshot before knob edits or the later automatic save without asking.
C5 · press while holding an earlier white step key	If this key’s step on the displayed page lies after the held step within the track, overwrites the steps through that destination with the held chord and ties them together without asking, keeping one pattern undo before the later automatic save once stopped and quiet.
C#5, D#5, F#5 · press	Does nothing in the SEQ key layer while recording is off.
D5 · press	With recording off, selects this valid step unless it extends an earlier held step, auditions it when stopped and fills empty or disabled steps with the remembered chord and one undo snapshot, while existing enabled steps get no new snapshot before knob edits or the later automatic save without asking.
D5 · press while holding an earlier white step key	If this key’s step on the displayed page lies after the held step within the track, overwrites the steps through that destination with the held chord and ties them together without asking, keeping one pattern undo before the later automatic save once stopped and quiet.
E5 · press	With recording off, selects this valid step unless it extends an earlier held step, auditions it when stopped and fills empty or disabled steps with the remembered chord and one undo snapshot, while existing enabled steps get no new snapshot before knob edits or the later automatic save without asking.
E5 · press while holding an earlier white step key	If this key’s step on the displayed page lies after the held step within the track, overwrites the steps through that destination with the held chord and ties them together without asking, keeping one pattern undo before the later automatic save once stopped and quiet.
F5 · press	With recording off, selects this valid step unless it extends an earlier held step, auditions it when stopped and fills empty or disabled steps with the remembered chord and one undo snapshot, while existing enabled steps get no new snapshot before knob edits or the later automatic save without asking.
F5 · press while holding an earlier white step key	If this key’s step on the displayed page lies after the held step within the track, overwrites the steps through that destination with the held chord and ties them together without asking, keeping one pattern undo before the later automatic save once stopped and quiet.
G5 · press	With recording off, selects this valid step unless it extends an earlier held step, auditions it when stopped and fills empty or disabled steps with the remembered chord and one undo snapshot, while existing enabled steps get no new snapshot before knob edits or the later automatic save without asking.
G5 · press while holding an earlier white step key	If this key’s step on the displayed page lies after the held step within the track, overwrites the steps through that destination with the held chord and ties them together without asking, keeping one pattern undo before the later automatic save once stopped and quiet.

EDIT layer

Do this	What happens
Screen · display / connection	Shows the EDIT layer controls over the current page, with a piano roll on a full-screen sequencer view or layer hints on a sound page.
KNOB 1 · turn	Rotates all selected-track steps one position later clockwise or earlier anticlockwise, keeping one undo for the EDIT hold.
KNOB 2 · turn	Duplicates the selected track to twice its length clockwise if space allows or halves it anticlockwise, keeping one undo for the EDIT hold.
KNOB 3 · turn	Rewrites every selected-track note one semitone higher clockwise or lower anticlockwise, keeping one undo for the EDIT hold.
KNOB 4 · turn	Does nothing in the EDIT layer.
OCT-, OCT+ · press	Swaps the current pattern with a shared snapshot that survives pattern changes, so another pattern’s tracks and settings can replace the current slot without asking and save automatically once stopped and quiet, losing unsaved B sound edits if B’s program changes; repeating UNDO or REDO before another snapshot-taking edit restores the pattern contents but cannot recover those lost B sound edits.
All 27 keys · press	Erases this pitch from every step of the selected track when stopped or as the playhead passes while held during playback, without asking, with one pattern undo and a later automatic save when stopped and quiet.
All 27 keys · release	Stops continuous erasing for the pitch captured when this key went down.

Held sequencer step

Do this	What happens
Screen · display / connection	Shows the held step’s note or chord count, velocity category, ratchet count and gate, with its position in the step display.
KNOB 1 · turn	Moves the held step chord by a semitone, or places the remembered single note into an empty step.
KNOB 2 · turn	Chooses GHOST, SOFT, NORM or HARD velocity for the held step.
KNOB 3 · turn	Sets one to four hits for the held step.
KNOB 4 · turn	Changes the held step gate up to TIE.

Do this	What happens
Keep a SEQ step held, change page with OCT+ or an available black page key, then press any white key addressing a later step	If this key’s step on the displayed page lies after the held step within the track, overwrites the steps through that destination with the held chord and ties them together without asking, keeping one pattern undo before the later automatic save once stopped and quiet.

For a track longer than sixteen steps, hold SEQ and G5 on page 1, press OCT+, then press F3 while keeping G5 held: steps 16–17 become one tied chord and step 17 is overwritten without a question; one pattern undo is captured, and the result can save automatically once stopped and quiet.

Do this	What happens
Send MIDI notes on the main input channel while a SEQ step is held and REC is off	With recording off, the first incoming main-channel MIDI note replaces the held step’s notes without asking or taking an undo snapshot, further new pitches build a chord of up to four notes and set its velocity, and the changed pattern can save automatically once stopped and quiet.

Switching from your firmware

Pick the firmware on your FM-1 now to see what installing OberVave does to its data.

1 · Back up first, on Stock V15

Stock V15 has no way to back up your voices or patterns. The FM-1 only sends notes over MIDI, never voice data.
One indirect way to back up, from Baud Girl's own docs (not tested by us): installing her FM-1+VA keeps your saved stock presets and patterns, and its browser Device Manager can then save all 128 presets and 16 patterns as files. FM-1+VA is closed source; install it at your own risk.

2 · What happens to your Stock V15 data

Possibly at risk

(the layout is reported or inferred, not read in code)

stock settings (and possibly patterns)
stock voices (128 user patches, banks A-D)

(weakest evidence: reported)

Everything about leaving Stock V15

Everything else on OberVave

Shape a sound

The knob rows below change the selected sound; the effects rows always change sound A’s shared effects. Sound edits remain temporary until you save the program. A quick turn moves parameters farther.

PERFORM

Do this	What happens
Screen · display / connection	Shows PERFORM with its knob values, program name and edit mark above, plus a waveform and eight voice-level circles unless sequencer or recording information replaces them.
KNOB 1 · turn	Adjusts the filter cutoff for the sound selected by ALGORITHM and PRESETS.
KNOB 2 · turn	Adjusts the filter resonance for the sound selected by ALGORITHM and PRESETS.
KNOB 3 · turn	Adjusts the filter-envelope depth for the sound selected by ALGORITHM and PRESETS.
KNOB 4 · turn	Adjusts the amp-envelope release time for the sound selected by ALGORITHM and PRESETS.

OSC 1

Do this	What happens
Screen · display / connection	Shows OSC 1 with its knob values, program name and edit mark above, plus a waveform and eight voice-level circles unless sequencer or recording information replaces them.
KNOB 1 · turn	Adjusts the oscillator 1 waveform for the sound selected by ALGORITHM and PRESETS.
KNOB 2 · turn	Adjusts the oscillator 1 pulse width for the sound selected by ALGORITHM and PRESETS.
KNOB 3 · turn	Adjusts the oscillator 1 level for the sound selected by ALGORITHM and PRESETS.
KNOB 4 · turn	Adjusts the noise level for the sound selected by ALGORITHM and PRESETS.

OSC 2

Do this	What happens
Screen · display / connection	Shows OSC 2 with its knob values, program name and edit mark above, plus a waveform and eight voice-level circles unless sequencer or recording information replaces them.
KNOB 1 · turn	Adjusts the oscillator 2 waveform for the sound selected by ALGORITHM and PRESETS.
KNOB 2 · turn	Adjusts the oscillator 2 pulse width for the sound selected by ALGORITHM and PRESETS.
KNOB 3 · turn	Adjusts the oscillator 2 level for the sound selected by ALGORITHM and PRESETS.
KNOB 4 · turn	Adjusts the oscillator 2 pitch within two octaves either side for the sound selected by ALGORITHM and PRESETS.

