Browser development
Effects, synthesizers and MIDI tools start as playable modules. The browser preview brings sound, interface and MIDI controllers together, with shareable demos for early feedback.
Made for
hardware.
Maru is a cross-platform audio engine for the web, native operating systems and physical hardware.
One development workflow for effects, synthesizers and MIDI controllers: from browser prototypes to compiled code on Raspberry Pi and dedicated microcontrollers.
Hardware development preview
Across hardware platforms.
From Linux-based instruments to compact embedded designs, board profiles connect the Engine to different processors, audio connections and physical controls.
The workbench brings Raspberry Pi 5, Pico 2, Daisy Seed and ESP32-S3 into a common build and evaluation workflow. Hardware selection follows the instrument’s inputs, memory and processing needs.
DIY and semi-DIY hardware
It’s a good time to create.
Pocket synthesizers that cost around US$80 now ship with update paths open enough for community firmware. Open audio boards such as Daisy, RP2040-class microcontrollers and development handhelds with a finished case put a playable instrument within reach of a small project.
A new generation of small devices puts keys, controls, a screen and a speaker in one case. We’re extending the same module workflow from open development boards to these pocket instruments.
Established makers are paying attention. Behringer has said it is seriously considering fully documented open devices whose firmware owners can rewrite. We welcome that, and we want Maru to be ready to build for them.
M-VAVE FM-1
Community authors offer groovebox, sampler and chord firmware for this pocket synth. Explore their demos and installers. Maru’s own firmware path remains experimental.
Build an interfaceControl mapping
Maru export: alpha. Physical-device testing is pending.
Research reviewed 2026-10-15
New software for hardware you already own.
Affordable instruments and multi-effects are attracting community firmware, editors and protocol research. M-VAVE and CUVAVE are brands of Zhuhai Shengke Intelligent Technology Co., Ltd. (M-VAVE / CUVAVE). The opportunities vary by device: editing a preset, importing an IR or amp model, and replacing the firmware are different capabilities.
| Units / current stage | What can be done | Current limitation |
|---|---|---|
| M-VAVE FM-1Community firmware; official open-source release documented | Replace the instrument firmware over USB using the author's installer, including Felucca and FM-1+VA.Archived official workbench | Official workbench/source access is unstable. Maru export is alpha; USB/update HAL, realtime fit and physical install/restore qualification remain open. |
| SMK-37 Pro / EliteAuthor-reported custom firmware | Baud Girl publishes SMK-37+VA for these keyboards and named Donner/EROK variants.SMK-37+VA | Separate board and firmware from FM-1. Maru has a placeholder board only; chip, controls and recovery need revision-specific qualification. |
| ANN BlackboxControl protocol / firmware research | Community projects document BLE editing, USB SysEx and V20 firmware internals.Blackbox research | No working replacement firmware established by this review. Stock ROM-recovery entry is unresolved; FM-1 flashing tools are not qualified for it. |
| MK-300Community USB control tools | An independent Python library and CLI control the pedal through reverse-engineered USB SysEx.MK-300 tools | Control and supported model/IR imports do not load arbitrary Maru binaries. No Maru firmware target or qualified recovery path. |
| TANK-G / B and V2Vendor updates / preset tools | Vendor firmware and editors exist; community TANK-G tools decode and encode .tkg preset files.TANK-G preset tools | Preset evidence is for TANK-G, not every variant. Replacement firmware, processor identity and recovery remain unqualified by Maru. |
| CUBE BABY / AC / BASS, H8Vendor editing / community editor | CubeSuite supports this family; an independent Cube Baby USB editor demonstrates preset management.Cube Baby editor | The community editor does not establish support for AC, BASS or H8. No replacement-firmware or Maru-binary path verified here. |
| TANK-PRO, TANK MINI, POCKET AMP, MK-20, SP100Vendor firmware available | The manufacturer publishes model-specific updates and editing tools.Vendor downloads | No custom-code execution or Maru target established by this review. Sharing M-UPGRADE does not prove shared hardware or firmware compatibility. |
The toolkit we’re developing
Start with exact model and revision detection, backups and recovery. Then connect the same module source to a device-specific audio and control adapter, compile within its memory and timing budget, and package an image for its verified installer.
Current Maru stage
FM-1 has an experimental compiler lane, simulator, packager and SysEx installer tooling. Physical install, stock restore and recovery still need qualification. Multi-FX targets remain research candidates; downloadable vendor updates alone cannot run our compiled software.
From browser to board.
Hardware configuration
A board profile defines the connections and controls. The workbench maps knobs, encoders and switches to module parameters and simulates the layout before assembly.
Compilation and delivery
The same source compiles for the selected target. The local workbench builds and emulates the artifact, then invokes the board’s install or flash tooling for physical testing.
Sound, controls and connections.
Audio and MIDI routing, parameter ranges and physical control mappings are configured together. The browser interface and hardware share the same parameter definitions, keeping the instrument consistent across hosts.
This shared foundation supports custom studio tools, signature pedals and commercial instruments, with less software to rebuild for each format.
Agent-driven development.
Projects, mappings and diagnostic reports are inspectable files. Agents can edit configurations, run checks and interpret results through the same tools as the workbench.
Profiles with wiring definitions can export pin tables, connection drawings and a Maru JSON connection list. Electrical schematics and fabrication files still need a qualified board design. Board adapters handle platform details so most development can stay focused on musical behavior and interaction.
Diagnostics and performance.
The workbench brings signal checks, control state and performance evidence into one interface. Profiling helps identify the functions and parameter combinations that cost the most, with measurement detail depending on the target.
Audio analysis
Recordings and signal measurements expose clipping, silence and unexpected output. Reference comparisons keep sound quality visible across revisions.
Parameter testing
Control sweeps and sustained playback reveal changes over time: level jumps, feedback buildup, stuck notes and interactions that a default preset can miss.
Performance profiling
Block timing, memory reports and available target telemetry help isolate expensive processing. Comparisons across functions, configurations and boards show where the budget goes.
Versioned reports
Run history connects recordings and measurements to source and build versions. Results from earlier source are marked outdated, with host, emulator and device evidence identified separately.
Delay + reverb: memory and headroom
Combined delay buffers can exceed a board’s memory before playback starts. High feedback and long decay can also build up energy and cause clipping. Memory reports and signal measurements expose both constraints.
Polyphony: processing under load
Dense chords and long releases keep more voices active. Timing comparisons reveal how that load grows and whether the busiest audio block still meets its deadline.
Hardware optimization is an active part of the Engine roadmap. The aim is faster compiled processing while preserving a high-level workflow for sound design, control mapping and testing.