README from GitHub, GPL-3.0

FM-1 Mirror + Spyglass for Android

The M-VAVE FM-1's tiny 1.54-inch screen, big on an Android tablet or phone, live, over USB or Bluetooth. Play the FM-1 from a USB keyboard through the same app, and watch every note or chord you play, on the keyboard or on the FM-1's own keys, in a spyglass beside the screen.

FM-1 Mirror + Spyglass on a tablet: the FM-1's screen big, and the spyglass showing A3

It combines two free apps for Android: FM-1 Mirror (the big screen) and Synth Spyglass (the notes). On Android only one app at a time can play the FM-1, so the two can't run together; this one does both.

Watch it: FM-1 Mirror + Spyglass for Android: Big Screen, MIDI Bridge & Note Spyglass, All in One (2:03)

Questions, or something not working? Write to me: pfkellogg@gmail.com

Download

FM-1-Mirror-Spyglass-android.apk (Android 11 or newer)

Open the link on the tablet or phone and tap the file when it has downloaded. It isn't from Google Play, so Android asks first: allow your browser to install unknown apps, then tap Install.

Not the green "Code" button. GitHub's green Code → Download ZIP gives the app's source code, which doesn't install. Use the link above, or Releases on the right of the page.

Already have FM-1 Mirror for Android? This installs over it, as an update.

Plugging it in

The tablet's USB-C port takes a small USB hub (one with its own power input is best, so the tablet charges too). Into the hub:

the M-VAVE FM-1, with its USB cable
the keyboard (any USB MIDI keyboard), or a USB MIDI interface whose MIDI IN comes from another instrument or a sequencer

The FM-1's sound still comes out of its own headphone jack, as always. If the hub has a power input, plug the hub into the tablet first and its power in after: the tablet may otherwise only charge from it and not see what's plugged in.

The FM-1's screen: one-time setup

The FM-1 doesn't normally send its screen anywhere, so it needs the FM-1 Big Screen firmware: M-VAVE's free Official Open firmware plus one small addition that sends the screen over the USB cable. Open the app with the FM-1 plugged in and it tells you which firmware the FM-1 has and what to do. With the firmware it came with, it's two steps:

M-VAVE's Official Open firmware, from M-VAVE's FM1 Workbench page in Chrome (a computer is easiest): Device update › Recovery & force update, tick Force flash, Connect device, tick I have backed up…, Force flash. This replaces the FM-1's sounds with M-VAVE's: if you made your own, save them first on the page's Projects & sounds tab.
Plug the FM-1 back into the tablet: the app offers Install Big Screen (about 2 minutes). Keep the FM-1 plugged in and on until it's done.

Coming from M-VAVE's V16: the FM-1 keeps V16's updater, which names itself ota-FM-1_016. This app finds it from 1.4.0; older versions looked only for V15's updater, said the connection was lost partway through the install, and left the FM-1 waiting in its updater (M-Upgrade or M-VAVE's page finishes it). With an older version, put the original V15 back first (Recovery & force update › Restore original V15). Thanks to a viewer who reported it.

Going back is easy: on the same page, Device update › Start update puts back M-VAVE's own Official Open firmware, and Recovery & force update › Restore original V15 the firmware it came with.

Using it

The screen fills the middle, live: turn a knob, press a button, play a note, and it changes with the little one. Full screen (tap the screen to come back), and Color for other looks: Bright color (lifts dark colours like purple so they can be read), Yellow on black, White on black, Black on white.
Keys: the keyboard plugged in plays the FM-1 through the app. It's picked by itself; tap Keys to choose another device (a sequencer, a MIDI interface, or another app's MIDI device such as Synth Spyglass's "Mac (Wi-Fi)", for a computer's keyboard over Wi-Fi) or None.
- Everything is moved to channel 1 by default, where the FM-1 listens: a keyboard knocked onto another channel (a Keystation came set to 13) would be silent otherwise. Keys › Channel picks another (1 to 16: e.g. 3 for ChoralRoot's MIDI Keys, its chord engine from the keyboard), or as they come, for a sequencer playing the FM-1's tracks on their own channels.
- Clock goes through too. SysEx never does: that's how the FM-1 is updated.
Spyglass: a round brass eyepiece beside the screen with the note or chord you play ("A3 220 Hz", "C major", "E + G · minor 3rd"), the notes on a grand staff, and how hard you hit the key. On top of it, the sound playing (T1 FM6 ICE BELL), when the firmware says it (since 1.4.0: JIANT FM + Big Screen does, others don't yet, and then there's nothing on top). Drag it to move it; pinch it, or tap it and drag the grip on its rim, to resize it; tap it and ✕ to put it away.
- The FM-1's own keys show too, once its KEY OUT is on (once, it's remembered): on the FM-1, press SEQ, turn ALGO to page 6/8 MIDI TRACK, and turn K4 (KEY OUT) to ON (K3, OUT PORT, on USB+BLE).
Update FM-1 shows in the bar when this app has a newer Big Screen firmware than the FM-1 runs (over USB only; about 2 minutes, your sounds and projects stay).
Playing works while the app is on screen: switched to another app, it lets go of the FM-1.