OSC MOD

Do this	What happens
Screen · display / connection	Shows OSC MOD with its knob values, program name and edit mark above, plus a waveform and eight voice-level circles unless sequencer or recording information replaces them.
KNOB 1 · turn	Adjusts the oscillator hard sync for the sound selected by ALGORITHM and PRESETS.
KNOB 2 · turn	Adjusts the cross-modulation depth for the sound selected by ALGORITHM and PRESETS.
KNOB 3 · turn	Adjusts the filter-envelope modulation of oscillator 2 pitch for the sound selected by ALGORITHM and PRESETS.
KNOB 4 · turn	Adjusts the oscillator 2 fine tuning for the sound selected by ALGORITHM and PRESETS.

FILTER

Do this	What happens
Screen · display / connection	Shows FILTER with its knob values, program name and edit mark above, plus a waveform and eight voice-level circles unless sequencer or recording information replaces them.
KNOB 1 · turn	Adjusts the filter resonance for the sound selected by ALGORITHM and PRESETS.
KNOB 2 · turn	Adjusts the filter-envelope depth for the sound selected by ALGORITHM and PRESETS.
KNOB 3 · turn	Adjusts the filter keyboard tracking for the sound selected by ALGORITHM and PRESETS.
KNOB 4 · turn	Adjusts the filter type among LP 12, HP 12, BP 12, NOTCH, LP 24 and SEM for the sound selected by ALGORITHM and PRESETS.

FILTER +

Do this	What happens
Screen · display / connection	Shows FILTER + with its knob values, program name and edit mark above, plus a waveform and eight voice-level circles unless sequencer or recording information replaces them.
KNOB 1 · turn	Adjusts the filter drive for the sound selected by ALGORITHM and PRESETS.
KNOB 2 · turn	Adjusts the velocity response of the filter for the sound selected by ALGORITHM and PRESETS.
KNOB 3 · turn	Adjusts the velocity response of the amplifier for the sound selected by ALGORITHM and PRESETS.
KNOB 4 · turn	Adjusts the SEM filter balance through low-pass, notch and high-pass for the sound selected by ALGORITHM and PRESETS.

FILTER ENV

Do this	What happens
Screen · display / connection	Shows FILTER ENV with its knob values, program name and edit mark above, plus a waveform and eight voice-level circles unless sequencer or recording information replaces them.
KNOB 1 · turn	Adjusts the filter-envelope attack time for the sound selected by ALGORITHM and PRESETS.
KNOB 2 · turn	Adjusts the filter-envelope decay time for the sound selected by ALGORITHM and PRESETS.
KNOB 3 · turn	Adjusts the filter-envelope sustain level for the sound selected by ALGORITHM and PRESETS.
KNOB 4 · turn	Adjusts the filter-envelope release time for the sound selected by ALGORITHM and PRESETS.

AMP ENV

Do this	What happens
Screen · display / connection	Shows AMP ENV with its knob values, program name and edit mark above, plus a waveform and eight voice-level circles unless sequencer or recording information replaces them.
KNOB 1 · turn	Adjusts the amp-envelope attack time for the sound selected by ALGORITHM and PRESETS.
KNOB 2 · turn	Adjusts the amp-envelope decay time for the sound selected by ALGORITHM and PRESETS.
KNOB 3 · turn	Adjusts the amp-envelope sustain level for the sound selected by ALGORITHM and PRESETS.
KNOB 4 · turn	Adjusts the amp-envelope release time for the sound selected by ALGORITHM and PRESETS.

LFO

Do this	What happens
Screen · display / connection	Shows LFO with its knob values, program name and edit mark above, plus a waveform and eight voice-level circles unless sequencer or recording information replaces them.
KNOB 1 · turn	Adjusts the LFO shape for the sound selected by ALGORITHM and PRESETS.
KNOB 2 · turn	Adjusts the LFO rate for the sound selected by ALGORITHM and PRESETS.
KNOB 3 · turn	Adjusts the LFO fade-in delay for the sound selected by ALGORITHM and PRESETS.
KNOB 4 · turn	Adjusts the LFO phase behaviour among SYNC, FREE and SPREAD for the sound selected by ALGORITHM and PRESETS.

LFO DEST

Do this	What happens
Screen · display / connection	Shows LFO DEST with its knob values, program name and edit mark above, plus a waveform and eight voice-level circles unless sequencer or recording information replaces them.
KNOB 1 · turn	Adjusts the LFO pitch depth for the sound selected by ALGORITHM and PRESETS.
KNOB 2 · turn	Adjusts the LFO pulse-width depth for the sound selected by ALGORITHM and PRESETS.
KNOB 3 · turn	Adjusts the LFO filter depth for the sound selected by ALGORITHM and PRESETS.
KNOB 4 · turn	Adjusts the LFO amplitude depth for the sound selected by ALGORITHM and PRESETS.

LFO +

Do this	What happens
Screen · display / connection	Shows LFO + with its knob values, program name and edit mark above, plus a waveform and eight voice-level circles unless sequencer or recording information replaces them.
KNOB 1 · turn	Chooses which oscillator receives LFO pitch modulation for the sound selected by ALGORITHM and PRESETS.
KNOB 2 · turn	Chooses which oscillator receives LFO pulse-width modulation for the sound selected by ALGORITHM and PRESETS.
KNOB 3, KNOB 4 · turn	Does nothing on this page.

ARP

Do this	What happens
Screen · display / connection	Shows ARP with its knob values, program name and edit mark above, plus a waveform and eight voice-level circles unless sequencer or recording information replaces them.
KNOB 1 · turn	Adjusts the arpeggiator mode among OFF, UP, DOWN, UP/DN, RANDOM and PLAYED for the sound selected by ALGORITHM and PRESETS.
KNOB 2 · turn	Adjusts the arpeggiator note division for the sound selected by ALGORITHM and PRESETS.
KNOB 3 · turn	Adjusts the arpeggiator octave range for the sound selected by ALGORITHM and PRESETS.
KNOB 4 · turn	Adjusts the arpeggiator note length for the sound selected by ALGORITHM and PRESETS.
ARP · press	Toggles the shared arpeggiator note latch without changing the arp mode, provided no layer is locked.

CHORUS

Do this	What happens
Screen · display / connection	Shows CHORUS with its knob values, program name and edit mark above, plus a waveform and eight voice-level circles unless sequencer or recording information replaces them.
KNOB 1 · turn	Adjusts the chorus rate for sound A, whose effects both sounds share.
KNOB 2 · turn	Adjusts the chorus depth for sound A, whose effects both sounds share.
KNOB 3 · turn	Adjusts the chorus mix for sound A, whose effects both sounds share.
KNOB 4 · turn	Does nothing on this page.

DELAY

Do this	What happens
Screen · display / connection	Shows DELAY with its knob values, program name and edit mark above, plus a waveform and eight voice-level circles unless sequencer or recording information replaces them.
KNOB 1 · turn	Adjusts the delay time in tempo divisions for sound A, whose effects both sounds share.
KNOB 2 · turn	Adjusts the delay feedback for sound A, whose effects both sounds share.
KNOB 3 · turn	Adjusts the delay feedback tone for sound A, whose effects both sounds share.
KNOB 4 · turn	Adjusts the delay mix for sound A, whose effects both sounds share.

REVERB

Do this	What happens
Screen · display / connection	Shows REVERB with its knob values, program name and edit mark above, plus a waveform and eight voice-level circles unless sequencer or recording information replaces them.
KNOB 1 · turn	Adjusts the reverb size for sound A, whose effects both sounds share.
KNOB 2 · turn	Adjusts the reverb damping for sound A, whose effects both sounds share.
KNOB 3 · turn	Adjusts the reverb pre-delay for sound A, whose effects both sounds share.
KNOB 4 · turn	Adjusts the reverb mix for sound A, whose effects both sounds share.

