Rescue your FM1 or SMK-37.

1Back to stock

The firmware it came with: FM1 V15, or V16 for the SMK-37 Pro, SMK-37 Elite and MKE-P37. The page asks the device which model it is and picks the matching file from the M-VAVE stock listing. Each file is checked (its sha256 and the model in it) before anything is written.

This also finishes an install that was cut off. A device left in update mode (dark screen, or it says UPDATE) shows up here, and installing stock completes it.

2A file of your own

Any .fwsc package: finish the install that was cut off with the firmware you were installing, or put on another one. It still has to be for the model that's plugged in.

3Nothing answers

Everything above uses the update mode that firmwares and M-VAVE's updater use, over MIDI. If the device doesn't show up at all:

• Try another cable (a data cable), another USB port, and no hub. Switch it off and on.
• Firmware built on fomajam has a USB rescue mode: hold OCT- while you switch it on, then come back here.
• Some firmwares don't take the update command. Go back to stock once from their own menu or updater, or use the boot ROM (below).

The boot ROM: the last resort

The chip (JieLi WL82) has a boot loader in its ROM that no firmware can break, so these devices can always be recovered. A browser can't reach it (it shows up as a USB disk, which web pages aren't allowed to talk to), but these can.

From a computer, if it's already in the boot ROM (it shows up as a USB disk called WL82 UBOOT1.00, often after a firmware that crashes at start-up):

• MvaveFM1Unbricker: a Python script that puts official V15 or V16 back on an FM1 over a plain USB cable, with a full backup first. Windows, macOS and Linux.

With a small board, which works even when it never shows up on USB at all: the board sends the chip's boot key as it's switched on, which puts it in the boot ROM, then writes the firmware. These three do the same job, so use whichever you have or can get:

• FM-1-transporter: a Seeed XIAO RP2040, wired to the USB data lines and run from a computer. Where the boot key was worked out.
• lilfm1buddy: about a dollar to make, with no assembly: a tiny ESP32-S3 board you install from its web page, that plugs into the device's USB port. No computer needed after that, and no screen of its own: press its button, then pick stock, another firmware or a backup on the device's own screen. Backs up and restores the whole firmware. FM1 and SMK-37. Also a MIDI hub.
• fm1buddy: a touchscreen ESP32-S3 board that plugs into the device's USB port, no computer needed. It switches firmware (from its SD card, or over Wi-Fi from mutant.cloud), makes backups, and puts stock back on one that won't start. FM1 and SMK-37. Also a MIDI hub, recorder and controller.