Intro to Lemur

In this article we will familiarize you with the Lemur app and get it up and running on your machine. If you are already familiar with Lemur, you can skip this and go straight to Installing MK Products.

All MIDI Kinetics Lemur controllers are built on Lemur. In order to use MIDI Kinetics Lemur controllers, you must own the Lemur app. Lemur is available for purchase on the App Store and Google Play. 

What is Lemur?

Lemur is an app for iOS/Android that allows you to design your own touchscreen controller for your music equipment. Use buttons and sliders and switches (and more!) to design useful layouts to enhance your productivity, and interact with your equipment in new ways.

MIDI and OSC Connectivity

Lemur can talk to pretty much any modern digital music equipment because it transmits standard MIDI messages. Use Lemur to control recording software (DAWs), synths, orchestral sample libraries, live music equipment, mixing consoles, digital instruments, and more! Lemur also supports Open Sound Control (OSC).

The Lemur Editor

Lemur comes with the Lemur Editor for macOS/Windows which makes it easy to create custom layouts with a simple drag and drop interface.

Custom Scripts!

But what makes Lemur uniquely powerful is its deep scripting capabilities. With a little coding, you can create sophisticated controllers that can do almost anything– even custom drawing and animations!

Installing Lemur

1. On your mobile device, purchase the Lemur app on the App Store
2. Next, go to https://www.midikinetics.com and download the Lemur Desktop Software for your Mac/PC. This will install the Lemur Editor, as well as the Lemur Daemon for making MIDI connections.

Installing MIDI

Lemur communicates using MIDI messages, so you will need some way to connect MIDI from your mobile device to your computer. Lemur can connect to 8 MIDI devices simultaneously. There are a number of popular solutions for connecting MIDI to mobile devices, both wired and wireless:

Using the Lemur Editor

Lemur Editor File Types

Lemur projects are just text files with one of two file extensions: .jzml, or .jzlib.

• .jzml files represent entire Lemur projects. To open a .jzml file, simply double-click and it will open in the Lemur Editor.
• .jzlib files represent Lemur submodules. They can be exported and imported to existing .jzml projects. To import a .jzlib file, right click anywhere in the Lemur Editor window and select Import.

Transferring Lemur Editor projects to/from Lemur app:

Once you’ve created a controller you like, you can transfer it wirelessly to the Lemur app.

1. In the Lemur Editor, click the Connections Triangle at the top right and select your mobile device from the list.
2. Choose Connect to transfer from the Editor to the app.
3. Choose Download to transfer from the app to the Editor.

If you don’t see your mobile device in the list of available devices, make sure your PC and your mobile device are on the same network, and that the Lemur app is currently running on your mobile device.

Emulating Touches

While working in the Editor, emulate touches by holding the E key on your computer keyboard while you click.

Making MIDI Connections with Lemur Targets

Often you will want to group related controls onto the same MIDI connection. Use Lemur Targets to define a group. There are 8 Targets, numbered 0-7.

To connect a Target to MIDI:

1. Launch Lemur on your mobile device.
2. Tap the cog-wheel icon at the top-right corner, and go to More Settings…
3. Connect MIDI inputs under the From column.
4. Connect MIDI outputs under the To column.

Conclusion

You now have everything you need to get started with Lemur. Once you’ve got Lemur up and running, move on to Installing MK Products.

If you are new to Lemur, it is highly recommended you read the Lemur User Guide, chapters 1-8.  You don’t need to go crazy with Lemur and learn how to code. We have taken care of all the coding for you!