VOICE

Do this	What happens
Screen · display / connection	Shows VOICE with its knob values, program name and edit mark above, plus a waveform and eight voice-level circles unless sequencer or recording information replaces them.
KNOB 1 · turn	Adjusts the voice mode among POLY, DUAL, UNISON and MONO for the sound selected by ALGORITHM and PRESETS.
KNOB 2 · turn	Adjusts the unison voice count for the sound selected by ALGORITHM and PRESETS.
KNOB 3 · turn	Adjusts the unison detuning for the sound selected by ALGORITHM and PRESETS.
KNOB 4 · turn	Adjusts the glide time for the sound selected by ALGORITHM and PRESETS.

OUTPUT

Do this	What happens
Screen · display / connection	Shows OUTPUT with its knob values, program name and edit mark above, plus a waveform and eight voice-level circles unless sequencer or recording information replaces them.
KNOB 1 · turn	Adjusts the variation between voice cards for the sound selected by ALGORITHM and PRESETS.
KNOB 2 · turn	Adjusts the stereo voice spread for the sound selected by ALGORITHM and PRESETS.
KNOB 3 · turn	Adjusts the pitch-bend range for the sound selected by ALGORITHM and PRESETS.
KNOB 4 · turn	Adjusts the selected sound volume for the sound selected by ALGORITHM and PRESETS.

GLOBAL

Do this	What happens
Screen · display / connection	Shows tempo, click, MIDI channel and tuning, with audio processing time in microseconds.
KNOB 1 · turn	Sets the internal tempo from 40 to 240 BPM and queues the settings for a silent write after more than two seconds, once stopped and quiet, without a question or undo.
KNOB 2 · turn	Chooses click OFF, REC, ON or COUNT-IN and queues the settings for a silent write after more than two seconds, once stopped and quiet, without a question or undo.
KNOB 3 · turn	Chooses OMNI or MIDI channel 1–16 and queues the settings for a silent write after more than two seconds, once stopped and quiet, without a question or undo.
KNOB 4 · turn	Adjusts global tuning within 50 cents either side and queues the settings for a silent write after more than two seconds, once stopped and quiet, without a question or undo.

Mix, copy and keep a layer open

GLO layer

Do this	What happens
Screen · display / connection	Shows the GLO layer controls over the current page, with a piano roll on a full-screen sequencer view or layer hints on a sound page.
KNOB 1, KNOB 2, KNOB 3, KNOB 4 · turn	Does nothing in the GLO layer.
F3 · press	Toggles track A mute without asking or creating an undo snapshot, and the pattern saves automatically once stopped and quiet.
All 27 keys · release	Has no release action when this key began as a GLO-layer key.
F#3, G#3, A3, A#3, B3, C#4, D#4, E4, F4, F#4, G4, G#4, A4, A#4, B4, C5, C#5, D5, D#5, E5, F5, F#5 · press	Changes no musical setting but marks the current pattern edited, allowing a later automatic pattern save when stopped and quiet without asking or creating an undo snapshot.
G3 · press	Toggles track B mute without asking or creating an undo snapshot, and the pattern saves automatically once stopped and quiet.
C4 · press	Solos track A or releases its existing solo without asking or creating an undo snapshot, and the pattern saves automatically once stopped and quiet.
D4 · press	Solos track B or releases its existing solo without asking or creating an undo snapshot, and the pattern saves automatically once stopped and quiet.
G5 · press	Sets tempo from repeated taps less than two seconds apart and silently queues globals for a write after more than two seconds once stopped and quiet with no undo, while every tap also marks the pattern edited for its later silent autosave.

SAVE layer

Do this	What happens
Screen · display / connection	Shows the SAVE layer controls over the current page, with a piano roll on a full-screen sequencer view or layer hints on a sound page.
KNOB 1, KNOB 2, KNOB 3, KNOB 4 · turn	Does nothing in the SAVE layer.
SEL · press	Replaces the selected live sound with randomized parameters without asking or saving it, and pattern undo cannot restore the previous sound.
F3 · press	Selects pattern 1 after saving outgoing edits when stopped, or queues it for A’s loop end while playing; with an older edited pattern already waiting for stop and quiet, an edited current pattern cancels any queued switch before the new request is refused with STOP ONCE, edits made after another switch was queued can be silently discarded while that older pattern is still waiting to be saved, and returning to the waiting pattern loads stale saved contents that can later overwrite its waiting edits, while a changed B program drops unsaved B sound edits and reselecting the current pattern during playback cancels the queue with STAYS.
All 27 keys · release	Has no release action when this key began as a SAVE-layer key.
F#3 · press	For a destination other than the current pattern slot, queues slot 1 to receive whichever pattern is active when stopped and quiet, including intervening edits or pattern switches, requiring the action again within three seconds only for a recognised saved destination and keeping no source snapshot or undo for the overwritten destination.
G3 · press	Selects pattern 2 after saving outgoing edits when stopped, or queues it for A’s loop end while playing; with an older edited pattern already waiting for stop and quiet, an edited current pattern cancels any queued switch before the new request is refused with STOP ONCE, edits made after another switch was queued can be silently discarded while that older pattern is still waiting to be saved, and returning to the waiting pattern loads stale saved contents that can later overwrite its waiting edits, while a changed B program drops unsaved B sound edits and reselecting the current pattern during playback cancels the queue with STAYS.
G#3 · press	For a destination other than the current pattern slot, queues slot 2 to receive whichever pattern is active when stopped and quiet, including intervening edits or pattern switches, requiring the action again within three seconds only for a recognised saved destination and keeping no source snapshot or undo for the overwritten destination.
A3 · press	Selects pattern 3 after saving outgoing edits when stopped, or queues it for A’s loop end while playing; with an older edited pattern already waiting for stop and quiet, an edited current pattern cancels any queued switch before the new request is refused with STOP ONCE, edits made after another switch was queued can be silently discarded while that older pattern is still waiting to be saved, and returning to the waiting pattern loads stale saved contents that can later overwrite its waiting edits, while a changed B program drops unsaved B sound edits and reselecting the current pattern during playback cancels the queue with STAYS.
A#3 · press	For a destination other than the current pattern slot, queues slot 3 to receive whichever pattern is active when stopped and quiet, including intervening edits or pattern switches, requiring the action again within three seconds only for a recognised saved destination and keeping no source snapshot or undo for the overwritten destination.
B3 · press	Selects pattern 4 after saving outgoing edits when stopped, or queues it for A’s loop end while playing; with an older edited pattern already waiting for stop and quiet, an edited current pattern cancels any queued switch before the new request is refused with STOP ONCE, edits made after another switch was queued can be silently discarded while that older pattern is still waiting to be saved, and returning to the waiting pattern loads stale saved contents that can later overwrite its waiting edits, while a changed B program drops unsaved B sound edits and reselecting the current pattern during playback cancels the queue with STAYS.
C4 · press	Selects pattern 5 after saving outgoing edits when stopped, or queues it for A’s loop end while playing; with an older edited pattern already waiting for stop and quiet, an edited current pattern cancels any queued switch before the new request is refused with STOP ONCE, edits made after another switch was queued can be silently discarded while that older pattern is still waiting to be saved, and returning to the waiting pattern loads stale saved contents that can later overwrite its waiting edits, while a changed B program drops unsaved B sound edits and reselecting the current pattern during playback cancels the queue with STAYS.
C#4 · press	For a destination other than the current pattern slot, queues slot 4 to receive whichever pattern is active when stopped and quiet, including intervening edits or pattern switches, requiring the action again within three seconds only for a recognised saved destination and keeping no source snapshot or undo for the overwritten destination.
D4 · press	Selects pattern 6 after saving outgoing edits when stopped, or queues it for A’s loop end while playing; with an older edited pattern already waiting for stop and quiet, an edited current pattern cancels any queued switch before the new request is refused with STOP ONCE, edits made after another switch was queued can be silently discarded while that older pattern is still waiting to be saved, and returning to the waiting pattern loads stale saved contents that can later overwrite its waiting edits, while a changed B program drops unsaved B sound edits and reselecting the current pattern during playback cancels the queue with STAYS.
D#4 · press	For a destination other than the current pattern slot, queues slot 5 to receive whichever pattern is active when stopped and quiet, including intervening edits or pattern switches, requiring the action again within three seconds only for a recognised saved destination and keeping no source snapshot or undo for the overwritten destination.
E4 · press	Selects pattern 7 after saving outgoing edits when stopped, or queues it for A’s loop end while playing; with an older edited pattern already waiting for stop and quiet, an edited current pattern cancels any queued switch before the new request is refused with STOP ONCE, edits made after another switch was queued can be silently discarded while that older pattern is still waiting to be saved, and returning to the waiting pattern loads stale saved contents that can later overwrite its waiting edits, while a changed B program drops unsaved B sound edits and reselecting the current pattern during playback cancels the queue with STAYS.
F4 · press	Selects pattern 8 after saving outgoing edits when stopped, or queues it for A’s loop end while playing; with an older edited pattern already waiting for stop and quiet, an edited current pattern cancels any queued switch before the new request is refused with STOP ONCE, edits made after another switch was queued can be silently discarded while that older pattern is still waiting to be saved, and returning to the waiting pattern loads stale saved contents that can later overwrite its waiting edits, while a changed B program drops unsaved B sound edits and reselecting the current pattern during playback cancels the queue with STAYS.
F#4 · press	For a destination other than the current pattern slot, queues slot 6 to receive whichever pattern is active when stopped and quiet, including intervening edits or pattern switches, requiring the action again within three seconds only for a recognised saved destination and keeping no source snapshot or undo for the overwritten destination.
G4, A4, B4, C5, C#5, D5, D#5, E5, F5, F#5, G5 · press	Does nothing in the SAVE key layer.
G#4 · press	For a destination other than the current pattern slot, queues slot 7 to receive whichever pattern is active when stopped and quiet, including intervening edits or pattern switches, requiring the action again within three seconds only for a recognised saved destination and keeping no source snapshot or undo for the overwritten destination.
A#4 · press	For a destination other than the current pattern slot, queues slot 8 to receive whichever pattern is active when stopped and quiet, including intervening edits or pattern switches, requiring the action again within three seconds only for a recognised saved destination and keeping no source snapshot or undo for the overwritten destination.