Over Bluetooth

No cable to the FM-1: it can sit across the room on its battery. It needs the Big Screen firmware from this app's 1.3 or later (an older one sends its screen over USB only; plug it in once and tap Update FM-1).

On the FM-1, hold HOME and press GLO: the BLUETOOTH page. K1 BLUETOOTH on ON, K3 BLE ROLE on DEVICE. It says WAITING FOR DEVICE.
Unplug the FM-1's USB cable (or never plug it in). The app says Waiting for the FM-1…: tap Find the FM-1 over Bluetooth, and Allow Nearby devices. It finds FM1 Community_BLE, connects, and the title says FM-1 Mirror · Bluetooth.
From then on it connects by itself whenever the FM-1 isn't plugged in. Plug it in, and the app moves to USB (faster); firmware is only ever installed over USB.

The FM-1 takes one Bluetooth connection at a time: close this app before connecting a computer (FM-1 Mirror on a Mac works over Bluetooth too), and the other way round.

If there's no sound

The keyboard's volume slider (a Keystation has one) sets the FM-1's volume. Slid down, the FM-1 plays silently; turning the FM-1's preset knob loads the preset's own volume, which is why that seems to fix it. Keep the slider up.
Close Synth Spyglass and MIDI Bridge. If one of them is on, it holds the FM-1 and this app shows "Waiting for the FM-1…".
The FM-1's volume and headphone cable, as always.

Build it yourself

Java 17 and the Android SDK:

./gradlew assembleDebug
# -> app/build/outputs/apk/debug/app-debug.apk

test/run.sh checks the screen and updater messages on a computer, no tablet needed. Debug builds include a pretend FM-1 ("FM1 Simulator") for trying the app without one.

Other firmwares: ChoralRoot, JIANT FM and Skiff

The screen messages work with any FM-1 firmware that sends them (the screen part is MIT). The first community firmware with it: ChoralRoot + FM-1 Big Screen (pfkellogg/ChoralRootFM1), Quixotic7's chord instrument with 32 lines added. Over USB; "Update FM-1" doesn't show on it (it would replace it).

The second: JIANT FM + FM-1 Big Screen (pfkellogg/JIANT), juanjiant's music system (synths, drums, a sequencer, songs), V10.49 with 38 lines added. Also over USB only, and "Update FM-1" doesn't show on it either. JIANT has daily builds; ours stays at V10.49 until the screen is added to a newer one. Watch it: JIANT FM on a Big Screen. JIANT also says which sound is playing, shown on top of the spyglass, and the app finds it by its own USB name, "JIANT" (both since 1.4.0; earlier versions kept waiting for the FM-1).

The third: Skiff + FM-1 Big Screen (pfkellogg/skiff), illuminus5's six-track groovebox, Skiff 2.1.1 with about 37 lines added, and the sound playing on the spyglass too. USB only. All three come from Leo Kuroshita's Felucca, and so do 23 of the 25 most popular FM-1 firmwares (FIRMWARE_FAMILY.md). Watch it: Skiff on a Big Screen + the FM-1 Firmware Family Tree.

For the curious

Plain Java, Android's own MIDI, no other libraries.

Codec.java: the screen messages. The app sends F0 7D 'F' 'S' 00 F7 about once a second (01 to have the whole screen sent again); the FM-1 sends each row it paints as F0 7D 'F' 'S' 01 row col <runs> F7, each run a count and an RGB565 colour. Firmware that knows it also sends the sound playing, F0 7D 'F' 'S' 02 <name> F7 (ASCII), after each hello and when it changes. Also M-VAVE's updater messages.
Installer.java: the Big Screen installer, a port of M-VAVE's own web updater.
Keys.java: the keyboard, passed on to the FM-1. Played.java: what's played (the keyboard and the FM-1's own keys), for the spyglass. Ble.java: the FM-1 over Bluetooth MIDI.
Glass.java: the spyglass. StaffView.java, Chord.java, NoteNames.java: the staff, the chord names and note names, from Synth Spyglass for Android.
firmware/: the Big Screen firmware package the app installs, built from pfkellogg/fm1_open, branch screen-out. Its screen part is MIT licensed, so any FM-1 firmware can use it.

fm1-mirror-spyglass-android