M-VAVE has introduced the FM-1, a portable digital FM synthesizer built around a six-operator FM synthesis engine with 32 algorithms.
The instrument combines a compact desktop format with a 27-key silicone keyboard, onboard controls, rechargeable battery power, MIDI connectivity, and integrated sequencing functions.
The M-VAVE FM-1 synthesizer supports wired and wireless MIDI workflows and can operate as a standalone sound module, portable instrument, or compact desktop synthesizer for studio and mobile use.
Features:
- Six-operator FM synthesis engine
- Thirty-two FM synthesis algorithms
- Twelve-voice polyphony
- Twenty-seven-key silicone keyboard
- Seven rotary control knobs plus dedicated volume control
- Color TFT display
- Built-in arpeggiator
- Integrated step sequencer
- Preset storage for user and factory sounds
- Built-in multi-effects processing
- MIDI input via 3.5 mm TRS connection
- MIDI over USB-C
- Wireless Bluetooth MIDI support
- Simultaneous USB, TRS MIDI, and Bluetooth MIDI operation
- USB-C connection for power and data
- Built-in speaker
- 3.5 mm stereo audio output
- Rechargeable 2000 mAh battery
- Up to 12 hours of battery operation
- Compatible with Windows, macOS, iOS, and Android via wireless MIDI
Pricing & Availability:
The FM-1 is available now, priced around $75-100 USD.
It’s not the flying car but if you’d told a DX-7 buyer in 1985 that you’d one day be able to get the same engine (plus effects and a sequencer and wireless and… ) for $75, they wouldn’t believe you.
There are flying cars now, but they are actually big propeller drones. The department stores are selling them. For a real shock tell 1985 that Donald Trump would be President right after a black man who was President for two terms.
The half-White “black” president.
And it’s tiny!
There are so many current things that the DX-7;s contemporaries would find shocking to fathom.
It’s odd that FM synthesis has been making something of a resurgence. Probably my least favorite form of synthesis– but it is kind of fascinating– just not so pleasant.
well you would be wrong! I got it for $45
I just got mine via AliExpress last week (£56 including shipping from china). Surprisingly well built, cool sounding, fun little toy.
What’s the UI like? One of the best things about Korg’s Opsix is how they managed to reduce the menu-diving when tweaking sounds.
Good, dedicated button per function category, don’t think I’ve noticed more than 3 pages of functions for anything. Response time is instant, although some parameters have limited range.
Why did the word “workflow” get used here? What was it supposed to mean, this time around?
It’s a good litmus test for mouthbreathers – the MPC community seem overly fond of using it these days (and most of them have never had a job).
In the 1990s, “deconstruction” was the obligatory, yet meaningless buzzword of choice by poseurs who pretended to have some magical insight that eluded normal people… now it’s “workflow”.
“Workflow” roughly translates to ‘how easy is what I want to achieve? Is it easy and intuitive to learn?’ It’s pretty simple, really.
If you’ve used an old MPC, you’d understand where the mouth breathers are coming from. The only MPC I’ve used was an inpenetrable mess (the MPC500).
So yes, I’m a mouth breather but at least I brush & floss my teeth twice a day.
How is it making such a realistic piano sound on a 6 op fm algo??
After plundering the internet for patches when I first tried DEXED, I was amazed at the realism of some of the acoustic piano sounds,prompting me to get a TX802…
Yamaha launched a few digital pianos using only FM (PF 10, PF15, and the YS range too), so they were certainly confident about the strengths of FM in reproducing a realistic piano.
More e-waste is all I see here.
Use “DEXED” instead. Its free.
Ah yes, Dexed. That miraculous and magical piece of software that requires no hardware whatsoever. It just works on its own.
You sound like the cell phone company justifying not including the wall charger because “e-waste” when now I will have to order one online which is worse for the environment than if you just included it with the phone.
“You should already have a charger”
What if this new phone charges much faster and I need a faster charger?
@kennyb raises a valid point that applies to quite a bit of gear– even if it provides fun an use, it will ultimately wind up in a non-useable state. After that, a user has to take some extra steps to see to it that it is disposed of responsibly.
I’m fortunate to live near a facility that will take my e-waste (they charge a small fee per pound). They partner with a recycler and much of those materials can be recycled.
The recycling process isn’t karma-free, but it is far, far better than mining new materials, and all the other additional environmental burdens created by not recycling.
As for @For The Love Of Noise’s comment: You’re saying that sending a charger to everyone, regardless of whether they need one or not, is better for the environment than you ordering a charger when you order your phone? Let’s invent a percentage. Let’s say 30% of people ordering a phone already have the charger they need. So you’re saying it’s better to send out that many chargers that won’t be used? Modern chargers are pretty sophisticated, and have lots of components and copper in them. Seems weird to make and send more than are needed.
Agreed, a downside of the incredibly low price tag is that it makes this easier to justify putting it in the bin and not the 2nd classifieds when it becomes boring.
Nobody sane’s gonna bin a Minimoog when they want polyphony.
that requires a much bigger thing that ‘goes in a bin’ later, or do you think that you are going to use the same computer 10 years later
You can read rather excellent and comprehensive review of FM-1 on SynthAnatomy…
https://synthanatomy.com/2026/07/m-vave-fm-1-review-low-budget-pocket-fm-ynthesizer-with-iconic-sounds.html
Anyone compare it to the volca fm2 yet?
No comparison.
Volca FM = 3 voice
Volca FM2 = 6 voice
This thing = 12 voice
That’s enough on its own for me.
I’m sure the Volca has the better sequencer, especially with Korgs motion recording. However, I’m guessing most people will be using this with an external keyboard / sequencer.
Also, this has an inbuilt rechargeable battery if portability is your thing.
And USB midi etc etc etc.
This, on paper at least, beats the Volca every which way.
I’ve ordered one, so can only let you know in a couple of weeks!
if it can do program change messages that would be enough for me.. crazy oversite by korg