FX layer

Do this	What happens
Screen · display / connection	Shows the FX layer controls over the current page, with a piano roll on a full-screen sequencer view or layer hints on a sound page.
KNOB 1 · turn	Changes the shared chorus mix.
KNOB 2 · turn	Changes the shared delay mix.
KNOB 3 · turn	Changes the shared reverb mix.
KNOB 4 · turn	Changes the shared delay time in tempo divisions.

Locked layer

Do this	What happens
Screen · display / connection	Briefly confirms the lock, then keeps the active layer’s controls and hints visible.
SEQ, HOME, EDIT, GLO, SAVE, FX, ENV, LFO, ARP · press	Dismisses the locked layer without opening that button’s page.

Record, clear and save

Program saves and pattern saves are different. Pattern undo uses one snapshot shared across slots, so it can replace the current slot with another pattern’s contents and autosave over that slot; repeating UNDO or REDO before a new snapshot-taking edit restores pattern contents, but cannot recover unsaved B sound edits lost through a changed B program. It cannot retrieve a program save or an overwritten copy destination. Wait for stopped transport and quiet voices before turning power off.

SAVE twice stores the selected live sound in its program, then writes all saved programs with globals only after more than two seconds, stopped and quiet; program undo is unavailable.

Edits are saved automatically once they have waited more than three seconds and transport, recording, held-step entry, layers and voices permit it; even unused GLO-layer keys mark the pattern edited, and SAVE and copy request writes for the next stopped, quiet opportunity. Only one departed edited pattern can wait to save during playback, and it writes without asking only after stopping and becoming quiet. With one already waiting, a switch requested while the current pattern is edited cancels any previously queued switch before being refused with STOP ONCE: THE LAST ONE SAVES. While another pattern is still waiting to be saved, if you queue another switch while the current pattern is clean and then edit it before the change, those new edits are silently lost at the switch. Returning to the waiting pattern before its save loads the older flash copy, which remains active even after the waiting edits save at stop and can overwrite them on a later autosave. Stop and let the sound become quiet before switching again when edits matter.

One temporary undo snapshot is shared across all pattern slots and survives a pattern switch, so EDIT with OCT- or OCT+ can replace the current slot’s tracks and settings with contents captured in another pattern, without asking, and the result can save automatically once stopped and quiet. Repeat UNDO or REDO before any edit that takes a new snapshot to restore the pattern contents; this cannot restore unsaved B sound edits lost when the swap changed B’s program. Undo does not retrieve a saved program or an overwritten copy destination. Selecting an existing enabled step takes no fresh snapshot before knob edits, and MIDI replacement of a held chord takes none.

Program save armed

Do this	What happens
Screen · display / connection	Shows SAVE? on a sound page while waiting up to three seconds for the second SAVE tap.
SAVE · release	On a second unused tap shorter than 600 ms within three seconds, stores the selected A or B sound in its current program and queues all saved programs and globals for a write after more than two seconds once stopped and quiet, without a further question or program undo.

Recording armed

Do this	What happens
Screen · display / connection	Shows that the first note can start the take, with sequencer status replacing the waveform.
PLAY/STOP · press	Begins recording from step one, with a one-bar count-in if CLICK is COUNT-IN.
All 27 keys · press	With an enabled track and no key-command layer, plays and records this pitch, starting from step one if armed or overdubbing the nearest step if running, while an enabled arp supplies the recorded notes instead of the raw key, with one pattern undo and a later automatic save when stopped and quiet.
All 27 keys · release	Releases this key and, when raw keys are being recorded, sets the recorded note’s gate or tied length from its held time.

Live recording

Do this	What happens
Screen · display / connection	Shows the active track recording status or remaining count-in beats, with sequencer status replacing the waveform.
All 27 keys · press	With an enabled track and no key-command layer, plays and records this pitch, starting from step one if armed or overdubbing the nearest step if running, while an enabled arp supplies the recorded notes instead of the raw key, with one pattern undo and a later automatic save when stopped and quiet.
All 27 keys · release	Releases this key and, when raw keys are being recorded, sets the recorded note’s gate or tied length from its held time.

Track-clear hold

Do this	What happens
Screen · display / connection	Shows a clear-track progress hint after 700 ms of holding REC.
REC · release	A release after 700 ms but before the clear threshold leaves recording and track contents unchanged.

Changing patterns to one with a different B program, including a return to sharing A, drops B’s unsaved sound edits without asking; saving a pattern keeps B’s program choice, not the edited sound, so save B’s program first if those edits matter.

During playback, choosing the currently playing pattern again with its white key in the SAVE layer, by turning PRESETS back to it on a pattern-selecting view, or with PATTERNS KNOB 3 cancels the queued switch and shows STAYS; it does not clear the separate waiting pattern or save current edits.

Read the lights

Across pages

Do this	What happens
HOME · bright	PERFORM is the underlying page.
EDIT · bright	One of the five oscillator or filter pages is the underlying page.
ENV · bright	An envelope page is the underlying page.
LFO · bright	An LFO page is the underlying page.
FX · bright	An effects page is the underlying page.
GLO · bright	GLOBAL, VOICE or OUTPUT is the underlying page.
SEQ · bright	A sequencer view, SEQ layer or EDIT layer is showing.
SAVE · bright	A program save is armed.
SEL · off	Has no assigned light indication in the instrument loop.
ARP · bright	The selected sound’s arpeggiator is enabled, whether or not HOLD is active.
PLAY/STOP · flashing	Flashes for about 90 ms on each beat while the sequencer runs.
OCT- · bright	The keyboard octave is below zero outside the SEQ key layer.
OCT+ · bright	The keyboard octave is above zero outside the SEQ key layer.
Key lights · bright	Show sounding voice pitches within the keyboard’s current octave range outside the SEQ, GLO and SAVE key layers.

