ableton-live

Ableton Live via MCP

The ableton-live MCP server (streamable HTTP, http://127.0.0.1:8722/mcp) controls a running Ableton Live 12. If tools fail to connect: Live is not running, the extension is not installed, or the port was changed in the extension's config.json (default 8722).

Core workflow

1. Always start with song_get. It returns the set with object ids. Every other tool takes those ids. Pass include to fetch only some sections.
2. Drill down with track_get / device_get / clip_get — they return child ids (clips, parameters, chains). track_get also accepts track_name or track_index directly, and an include selector to skip sections you don't need.
3. Ids become stale when objects are deleted/moved or a different set is loaded. On a stale-id error, re-run song_get and re-resolve.

Units and conventions

• All times, positions, durations are beats (quarter notes), not seconds or bars. At 4/4, one bar = 4 beats. Seconds → beats: seconds * tempo / 60.
• MIDI pitch: 0–127, C3 = 60 in Live's naming (C-2 = 0). Kick drum pad usually C1 = 36.
• Colors: "#RRGGBB" strings.
• Velocity 0–127, probability 0–1.

MIDI composition

• Create track: track_create {type:"midi"}, then create clip + notes in ONE call:
  • Session: clip_create {type:"midi", target_id:<track_id>, scene_index:0, duration:4, notes:[...], name, color}
  • Arrangement: clip_create {type:"midi", target_id:<midi_track_id>, start_time, duration, notes:[...]}
• Layer more notes: midi_clip_set_notes {mode:"merge", notes:[...]} (default mode replace wipes the clip — only use it when rewriting everything).
• Mechanical edits (transpose, shift, quantize, velocity, delete a range): use midi_clip_edit_notes with an optional pitch/time select — server-side, no need to read and resend the note list. Note times are relative to the clip start.
• Respect the song scale from song_get (scale.root_note, scale.intervals) when composing.