Menton Finds
By Dank Receptor on May 10, 2026 10:05 am
Fors.fm released the FMS groovebox software for the Gameboy Advance last week, and I've had a jolly old time getting it to work on various hardware boxes. For now it's running well on my GBA, GBA SP, New 3DS and Anbernic.
Anyway, here's the first attempt at a track. Due to convenience/time restrictions I ran the software in the mGBA emulator on my PC. Recorded the stereo out via Audacity, then imported to Ableton for light mastering (Vulf Compressor and EQ). The FM synthesis and sound engine is 8 bit, so it all comes across nice'n'crunchy.
This track is a single 16 step pattern performed live and "arranged" by muting in real time with the game controller. There is at least one mute fumble in there. 
Since FMS shares some ideas with Nanoloop and LSDJ, it wasn't too hard to get going.
Stuff I tried to figure out:
- Navigating the UI with the game controller
- Basic synthesis and sequencing w/parameter locks
- Logics to create longer sequences / variations
- Different track rates for even longer sequences
- Panning / echoes
Will look into the phrase/transpose and scale functions next.
Thanks for listening, have a lovely week!
__________________ _____ ________________ _________
/ _____/\______ \ / _ \ \_ _____/ \ / _____/
/ \ ___ | | _/ / /_\ \ | __)/ \ / \ \_____ \
\ \_\ \| | \/ | \ | \/ Y \/ \
\______ /|______ /\____|__ / \___ /\____|__ /_______ /
\/ \/ \/ \/ \/ \/
Audio works licensed by author under:
Copyright All rights reserved