SEQ layer

Do this	What happens
OCT- · bright	There is an earlier sequencer page while recording is off.
OCT+ · bright	There is a later sequencer page while recording is off.
Key lights · bright	White keys show enabled steps or the held step, the running playhead inverts its step light, and the first eight black keys show the selected available page.
Key lights · dim	White steps 1, 5, 9 and 13 glow when not bright, and available unselected page keys glow.

GLO layer

Do this	What happens
Key lights · bright	F3 and G3 show muted A and B, C4 and D4 show solo A and B, and G5 flashes on the running beat.
Key lights · dim	Available mute, solo and tap-tempo keys glow when their bright indication is off.

SAVE layer

Do this	What happens
Key lights · bright	The first eight white keys show the current pattern and a queued destination blinks.
Key lights · dim	Other white pattern keys glow, and the first eight black keys glow for recognised saved copy destinations.

STEPS

Do this	What happens
Key lights · bright	Also show the stored pitches of the cursor step while stopped during step entry or armed recording.

STEP+

Do this	What happens
Key lights · bright	Also show the stored pitches of the cursor step while stopped during step entry or armed recording.

Recording armed

Do this	What happens
REC · blinking	Blinks at quarter-second intervals while recording is armed.
Key lights · bright	Also show the stored pitches of the cursor step while stopped during step entry or armed recording.

Live recording

Do this	What happens
REC · bright	Recording is active, including a count-in.
Key lights · bright	Also show the stored pitches of the cursor step while stopped during step entry or armed recording.

Play and edit over USB MIDI

Send these messages over USB MIDI; TRS MIDI IN is disabled in this build, ordinary main-channel notes use the sound selected on the panel, and clock and transport messages are handled before channel filtering.

Routing, notes and performance

Send or set this	What happens
GLOBAL MIDI CH: OMNI or fixed channel 1–16.	At OMNI, channel messages from every channel address the panel’s selected sound, while a fixed MIDI CH routes the chosen channel to that sound and reserves the following channel for B when available.
Main input channel Note On with velocity 1–127.	Plays the panel’s selected sound with incoming velocity and remembers the played notes for filling empty sequencer steps.
Main input channel Note Off, or Note On with velocity zero.	Releases the incoming note in the sound where it began, subject to sustain or HOLD, and completes any matching cursor entry or recorded gate.
Pitch Bend on the main input channel.	Bends both sounds according to each program’s BEND range of zero to twenty-four semitones.
CC 64 on the main input channel: 0–63 pedal up, 64–127 pedal down.	CC 64 values 64–127 sustain released notes for both sounds, while 0–63 lift the pedal and release them unless HOLD still keeps them sounding.
CC 7 on the main input channel.	CC 7 changes the overall output level of both sounds independently of their program volume and does not save a program.
CC 120 or CC 123 on the main input channel.	Releases both sounds’ voices and clears their held arp notes without stopping the sequencer, which can play later steps again.
Program Change 0–127 on the main input channel while the panel uses sound A.	Reloads A’s program with values 0–127 wrapping through the thirty-two programs, discarding unsaved A edits without asking or undo, and changes its remembered selection without itself scheduling a settings write.
Program Change 0–127 on the main input channel while the panel uses B’s own sound.	Selects B’s program with values 0–127 wrapping through thirty-two choices, replacing unsaved B edits only when the program changes without asking or program undo and scheduling the pattern’s new program reference for automatic saving once stopped and quiet.
With MIDI CH 1–15, send on the following channel.	Routes notes directly to B, falling back to sound A while B shares it, and applies mapped non-effects parameter CCs to B only when B has its own program.
Program Change 0–31 on the following channel when MIDI CH is 1–15.	Assigns program one through thirty-two to B, replacing unsaved B edits only when its program changes without asking or program undo and scheduling the new pattern reference for automatic saving once stopped and quiet.
Following-channel messages when MIDI CH is 1–15.	Ignores following-channel pitch bend, CC 7, sustain, panic, effects parameter CCs and program changes above 31, while OMNI or MIDI CH 16 provides no separate following-channel route.
Notes on the following channel when MIDI CH is 1–15.	Plays B without direct cursor entry, held-step replacement or raw-note recording, although B’s arp output can still be recorded when B’s own sound is selected for recording.
MIDI Clock, twenty-four pulses per quarter note.	Uses valid incoming clock timing for the arps, sequencer and delay without starting playback, then returns to internal tempo after more than two seconds without clock.
MIDI Start or MIDI Continue, on any channel setting.	Starts the sequencer from the beginning and restarts both arp positions even for Continue, without changing whether recording is armed or active.
MIDI Stop, on any channel setting.	Stops the sequencer without disabling the arps or changing recording state, allowing pending settings, SAVE and copy writes when their timing and quiet conditions permit, without asking or creating an undo snapshot.
Parameter CC values 0–127.	Rescales each incoming parameter CC to that parameter’s available range, leaving sound edits temporary until the program is saved and routing effects edits to A’s shared effects.

Enter steps and record

Send or set this	What happens
Main input channel Note On, velocity above zero, while a SEQ step is held and REC is off.	With recording off, the first incoming main-channel MIDI note replaces the held step’s notes without asking or taking an undo snapshot, further new pitches build a chord of up to four notes and set its velocity, and the changed pattern can save automatically once stopped and quiet.
On STEPS or STEP+, send main input channel notes with the selected track enabled, REC off, no layer and no held step.	Replaces the cursor step’s chord on the first incoming note without asking, captures one pattern undo, builds up to four pitches with MIDI velocity and advances when all entry notes are released, leaving the result to save automatically once stopped and quiet.
With REC armed or active, send main input channel notes with an enabled selected track outside count-in.	With an enabled track outside count-in, starts an armed take from step one or overdubs the nearest running step using incoming velocity and release length for raw MIDI notes, recording the selected sound’s arp output at velocity 100 instead when enabled, with a take undo snapshot and later automatic saving once stopped and quiet.

Parameter CCs

Parameter CCs edit live sounds, so save the program if you want those edits kept; CC 7 is overall volume, while CC 60 is the selected program’s own volume. The following channel can edit B’s non-effects parameters only when B has its own program.

Oscillators

Send this	What happens
CC 20	CC 20 changes the selected sound’s oscillator 1 waveform using the incoming value.
CC 21	CC 21 changes the selected sound’s oscillator 1 pulse width using the incoming value.
CC 22	CC 22 changes the selected sound’s oscillator 1 level using the incoming value.
CC 23	CC 23 changes the selected sound’s noise level using the incoming value.
CC 24	CC 24 changes the selected sound’s oscillator 2 waveform using the incoming value.
CC 25	CC 25 changes the selected sound’s oscillator 2 pulse width using the incoming value.
CC 26	CC 26 changes the selected sound’s oscillator 2 level using the incoming value.
CC 27	CC 27 changes the selected sound’s oscillator 2 semitone tuning using the incoming value.
CC 28	CC 28 changes the selected sound’s hard sync using the incoming value.
CC 29	CC 29 changes the selected sound’s cross-modulation amount using the incoming value.
CC 30	CC 30 changes the selected sound’s filter-envelope modulation of oscillator 2 pitch using the incoming value.
CC 31	CC 31 changes the selected sound’s oscillator 2 fine tuning using the incoming value.

