SID-1
It turns them into a synth you play from the FM-1's own keys and knobs, or over USB MIDI.
- Custom firmware
- Stable
- Medium brick risk
- Reversible
This project hasn't been claimed by its maintainer yet, so its details come from the community. Is it yours? Claim it
SID-1 1.0 turns the FM-1 into a synth for two Commodore 64 SID chips: six voices, three on each chip, with the 6581 or the 8580.
Use it with the web app: https://sid-1.putch.co.uk/ (Chrome or Edge).
What's in 1.0
- An accurate SID: a C port of reSID 0.16, matching it sample for sample in the tests, for both chip models, with optional 2x oversampling.
- Patches that work like a C64 music player's instruments: ADSR and waveform, an 8-step wavetable for drums and arpeggios, pulse width and filter sweeps, vibrato and hard restart.
- A library of 128 patches in 4 banks of 32, kept in flash, starting with 16 factory patches in bank 1. PRESETS or a program change picks one.
- Single, Layer, Split or Voices: one patch, up to six stacked, a patch per MIDI channel, or channels 1 to 6 as the six voices, as a C64 tune plays them.
- Nine knob pages on the FM-1, and a web app that edits every field of a patch and plays your changes as you make them.
- Patches from C64 tunes: drop a
.sidfile (PSID or RSID) on the web app and it finds the instruments the tune plays. - A tune's sampled drums, played through the volume register on MIDI channel 10, as C64 tunes play them. Heard on the 6581.
- Songs as MIDI: play a tune on the FM-1 in voices mode, or save it as a
.midfile for a DAW.
Install
From the SID-1 project folder (see the README for Windows, macOS and Linux):
python3 tools/fm1_install.py sid1-1.0.0.fwsc
To go back to the official firmware or another one, use the FM-1 Firmware Hub.
Installing is at your own risk: see the disclaimer in the README.
SHA-256 of sid1-1.0.0.fwsc:
4ee3dbe2079ea066e33a3843ec8e508e9eab191a500cad4944e00fd603683838
The package contains GPL-2.0-or-later and Apache-2.0 code and an SIL OFL font; LICENSE and LICENSING.md are attached.
Before you start
- How hard is it?
- EasyWith Slipway.
- What you need
- A USB or MIDI cable
- Comfort with the command line
- A computer
- Can it break my device?
- Small chance of trouble, with a way to recover. It may void your warranty.
- Can I undo it?
- Yes. You can go back to the official software.
Did it work for you?
Did SID-1 v1.0.0 work on your M-VAVE FM-1?
No reports yet for v1.0.0.
One-tap reports from owners. Bricked reports are checked before they count.
Compatibility
Devices: M-VAVE FM-1.
No compatibility information yet.
Getting started
From the project's README ("Getting started"):
Install the firmware on the FM-1, as in Installing the firmware below.
Open the web app in Chrome or Edge: . To run it locally instead (Web MIDI needs https or localhost):
cd web && python3 -m http.server 8000 # then open http://localhost:8000/
Play. Turn PRESETS to step through the 16 factory patches in bank 1.
Add patches. In the Library, drop a .sid tune, tick the patches you want, pick a bank and a start slot, and press Send to FM-1. SID-1 does not include any C64 music; use files you have the right to use, such as those of the High Voltage SID Collection.
The web app's Help tab explains every button and knob on the FM-1, and what to do when something goes wrong.
Rescue: if the FM-1 ever fails to start, hold OCT- while switching it on. It starts the USB updater only, so a working firmware can be installed from there.
Risk and recovery
- Brick risk
- Medium
- Reversible
- Yes
- Voids the warranty
- Yes
- Requires opening the device
- No
From the project's README ("Getting started"):
Install the firmware on the FM-1, as in Installing the firmware below.
Open the web app in Chrome or Edge: . To run it locally instead (Web MIDI needs https or localhost):
cd web && python3 -m http.server 8000 # then open http://localhost:8000/
Play. Turn PRESETS to step through the 16 factory patches in bank 1.
Add patches. In the Library, drop a .sid tune, tick the patches you want, pick a bank and a start slot, and press Send to FM-1. SID-1 does not include any C64 music; use files you have the right to use, such as those of the High Voltage SID Collection.
The web app's Help tab explains every button and knob on the FM-1, and what to do when something goes wrong.
Rescue: if the FM-1 ever fails to start, hold OCT- while switching it on. It starts the USB updater only, so a working firmware can be installed from there.
Releases
| Version | Name | Released |
|---|---|---|
| v1.0.0 | SID-1 1.0.0Latest | 17 October 2026 |
Credits, license and support
- License
- GPL-3.0