AmbWave quick start

AmbWave is an ambient instrument for the M-VAVE FM-1. The browser version uses the same synthesis code. No hardware or personal samples are needed to try it.

First scene

1. In the browser, click Switch on to enable audio. Start at a modest volume.

2. Track 1 starts on TIDE, the curated FM pad. PRESETS selects another sound.

3. Tap three notes. In HOLD mode they remain sounding; tap each again to release.

4. Set SPACE to 0 to hear TIDE dry. Its defaults are SHAPE 50, MOTION 25,

DENSITY 50 and SPACE 50. Explore the first three knobs during a sustained note. The warm variations start at SHAPE 50, MOTION 25, DENSITY 50 and SPACE 35. Return there for the starting tone.

5. Turn ALGORITHM to track 2, tap a note for TEXTURE, and balance it quietly:

use the visible browser mixer. On hardware, hold HOME and turn knob 2; the four knobs mix tracks 1–4.

6. Track 3 starts as PULSE SCATTER. Tap a few pitches, press PLAY, then balance

it with the browser mixer or HOME + knob 3. STOP pauses generated notes and keeps its pitch set.

The starting mixer balance is TIDE 64%, TEXTURE 62%, PULSE 74%, CLOUD 62%. These are fader positions, not equal-loudness percentages. The default balance was reviewed with a sustained TIDE chord and scattered PULSE notes.

PRESETS selects a sound on the focused track; it does not select a complete scene. All eight sounds are available on every track. Changing sound clears that track's live held pitches, so retap your chord after a sound change.

Browser knobs and keys

Click a knob and use your computer's up/down arrow keys to turn it one step, or drag/scroll over it. There is no separate preset Up button on the FM-1. ALGORITHM changes track; PRESETS changes sound. The sound name appears on the device screen. T.WARM / T.SILK are compact mixer labels for the TIDE variations.

Click the on-screen piano or use the computer keys shown beneath the instrument. Shift-click a panel button to keep it held; Shift-click again to release it. For example, Shift-click HOME to expose mixing, then release HOME to return the four knobs to their sound macros. Only the focused browser tab receives keys.

Four macros

- SHAPE: rounded/muted to open and harmonically rich.

- MOTION: still to stronger, irregular tonal movement. Allow a few seconds

to hear slow settings. TIDE does not add pitch wobble.

- DENSITY: harmonic weight on TIDE, without detuning or chorus; the WARM

and SILK variations retain their spread controls. For CLOUD it changes grains; for PULSE SCATTER it changes how often notes occur.

- SPACE: dry/close to a wash of delay and reverb. The effects buses are

shared; this knob controls local sends and dry balance. The existing effect return is mono, so this is not independent stereo reverb on every track.

Hold, scatter and sequence

HOME + ARP cycles HOLD → SCATTER → SEQUENCE. A mode change clears live input but retains the stored pattern. HOME + SELECT sets SCATTER or SEQUENCE speed.

- HOLD: toggle sustained notes. TIDE and plucks hold up to four, CLOUD up to

three, TEXTURE one register. All tracks share eight voices.

- SCATTER: toggle a pitch set and press PLAY for random notes from that set.

- SEQUENCE: press SEQ from HOME to open the existing step editor. Tap/release

successive notes to enter a phrase. EDIT clears the current step and advances. Press SEQ again for pattern length/division/gate; HOME returns to the macros.

For clocked CLOUD, HOME + ENV cycles SHORT / FLOW / LONG note articulation. This does not change grain DENSITY. HOLD remains sustained.

Clear and mute

FX + OCT− clears held input on the selected track. HOME plus the first four black keys toggles track mutes while retaining the notes. STOP releases generated notes; held drones remain intentional. To clear a written sequence, open SEQ, hold REC, then confirm with OCT+ (OCT− cancels).

Current limits

This is an MVP. Complete scene save/recall is not implemented. Dense chords and release tails can steal voices from other tracks. The older installed firmware is preserved for rollback; opening the browser never flashes a device.