Filter

Send this	What happens
CC 74	CC 74 changes the selected sound’s filter cutoff using the incoming value.
CC 71	CC 71 changes the selected sound’s filter resonance using the incoming value.
CC 32	CC 32 changes the selected sound’s filter-envelope depth using the incoming value.
CC 33	CC 33 changes the selected sound’s filter key tracking using the incoming value.
CC 34	CC 34 changes the selected sound’s filter type using the incoming value.
CC 35	CC 35 changes the selected sound’s filter drive using the incoming value.
CC 36	CC 36 changes the selected sound’s filter velocity response using the incoming value.
CC 37	CC 37 changes the selected sound’s amplifier velocity response using the incoming value.

Envelopes

Send this	What happens
CC 38	CC 38 changes the selected sound’s filter-envelope attack using the incoming value.
CC 39	CC 39 changes the selected sound’s filter-envelope decay using the incoming value.
CC 40	CC 40 changes the selected sound’s filter-envelope sustain using the incoming value.
CC 41	CC 41 changes the selected sound’s filter-envelope release using the incoming value.
CC 73	CC 73 changes the selected sound’s amp-envelope attack using the incoming value.
CC 42	CC 42 changes the selected sound’s amp-envelope decay using the incoming value.
CC 43	CC 43 changes the selected sound’s amp-envelope sustain using the incoming value.
CC 72	CC 72 changes the selected sound’s amp-envelope release using the incoming value.

LFO

Send this	What happens
CC 44	CC 44 changes the selected sound’s LFO shape using the incoming value.
CC 45	CC 45 changes the selected sound’s LFO rate using the incoming value.
CC 46	CC 46 changes the selected sound’s LFO delay using the incoming value.
CC 47	CC 47 changes the selected sound’s LFO phase mode using the incoming value.
CC 48	CC 48 changes the selected sound’s LFO pitch depth using the incoming value.
CC 49	CC 49 changes the selected sound’s LFO pulse-width depth using the incoming value.
CC 50	CC 50 changes the selected sound’s LFO filter depth using the incoming value.
CC 51	CC 51 changes the selected sound’s LFO amplitude depth using the incoming value.
CC 52	CC 52 changes the selected sound’s LFO pitch target using the incoming value.
CC 53	CC 53 changes the selected sound’s LFO pulse-width target using the incoming value.

Voice and output

Send this	What happens
CC 54	CC 54 changes the selected sound’s voice mode using the incoming value.
CC 55	CC 55 changes the selected sound’s unison voice count using the incoming value.
CC 56	CC 56 changes the selected sound’s unison detuning using the incoming value.
CC 5	CC 5 changes the selected sound’s glide time using the incoming value.
CC 57	CC 57 changes the selected sound’s voice variation using the incoming value.
CC 58	CC 58 changes the selected sound’s stereo spread using the incoming value.
CC 59	CC 59 changes the selected sound’s pitch-bend range using the incoming value.
CC 60	CC 60 changes the selected sound’s program volume using the incoming value.
CC 1	CC 1 changes the selected sound’s modulation-wheel depth, adding LFO motion to pitch and filter, with no separate knob for this parameter on the panel pages.

Arp and filter morph

Send this	What happens
CC 61	CC 61 changes the selected sound’s arp mode using the incoming value.
CC 62	CC 62 changes the selected sound’s arp division using the incoming value.
CC 63	CC 63 changes the selected sound’s arp octave range using the incoming value.
CC 65	CC 65 changes the selected sound’s arp gate using the incoming value.
CC 66	CC 66 changes the selected sound’s SEM filter morph using the incoming value.

Effects

Send this	What happens
CC 67	CC 67 changes the shared effects’ chorus rate using the incoming value.
CC 68	CC 68 changes the shared effects’ chorus depth using the incoming value.
CC 69	CC 69 changes the shared effects’ chorus mix using the incoming value.
CC 70	CC 70 changes the shared effects’ delay division using the incoming value.
CC 75	CC 75 changes the shared effects’ delay feedback using the incoming value.
CC 76	CC 76 changes the shared effects’ delay feedback tone using the incoming value.
CC 77	CC 77 changes the shared effects’ delay mix using the incoming value.
CC 78	CC 78 changes the shared effects’ reverb size using the incoming value.
CC 79	CC 79 changes the shared effects’ reverb damping using the incoming value.
CC 80	CC 80 changes the shared effects’ reverb pre-delay using the incoming value.
CC 81	CC 81 changes the shared effects’ reverb mix using the incoming value.

Startup, updates and rescue

Startup

Do this	What happens
Screen · display / connection	Shows the OberVave startup artwork before the instrument page.

USB rescue

Do this	What happens
Screen · display / connection	Shows USB rescue, the USB connection and installer prompts, and that audio is off.

USB update

Do this	What happens
Screen · display / connection	Shows UPDATE with PACKAGE, CHECK HEAD, LOADER, CONFIRM or RESTART as reached, or FAILED on an error, while rescue keeps its existing screen.

USB bootloader

Do this	What happens
Screen · display / connection	Briefly shows UBOOT (USB) after stopping audio before entering the USB bootloader.

Fault display

Do this	What happens
Screen · display / connection	Shows a red crash screen with three diagnostic numbers and restarts after about eight seconds.

Before you switch firmware

Back up first. There is no owner backup or restore command in the panel or MIDI handler read at this tag; write down important settings and do not treat a firmware download as a backup of your programs or patterns.

