WOFI firmware 1.5 adds cue points, generative compose, ML samples

TL;DR: After a painfully long wait, Kiviak Instruments is finally dropping firmware 1.5 for the WOFI keyboard sampler. The update brings cue points with chromatic mode, a new echo mode for the texturer, a generative compose mode, and a machine-learning sample generator on the myWOFI platform. It’s free for all existing owners and should land before Superbooth 2025—assuming the French gods of firmware keep their promise this time.

• Cue points with chromatic mode let you map samples across the keyboard for pseudo-multi-sampling, supported by a new myWOFI tool.
• Texturer gains an echo mode alongside the existing shimmer, offering a more subtle granular delay effect.
• Compose mode adds a generative sequencer with pitch, scale, pattern, and velocity controls.
• myWOFI now includes a machine-learning sample generator trained on 200,000 royalty-free samples, generating a five-second clip in one second.
• Network compatibility overhaul simplifies connecting to home networks, and the update remains free.

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The long wait is (almost) over

Let’s be honest: if you’ve been refreshing the Kiviak Instruments website every Tuesday for the past year, we feel your pain. When the WOFI launched, it was a breath of fresh air—a hardware sampler that channeled the chaotic spirit of the Casio SK-1 without being a museum piece. But firmware 1.5 has been teased since SynthFest France 2025, and the silence since then has been louder than a detuned oscillator.

At SynthFest France 2026—yes, you read that correctly, a year later—Kiviak finally showed the update running on hardware. They’ve promised release before Superbooth 2025, which means any day now. I’ve been burned before by “any day now” in this industry, but the demo at the show looked solid. The new firmware is free for all existing owners, which is the least they could do after making us wait like a guitarist waiting for a tube amp to warm up.

Cue points and chromatic glimmers

The headline feature here is cue points. On a hardware sampler, this is the kind of thing that makes or breaks live performance. You can set cue points manually on the hardware and jump between them using the step buttons, which is straightforward enough. But the clever bit is the chromatic mode: you can assign cue points to different keys on the keyboard, creating a pseudo-multi-sample setup where each key triggers a different sample.

Is it true multi-sample support? No. But for a device that’s built around mangling single samples into something unrecognizable, it’s a pragmatic compromise. Kiviak has also added a new tool in the myWOFI platform that helps you create these mappings quickly, so you’re not spending an afternoon assigning cue points by hand. I’d still love proper multi-sampling with velocity layers, but for now, this gives the WOFI a new lease on life for keyboardists who want variety under their fingers.

Texturer gets a second voice

The built-in granular FX processor, Texturer, was already one of the WOFI’s strongest arguments. The shimmer mode was lovely—adds that ethereal, glassy haze that makes granulators so addictive. Firmware 1.5 introduces an echo mode, which is more subtle and leans harder into delay and echo territory. It’s less about washing your sample into a cloud and more about creating rhythmic, decaying textures.

This isn’t a replacement for a dedicated delay pedal, but it’s a smart addition because it complements the existing shimmer mode without overlapping. If you’re layering both, you can get some genuinely complex textures out of a single sample. I’ve spent more coffee breaks than I’d like to admit just feeding drum loops into Texturer and watching them dissolve. The echo mode will make those breaks even more dangerous for productivity.

Compose mode and the AI sample factory

Kiviak is also adding compose mode, a generative sequencer that gives you control over pitch, scale, pattern, and velocity. It’s not going to replace your Elektron box, but for quick ideas or ambient noodling, it’s a welcome addition. The WOFI has always been about immediacy, and compose mode fits that philosophy—hit a few buttons, get a pattern, tweak it, move on.

Then there’s the machine-learning sample generator on the myWOFI platform. They’ve trained it on over 200,000 royalty-free samples, and it can generate a five-second sample in about one second. That’s fast. I’m generally skeptical of AI in music gear—mostly because it tends to produce generic results—but if the training set is solid and the output is usable, this could be a great tool for quickly filling the WOFI’s memory with source material. It’s not going to replace field recording or sample digging, but for those “I need a sound right now” moments, it’ll do.

Network fixes and the future

Finally, the update overhauls network compatibility, making it easier to connect the WOFI to your home network. This was a pain point in earlier firmware—connecting to Wi-Fi felt like performing a ritual dance while holding the device at a specific angle. That’s been addressed, and it’s a welcome quality-of-life fix.

Kiviak also released a free soundbank by Alba Ecstasy with 24 analog-style presets—warm pads, growly basses, singing leads. It’s a nice way to tide users over until the firmware drops. I hope this isn’t the last update; the WOFI has potential that still feels untapped. But for now, firmware 1.5 is the shot in the arm this quirky sampler needed. Just don’t hold your breath for a release date.

I’ll believe the release date when I see the update file in my downloads folder. Until then, I’ll be over here cueing up another pour-over and feeding the WOFI random field recordings. At least the coffee doesn’t have firmware delays.