Lemon wiki
Set up your audio
Lemon Studio plays through one output device, chosen in OPTIONS ▸ Audio settings. The defaults work on most computers, so you may only need this page when something crackles or you plug in an audio interface.
Choose a device
Section titled “Choose a device”- Open OPTIONS ▸ Audio settings.
- In Output device, choose your interface or headphones. Default device follows your system’s choice.
- Press Space to play. The Status lines under the boxes say which device opened, at what sample rate and through which audio system.
Sample rate (Hz) can stay on the device’s own rate, shown as Device, or go from 44100 to 192000.
Drivers on each system
Section titled “Drivers on each system”| System | What you can choose |
|---|---|
| Windows | Windows devices, in Shared or Exclusive Mode, and any ASIO drivers you’ve installed |
| Linux | Mode: Shared plays through the sound server (PulseAudio or PipeWire), Exclusive opens an ALSA device directly, and JACK plays as a JACK client |
| macOS | Core Audio. There’s no Mode box |
- Shared lets other programs play at the same time. Exclusive gives the device to Lemon Studio alone, and on Windows that allows smaller buffers. If a Windows device refuses exclusive mode, it plays in shared mode and the page says why.
- ASIO drivers are in the Output device list, under their own heading. Show ASIO panel opens the driver’s own settings window, where you set its buffer length. If a driver won’t open, the default device plays instead and the page says so.
- JACK takes its sample rate and buffer length from the JACK server. With no server running, it falls back to shared mode.
Choose a buffer
Section titled “Choose a buffer”Buffer length is how much sound Lemon Studio prepares ahead, shown in frames and milliseconds. A short buffer answers faster when you play notes. A long one gives your computer more room, so it’s less likely to crackle. Under exclusive mode on Windows the list also offers Smallest.
Start with the device’s own setting. Go shorter if playing feels late, and longer if you hear crackles.
If you hear crackles
Section titled “If you hear crackles”- Make Buffer length longer. This is the first thing to try.
- Check the second Status line, which counts dropouts. The toolbar’s CPU panel counts them too.
- Find a heavy plugin: double-click the CPU panel to open the Plugin performance monitor, which lists each plugin’s processing time.
- Turn a finished pattern into audio with PATTERNS ▸ Render to audio clip, which frees up CPU.
- In the page’s CPU section, leave Multithreaded instrument processing, Multithreaded mixer processing and Auto-bypass when silent on.
More in Troubleshooting.
Inputs for recording
Section titled “Inputs for recording”Input device sets where mixer tracks and TOOLS ▸ Quick record take sound from. Default device follows your system. Under an ASIO driver that box goes away, because the driver’s own inputs are used, up to the first 8.
On macOS, the first recording or monitoring asks for permission to use the microphone. If you said no, change it in System Settings ▸ Privacy & Security ▸ Microphone.
See Recording for arming tracks and taking a recording.
Good to know
Section titled “Good to know”- Auto close lets go of the output while another program is in front, and pauses a playing song until you come back.
- MIDI devices are on another page: OPTIONS ▸ MIDI settings (F10). See MIDI controllers.