Back up in the firmware you are leaving first, with its own tool (above). Anything below marked at risk can be written over; whether an older saved copy survives depends on how often you saved, so do not count on it.
What installing OberVave does to the firmware you had before.
Show the detail
install (bundled incoming update loader): Compares the program area at 0x4000–0x92FFF and rewrites differing sectors, checking each write. This area includes M-VAVE Open’s sixteen saved projects, preferences and sample header, so installing OberVave over Open replaces them. The flash head below 0x4000 is left alone (every install or update through its bundled Felucca loader). install completion (update-record removal): Scans every sector tail in this interval and erases a sector if its final 256-byte area starts with an update record with nonzero valid CRC16 over bytes 2..79 and marker 0x5441 at +6. No special skip for project/sample regions (only sectors with a valid update record at their tail). every normal startup: Erases all five update staging sectors if either the first four bytes at 0xE0000 or first eight bytes at 0xE4F00 include a non-FF byte; foreign contents can trigger it (staging probes not blank). first normal startup: No settings or pattern initialization writes: defaults stay in memory until remembered settings change, patterns are edited, or saves and copies schedule writes. update (leaving through upgrade command): Erases all five sectors, writes the incoming package loader there, and after host success writes the 112-byte update record at 0xE4F00. Failure erases staging too. Later writes by the selected incoming loader depend on that package (installer starts upgrade from OberVave). enter USB rescue at power-on: OCT- alone enters USB rescue; entry itself starts neither normal owner-data loading nor boot staging cleanup and writes no flash. An update requested there uses the same updater (OCT- alone held at power-on, or warm-reset guard enters rescue).
- Stock V15: Possibly at risk (layout reported or inferred): stock settings (and possibly patterns); stock voices (128 user patches, banks A-D).
- Baud Girl FM-1+VA: Possibly at risk (layout reported or inferred): Baud Girl presets (128); Baud Girl patterns (16, with locks).
- Felucca: At risk by itself: settings, button calibration, favourites, MIDI LEARN map.
- SLOOP: At risk by itself: user sample slot USR4 (header at 0xE7000) (damaged (part of it written over)); settings, calibration, song order, SYN1-4 kits, MIDI LEARN, theme and favourites.
- X0X: At risk by itself: the whole X0X project (settings, sound, all 32 patterns, song, knob motion).
- JIANT: At risk by itself: settings, calibration, favourites, MENU options.
- Melodee: At risk by itself: project C: patterns, song, sounds, motion, recordings (damaged (part of it written over)); project D: patterns, song, sounds, motion, recordings (damaged (part of it written over)); shared user presets U127-U144; settings, factory favourites, calibration, saved template.
- FoMni: At risk by itself: FoMni setup (pages, chord buttons, lights).
- AMB-1: At risk by itself: AMB-1 pieces and setup.
- ChoralRoot: At risk by itself: options, playing setup and panel calibration.
- GHOULBOX: At risk by itself: settings and panel calibration.
- M-VAVE FM-1 Open: At risk by itself: Open shared sample audio. At risk when you act: Open USER project 1; Open USER project 2; Open USER project 3; Open USER project 4; Open USER project 5; Open USER project 6; Open USER project 7; Open USER project 8; Open USER project 9; Open USER project 10; Open USER project 11; Open USER project 12; Open USER project 13; Open USER project 14; Open USER project 15; Open USER project 16; Open device preferences.
- FM-106: At risk by itself: octave, last selected preset and MIDI preferences. A valid user bank stored by an earlier FM-106 build can still be present and readable in Beta4; the bank risks listed here, if any, apply if it exists. FM-106 Beta4’s new user-sound edits are only in memory: panel save, delete and librarian bank commit do not store them, even when they report success. Read the unit into the librarian and export both user banks before switching or powering off; those exports omit sequence notes, locks and extended controls.
- Hortator: At risk by itself: settings and panel calibration.
- Polly: At risk by itself: Optional QY70 style bank (damaged (part of it written over)); Polly setup and channel sounds.
- Skiff: At risk by itself: shared 64-pattern pool (some or all of it lost); settings, calibration and favourites.
What the next firmware does to OberVave's data.
- Stock V15: Possibly at risk (layout reported or inferred): pattern 1; pattern 2; pattern 3; pattern 4; pattern 5; pattern 6; pattern 7; pattern 8.
- Baud Girl FM-1+VA: Possibly at risk (layout reported or inferred): pattern 1; pattern 2; pattern 3; pattern 4; pattern 5; pattern 6; pattern 7; pattern 8.
- Felucca: At risk by itself: saved programs and global settings; pattern 1 (its B-track sound can change if it uses a saved program; its pattern notes remain); pattern 2 (its B-track sound can change if it uses a saved program; its pattern notes remain); pattern 3 (its B-track sound can change if it uses a saved program; its pattern notes remain); pattern 4 (its B-track sound can change if it uses a saved program; its pattern notes remain); pattern 5 (its B-track sound can change if it uses a saved program; its pattern notes remain); pattern 6 (its B-track sound can change if it uses a saved program; its pattern notes remain); pattern 7 (its B-track sound can change if it uses a saved program; its pattern notes remain); pattern 8 (its B-track sound can change if it uses a saved program; its pattern notes remain).
- SLOOP: At risk by itself: pattern 1 (its B-track sound can change if it uses a saved program; its pattern notes remain; other writes can also erase it); pattern 2 (its B-track sound can change if it uses a saved program; its pattern notes remain; other writes can also erase it); pattern 3 (its B-track sound can change if it uses a saved program; its pattern notes remain; other writes can also erase it); pattern 4 (its B-track sound can change if it uses a saved program; its pattern notes remain; other writes can also erase it); pattern 5 (its B-track sound can change if it uses a saved program; its pattern notes remain; other writes can also erase it); pattern 6 (its B-track sound can change if it uses a saved program; its pattern notes remain; other writes can also erase it); pattern 7 (its B-track sound can change if it uses a saved program; its pattern notes remain; other writes can also erase it); saved programs and global settings; pattern 8 (its B-track sound can change if it uses a saved program; its pattern notes remain).
- X0X: At risk by itself: saved programs and global settings; pattern 1 (its B-track sound can change if it uses a saved program; its pattern notes remain); pattern 2 (its B-track sound can change if it uses a saved program; its pattern notes remain); pattern 3 (its B-track sound can change if it uses a saved program; its pattern notes remain); pattern 4 (its B-track sound can change if it uses a saved program; its pattern notes remain); pattern 5 (its B-track sound can change if it uses a saved program; its pattern notes remain); pattern 6 (its B-track sound can change if it uses a saved program; its pattern notes remain); pattern 7 (its B-track sound can change if it uses a saved program; its pattern notes remain); pattern 8 (its B-track sound can change if it uses a saved program; its pattern notes remain).
- JIANT: At risk by itself: saved programs and global settings; pattern 1 (its B-track sound can change if it uses a saved program; its pattern notes remain); pattern 2 (its B-track sound can change if it uses a saved program; its pattern notes remain); pattern 3 (its B-track sound can change if it uses a saved program; its pattern notes remain); pattern 4 (its B-track sound can change if it uses a saved program; its pattern notes remain); pattern 5 (its B-track sound can change if it uses a saved program; its pattern notes remain); pattern 6 (its B-track sound can change if it uses a saved program; its pattern notes remain); pattern 7 (its B-track sound can change if it uses a saved program; its pattern notes remain); pattern 8 (its B-track sound can change if it uses a saved program; its pattern notes remain).
- Melodee: At risk by itself: pattern 1 (its B-track sound can change if it uses a saved program; its pattern notes remain; other writes can also erase it); pattern 2 (its B-track sound can change if it uses a saved program; its pattern notes remain; other writes can also erase it); pattern 3 (its B-track sound can change if it uses a saved program; its pattern notes remain; other writes can also erase it); pattern 4 (its B-track sound can change if it uses a saved program; its pattern notes remain; other writes can also erase it); pattern 5 (its B-track sound can change if it uses a saved program; its pattern notes remain; other writes can also erase it); pattern 6 (its B-track sound can change if it uses a saved program; its pattern notes remain; other writes can also erase it); pattern 7 (its B-track sound can change if it uses a saved program; its pattern notes remain; other writes can also erase it); saved programs and global settings; pattern 8 (its B-track sound can change if it uses a saved program; its pattern notes remain).
- FoMni: At risk by itself: saved programs and global settings; pattern 1 (its B-track sound can change if it uses a saved program; its pattern notes remain); pattern 2 (its B-track sound can change if it uses a saved program; its pattern notes remain); pattern 3 (its B-track sound can change if it uses a saved program; its pattern notes remain); pattern 4 (its B-track sound can change if it uses a saved program; its pattern notes remain); pattern 5 (its B-track sound can change if it uses a saved program; its pattern notes remain); pattern 6 (its B-track sound can change if it uses a saved program; its pattern notes remain); pattern 7 (its B-track sound can change if it uses a saved program; its pattern notes remain); pattern 8 (its B-track sound can change if it uses a saved program; its pattern notes remain).
- AMB-1: At risk by itself: saved programs and global settings; pattern 1 (its B-track sound can change if it uses a saved program; its pattern notes remain); pattern 2 (its B-track sound can change if it uses a saved program; its pattern notes remain); pattern 3 (its B-track sound can change if it uses a saved program; its pattern notes remain); pattern 4 (its B-track sound can change if it uses a saved program; its pattern notes remain); pattern 5 (its B-track sound can change if it uses a saved program; its pattern notes remain); pattern 6 (its B-track sound can change if it uses a saved program; its pattern notes remain); pattern 7 (its B-track sound can change if it uses a saved program; its pattern notes remain); pattern 8 (its B-track sound can change if it uses a saved program; its pattern notes remain).
- ChoralRoot: At risk by itself: saved programs and global settings; pattern 1 (its B-track sound can change if it uses a saved program; its pattern notes remain); pattern 2 (its B-track sound can change if it uses a saved program; its pattern notes remain); pattern 3 (its B-track sound can change if it uses a saved program; its pattern notes remain); pattern 4 (its B-track sound can change if it uses a saved program; its pattern notes remain); pattern 5 (its B-track sound can change if it uses a saved program; its pattern notes remain); pattern 6 (its B-track sound can change if it uses a saved program; its pattern notes remain); pattern 7 (its B-track sound can change if it uses a saved program; its pattern notes remain); pattern 8 (its B-track sound can change if it uses a saved program; its pattern notes remain).
- GHOULBOX: At risk by itself: saved programs and global settings; pattern 1 (its B-track sound can change if it uses a saved program; its pattern notes remain); pattern 2 (its B-track sound can change if it uses a saved program; its pattern notes remain); pattern 3 (its B-track sound can change if it uses a saved program; its pattern notes remain); pattern 4 (its B-track sound can change if it uses a saved program; its pattern notes remain); pattern 5 (its B-track sound can change if it uses a saved program; its pattern notes remain); pattern 6 (its B-track sound can change if it uses a saved program; its pattern notes remain); pattern 7 (its B-track sound can change if it uses a saved program; its pattern notes remain); pattern 8 (its B-track sound can change if it uses a saved program; its pattern notes remain).
- M-VAVE FM-1 Open: At risk when you act: pattern 1; pattern 2; pattern 3; pattern 4; pattern 5; pattern 6; pattern 7; pattern 8; saved programs and global settings.
- FM-106: At risk by itself: saved programs and global settings; pattern 1 (its B-track sound can change if it uses a saved program; its pattern notes remain); pattern 2 (its B-track sound can change if it uses a saved program; its pattern notes remain); pattern 3 (its B-track sound can change if it uses a saved program; its pattern notes remain); pattern 4 (its B-track sound can change if it uses a saved program; its pattern notes remain); pattern 5 (its B-track sound can change if it uses a saved program; its pattern notes remain); pattern 6 (its B-track sound can change if it uses a saved program; its pattern notes remain); pattern 7 (its B-track sound can change if it uses a saved program; its pattern notes remain); pattern 8 (its B-track sound can change if it uses a saved program; its pattern notes remain).
- Hortator: At risk by itself: saved programs and global settings; pattern 1 (its B-track sound can change if it uses a saved program; its pattern notes remain); pattern 2 (its B-track sound can change if it uses a saved program; its pattern notes remain); pattern 3 (its B-track sound can change if it uses a saved program; its pattern notes remain); pattern 4 (its B-track sound can change if it uses a saved program; its pattern notes remain); pattern 5 (its B-track sound can change if it uses a saved program; its pattern notes remain); pattern 6 (its B-track sound can change if it uses a saved program; its pattern notes remain); pattern 7 (its B-track sound can change if it uses a saved program; its pattern notes remain); pattern 8 (its B-track sound can change if it uses a saved program; its pattern notes remain).
- Polly: At risk by itself: pattern 1 (its B-track sound can change if it uses a saved program; its pattern notes remain; other writes can also erase it); pattern 2 (its B-track sound can change if it uses a saved program; its pattern notes remain; other writes can also erase it); pattern 3 (its B-track sound can change if it uses a saved program; its pattern notes remain; other writes can also erase it); pattern 4 (its B-track sound can change if it uses a saved program; its pattern notes remain; other writes can also erase it); pattern 5 (its B-track sound can change if it uses a saved program; its pattern notes remain; other writes can also erase it); pattern 6 (its B-track sound can change if it uses a saved program; its pattern notes remain; other writes can also erase it); pattern 7 (its B-track sound can change if it uses a saved program; its pattern notes remain; other writes can also erase it); pattern 8 (its B-track sound can change if it uses a saved program; its pattern notes remain; other writes can also erase it); saved programs and global settings.
- Skiff: At risk by itself: pattern 1 (its B-track sound can change if it uses a saved program; its pattern notes remain; other writes can also erase it); pattern 2 (its B-track sound can change if it uses a saved program; its pattern notes remain; other writes can also erase it); pattern 3 (its B-track sound can change if it uses a saved program; its pattern notes remain; other writes can also erase it); pattern 4 (its B-track sound can change if it uses a saved program; its pattern notes remain; other writes can also erase it); pattern 5 (its B-track sound can change if it uses a saved program; its pattern notes remain; other writes can also erase it); pattern 6 (its B-track sound can change if it uses a saved program; its pattern notes remain; other writes can also erase it); pattern 7 (its B-track sound can change if it uses a saved program; its pattern notes remain; other writes can also erase it); pattern 8 (its B-track sound can change if it uses a saved program; its pattern notes remain; other writes can also erase it); saved programs and global settings.
Who reads whose data. No other firmware reads OberVave's data, and OberVave reads none of theirs.
Every way each write can happen, for all mapped firmwares: the flash atlas's table. Read in each firmware's source (closed ones: their docs or third-party reports); nothing was tested on a unit.

