Generative radio for the M-VAVE FM-1 on JIANT firmware Plug in your FM-1
Connect
- 1USB data cablea charge-only cable shows no port
- 2no hubstraight into the computer or phone
- 3closeDAWs and other pages using the FM-1
- 4Connectthen Allow in the browser's prompt
Settings
Technical log
A radio that plays on your FM-1
FM-1 Radio turns an M-VAVE FM-1 running the JIANT FM firmware into an endless background radio. The web app writes the music, the FM-1 plays it with its own engines: the sound is the machine's, nothing is streamed.
Pick a style, press PLAY on the machine and get back to work. Each tune builds, peaks, breathes and hands over to the next, with one track bridging the two, so the music never stops. From deep house and dub techno to shoegaze, boom bap, drum & bass and ambient: 43 styles in seven families.
How it works
- JIANT's own generator. The app runs GEN, the generator of JIANT, compiled to WebAssembly. A tune is a style, an energy and a seed: the same three values always give the same tune.
- An arc for every tune. Intro, build, peak, breathe, outro. Five ways to start a tune, and the FM-1's own effects (distortion, chorus, delay, reverb, DJ filter) moving on the beat.
- Your machine keeps the clock. The radio follows the FM-1's MIDI clock. Tempo, TAP and effects stay yours: play along, and the radio waits until you're done.
- Gentle with your FM-1. Everything is written in RAM over USB, through a short list of editor commands. The radio never sends firmware or project commands, and it can put your own music back when you stop.
What you need
- An M-VAVE FM-1 with JIANT FM V10.9 or later (tested on V10.26).
- A USB data cable.
- Chrome or Edge on Windows, macOS, Linux or ChromeOS, or Chrome on Android with an OTG adapter. Not on iPhone or iPad: Safari has no Web MIDI.
- Two minutes of setup on the machine: the setup guide.
Questions
Does it work without an FM-1?
No. The app makes no sound: it writes the music into the machine, and the FM-1 plays it. You need an FM-1 running JIANT FM.
Will it change or erase my music?
The radio writes into the tracks in RAM, never into saved projects. But JIANT saves by itself 10 s after the machine stops, so save your project before you start. The radio also keeps a copy of your music and offers to put it back at the end.
Can I play along?
Yes. Turn a knob, play a key or change the tempo: the radio notices, keeps the current tune and waits 30 s after your last move. Stay here keeps a tune for as long as you want.
Can I find a tune again?
Yes. Press Keep: the radio stores the style, energy and seed in your browser. The same three values give the same tune, note for note.
Why Chrome or Edge?
The radio needs Web MIDI with SysEx, which Chrome and Edge support. Safari doesn't, on Mac, iPhone or iPad.
Does it work on a phone?
On Android, yes: Chrome, plus an OTG adapter or a USB-C cable. The interface is made for small screens. Not on iPhone.
Is it free? What happens to my data?
FM-1 Radio is free software under GPL-3.0, with no account and no cookie. Your settings and kept tunes stay in your browser. While the radio is on air, it sends an anonymous signal so the site can show how many FM-1 are on air: no name, nothing about your music, and it is forgotten 2 minutes after you stop.
Does it use AI?
No. The tunes come from JIANT's generator (musical rules). The radio adds the arrangement and the mix.
Credits
The generator is JIANT FM by Juan Ignacio Antonucci (GPL-3.0), a fork of Felucca by Leo Kuroshita / Hügelton Instruments. FM-1 Radio is free software under GPL-3.0: source code, licenses. It is an independent community project, not affiliated with M-VAVE. Questions, bugs, ideas: contact@fm1-radio.com.
The radio is free, with no ads and no account. If it keeps you company while you work, you can support it on Ko-fi.