BEETLE

From the project's README ("Where to Start"):

You can learn the workflow in a few minutes using the Web Simulator, or follow the same controls on an FM1 running BEETLE.

1. Open the tracker. Press SEQ. This is your main editing screen.
2. Choose a channel. Turn SELECT: CH1–CH5 are synth lanes; CH6 is the drum lane.
3. Pick a pattern. Turn ALGORITHM to choose one of the 48 patterns while stopped.
4. Move around the grid. Turn K1 for the step (row) and K2 for the field (column). Turn K3 to change the selected value.
5. Enter a sound. Press a musical key to write a note or drum hit. The tracker normally advances after the main note is entered. On CH6, selecting NOTE2 with K2 lets you enter a second drum hit without overwriting NOTE1 or advancing the step.
6. Correct mistakes. SEL clears the selected step. ENV inserts a note stop ([STP]) in the focused note field; it is not the same as clearing the entire step. Use SEQ + OP5 to undo an edit.
7. Play it back. Press PLAY/STOP. Change the tempo with K4. Stop playback before making structural edits.
8. Build the sound and arrangement. Press EDIT for instruments, GLO for the mixer, LFO for master effects, or ARP for Song Chains. Press SEQ to return to the tracker.
9. Save your work. Press SAVE, or open HOME → SAVE / SAVE AS to manage a project slot.

> FM1 terminology: SEL means the physical SELECT push-button; SELECT in this guide means the rotary encoder. OP1–OP6 are the six mapped black musical keys used with SEQ. The function of some controls changes with the current screen.

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From the project's README ("Projects and Project Manager"):

Press HOME to access NEW, SAVE, SAVE AS, LOAD, HELP and other project tools. There are 12 project slots. A project saves patterns, song arrangements, instruments and library, drums, mixer, effects and performance settings. The current project data schema is V19; supported older projects are migrated when loaded. V19 files cannot be opened in older V18 firmware.

The BEETLE Project Manager can import/export .beetle files. Its AES-GCM file encoding uses a shared key included in the open-source tools: this protects against casual inspection or corruption, not determined decryption. Direct device transfer requires the experimental Project Transfer firmware and has not been confirmed on physical hardware.

Storage and firmware safety: On-device flash capacity is finite, so an entirely filled 48-pattern project is not guaranteed to fit. The experimental storage backend may overwrite older user data in 0x97000–0xDFFFF on first-use provisioning. Obtain a verified full-flash backup and a working independent recovery method before experimenting with destructive storage or firmware updates. The WebInstaller does not make a full device backup, and successful transfer verification does not guarantee a bootable firmware or working recovery path.

For setup and build instructions, see docs/START-HERE.md. For release-specific fixes and historical changes, see CHANGELOG.md.

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