Skip to content
All chapters

Learn · Chapter 1 of 9

First groove.

A fresh project at 122 BPM with the click running, and your first notes over it: drum pads, then chords in A minor.

About 5 minutes · 11 steps

Start from here

The FM-1 below starts as a new unit does, on FIRST GROOVE.

  1. Step 1, now: Press PLAY.

    A new FM-1 starts on FIRST GROOVE, four tracks already written. This is where you are going.

    PLAY

    If it doesn't work: Nothing to hear? Press SOUND OFF under the screen to turn the sound on.

    Manual: First power-on

  2. Step 2: Press PLAY again to stop.

    PLAY starts and stops everything. You will press it a lot.

    PLAYManual: The panel

  3. Step 3: Turn SELECT to the right until PROJECT.

    SELECT turns through the five views. PROJECT, the last one, is where songs start and live.

    SELECT

    Tip: It is four clicks: MIX, KEYS, PERFORM, then PROJECT.

    Manual: PROJECT

  4. Step 4: Turn ALGORITHM down to NEW and press SEL.

    ALGORITHM is the cursor on every screen, SEL opens what it is on. NEW holds the starters.

    ALGORITHMSELManual: Starters

  5. Step 5: Turn ALGORITHM down to EMPTY and press SEL.

    EMPTY is a clean page with four sounds ready: drums, a bass, keys and a lead. No notes yet.

    ALGORITHMSEL

    If it doesn't work: If it asks about unsaved changes, turn ALGORITHM to the right-hand choice and press SEL.

    Manual: Starters

  6. Step 6: Tap HOME.

    A quick tap of HOME always leads back to TRACKS, the home view.

    HOME

    Tip: Tap it quickly. Held down, HOME is SHIFT.

    Manual: The panel

  7. Step 7: Hold PLAY and turn K1 two clicks right: 122 BPM.

    Held, PLAY starts the click and K1 sets the tempo, on any screen. 122 is a good house tempo.

    PLAYK1

    Tip: Let go of PLAY and the music keeps going. The TIME row at the top of TRACKS holds the tempo, SWING and the CLICK.

    Manual: The TIME row

  8. Step 8: Play some white keys along with the click.

    The cursor is on DRUMS, so the white keys are the kit's pads: kick, snare, clap, hats, from the left.

    1F32G33A34B3

    Tip: On a computer, click keys 1 to 4, or press A, S, D and F on your keyboard to play pads 5 to 8.

    Manual: Playing the pads

  9. Step 9: Turn ALGORITHM down two lanes, to SOFT.

    Moving onto a lane selects that track. Track 3 plays SOFT KEYS, an electric piano.

    ALGORITHMManual: The cursor

  10. Step 10: Play the white keys, slowly, a few at a time.

    The project is in A minor with IN KEY on, so every white key fits. Try three together.

    3A35C47E49G4

    Tip: A black key is not wrong either: it slides to the nearest note of the scale.

    Manual: ROOT, SCALE, IN KEY

  11. Step 11: Press PLAY to stop.

    That is the loop of the whole FM-1: pick a track, play it, over a running beat.

    PLAYManual: Your first ten minutes

Chapter 1 · the end

What you learned.

  • PLAY starts and stops everything.
  • SELECT turns through the views; ALGORITHM is the cursor; SEL opens; a tap of HOME goes back.
  • PROJECT > NEW starts a song. EMPTY gives four sounds and no notes.
  • Hold PLAY and turn K1: the tempo, from any screen.
  • Moving onto a lane selects the track the keys play. With IN KEY on, every key fits.

Checkpoint

The project as this chapter leaves it, saved by the FM-1 itself. Compare it with yours, or carry on from it.

first-groove-end.groove

Next chapter

2 · Drums

A kit track, kick and clap on the steps, an offbeat hat, DICE and undo.

Chapter 2: Drums