Keeps 32 saved user programs and globals in one flash sector, plus eight separately saved patterns; each pattern holds both tracks, B’s program choice and its effects-send setting, rather than a copy of either sound.

Unsaved sound edits, the note latch and the one pattern undo snapshot are temporary; selecting a different program replaces its unsaved sound without a question; each saved object has a single copy, so a save interrupted by loss of power has no second copy to fall back on. Changing patterns to one with a different B program, including a return to sharing A, drops B’s unsaved sound edits without asking; saving a pattern keeps B’s program choice, not the edited sound, so save B’s program first if those edits matter.

The settings loader requires its expected size and version, and the pattern loader requires its expected size and format, so another version is not guaranteed to read these saves; the README specifically warns against installing v1.1 because its broken USB MIDI prevents updating away from it.

Missing program or pattern saves start from defaults in memory without saving them at boot, but a normal start can erase another firmware’s data from the entire area OberVave uses for updates before any save action, without asking or offering undo, if either of its two small update checks finds stored data; data elsewhere in that area alone does not trigger the erase, and ordinary settings changes and pattern edits also save later without asking.

The installer also removes recognised update records, so do not treat installing a firmware as a guarantee that all saved work remains untouched.

Back up what your current firmware can export before switching; see the switching advice in this section. Starting OberVave can erase earlier data before a save, and another firmware can overwrite OberVave work at startup or during use.

Where the docs and the firmware disagree

Topic	Docs	Source at v1.4.2
Random sound button	The README describes pressing the SELECT knob while holding SAVE.	The FM-1 handler listens for button_sel while SAVE is active; the tempo encoder has no push event.
Switch on B from PATTERNS	The README says KNOB 1 can give an off track sixteen steps on any sequencer view.	PATTERNS handles KNOB 1 as slot selection before reaching the off-track length branch; use TRACKS, STEPS, STEP+ or TRACK to enable B.
Pattern autosave interval	The README describes the pattern saving three seconds after a change while stopped.	The timer starts at the first observation of an edited pattern and is not restarted by subsequent edits; saving also waits for stopped transport, no recording, no held step, no active entry or layer, and quiet voices.

Limits of this map

The second green PLAY light has no independently addressed output in the FM-1 LED driver; the source cannot establish a separate visible meaning for it.

No panel or MIDI backup/restore feature was found in this version; a raw-flash programmer workflow is outside this control map.

Recovery, splash, updater, UBOOT and fault displays are mapped, but fault-number interpretation is outside this owner control map.

Physical TRS MIDI input is disabled in the supplied build; custom builds with other compile flags are outside this map.

Mapped from zvenson/obervave at v1.4.2 (e68d039), 2026-10-16. Every mapped action was read against the firmware source; the pinned references and evidence grades are in [obervave.json](obervave.json). An independent checker found zero errors in round 3 (2026-10-16).

GPL-3.0-only firmware. This guide uses Les’s own wording and includes no firmware files. Independent guide; not affiliated with zvenson, M-VAVE or Oberheim.

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Les is independent and not affiliated with M-VAVE or the firmware authors. M-VAVE and FM-1 are trademarks of their owners.