Predating the iPhone by half a decade, JazzMutant’s Lemur brought Star Trek visions to life* and established many of the multi-touch interactions to come. But its beloved iPad port has been unavailable — until now.

We’ve waited a long time for this day, though what I think people didn’t expect was this subscription model, which over the course of a year will cost you about double the app’s previous one-time purchase price. It’d be unfortunate if the pricing model sunk the relaunch before it had a chance to get off the ground. It’s a great app with unique features, and people have looked forward to this relaunch. So I hope the developer finds a solution that sustains development and is manageable for customers.

For a moment of history, here’s the launch video for Lemur when it arrived on (now-defunct) Liine. That is definitely Nicolas Bougaïeff’s voice – and you should check his new album not to get totally sidetracked. Back in time – and honestly, all of this holds up; Lemur might be the rare timeless multi-touch app:

Here’s the notice from Lemur’s new owners, MidiKinetics. In case running Lemur wasn’t enough of a throwback to the early 2010s, they also want us to follow a Facebook group. (Wow! Uh… it’s not too late for them to reconsider that, and I hope they do.) Excerpted:

Dear Friends,

We are pleased to announce that Lemur is now back on the App Store. Thank you all for your patience and support during this transition.

All users, both new and returning, should read our Re-Release Statement in full, which contains important details about this new chapter for Lemur.

https://www.midikinetics.com/announcement/lemur-rerelease/

The app is fully functional. We are now focusing on refining marketing and related details, such as improving App Store visibility and optimizing our website.

Going forward, we will be moving our announcements to the main MIDI Kinetics Facebook page. It makes little sense to maintain multiple pages, and consolidating them will help us provide clearer updates for all our products. Please follow us there.
https://www.facebook.com/midikinetics

Thank you once again for your patience and enthusiasm. And special thanks to Liine for the opportunity to carry Lemur forward.
Thanks again,
MK

You’ll find the release on the App Store – it’s free to download, with In App Purchase for full functionality:

https://apps.apple.com/us/app/lemur/id6739544164

And they’ve started a user forum. That already includes a query about locking containers.

Now the bad news: they’ve gone to a subscription-only model, and priced it at US$12.99 / month or $99/year (depending on market). The subscription model I can understand, just because of the difficulty of pricing upgrades, and the fact that this is effectively a labor of love for the developer. (Don’t forget, the business had already effectively broken down for Lemur at Liine. Apps can suffer once support costs outweigh income – let alone once you figure in further development and testing, even for the minimum required work to keep up with Apple.)

I’m concerned about where they priced it, though. Sustainable business does mean pricing in a way that matches up with some of the rest of the market and customers’ willingness to pay, and this just may be steep – especially without a compelling competitive case versus other apps. It’s software that’s over ten years old, and there isn’t yet a case for what the subscription would offer. That was overwhelmingly the feedback I’m getting as I publish this story (just in the few minutes’ lag while I updated with the pricing information.) But let’s see how others respond.

We get a full updated tutorial, for the first time in a long time. Here’s the first episode:

There’s still a lot to love about Lemur. You still get some widgets and physics and complex layout features that alternatives like TouchOSC don’t offer – great as they are. And there’s the simple fact that a lot of folks were waiting on this app just to be able to open old projects, from creative coding applications to live performance rigs.

It is weird to see the v5.0 feature set, though. This all dates back to 2014, which is – and this is true, though I did have to think about it for a few moments to be sure – eleven years ago. (Time flies.)

Obama is President! Crimea is under Ukrainian control – why shouldn’t it be? Broncos and Seahawks in the Super Bowl! Dark Horse is at #1. Here, let’s crank that while we read those release notes:

Version 5.0 introduces the incredible new Canvas, Image, and Sequencer family of features with rock solid timing.

Canvas  – A brand-new object that lets you script custom widgets with full multitouch support. Adapted from the HTML5 Canvas element, it allows you to design vector-based widgets featuring shapes, animations, shadows, and transparency. With Canvas, you are no longer limited to Lemur’s collection of built-in widgets—you can create entirely custom controls that precisely match the demands of your project. Polygons, waveforms, circular objects, and infinitely more are all possible with Canvas, opening the door to a completely new Lemur experience.

Image – The new Image widget allows you to add custom PNG images directly to your project, opening up possibilities for incorporating image assets that are too complex to create with vector code in the Canvas widget. Whether you’re designing detailed graphics, branding your project with logos, or adding custom button icons, the Image widget makes it easy to enhance your templates with rich visual elements.

Sequencer – Lemur 5.0 introduces a family of new features for tight sequencing, including three new objects: StepNote, StepSwitch, and StepSlider. Each offers a unique style of sequencing, ready to use right out of the box. These objects utilize the new “On Clock” execution mode, enabling high-precision synchronization to external MIDI clock. Simply add them to your template, and they’ll handle the hard work of controlling your MIDI instruments with perfect timing.

In-App Editor (iPad Only) – Lemur now supports editing projects directly in the app. Virtually every function of the desktop editor is now accessible through an intuitive system of iOS menus and widgets. Best of all – it’s easier to use than ever, offering a smaller learning curve and an immediate initial experience. Any basic configuration, such as a bank of faders, or modifying a script can now be created with familiar taps and gestures.

Skins – Lemur features three new skins, in addition to the classic look. Choose the look that fits your style and sparks your creativity.

*We’re talking about Star Trek: The Next Generation, to be specific – art designer Michael Okuda’s LCARS system, originally rendered as hand-painted panels. Lemur is not a direct copy of LCARS. But Okuda’s design successfully predicts the idea of interacting with glass using finger gestures and the high-contrast color display on a black background. I think it’s not unrealistic to imagine that some of the later success of iOS apps without Lemur. That includes the brilliant TouchOSC, which arrived on iOS when Lemur still required its own (expensive) dedicated hardware running at a lower display resolution and touch accuracy.

Here, for fun:

Previously: