Setup: Seamless Control & Pro Workflow

Setup: The MCP server for seamless Ableton Live control, unifying hardware and workflow for pro-grade performances. Master your sets effortlessly.

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About Setup

What is Setup: Seamless Control & Pro Workflow?

This setup enables direct integration between Ableton Live and the Model Context Protocol (MCP), allowing users to automate workflows, control MIDI tracks, and extend functionality through programmatic tools. It streamlines the process of scripting interactions with Ableton, focusing on developer-friendly workflows and compatibility with modern tools like claude.

How to Use Setup: Seamless Control & Pro Workflow?

Follow these steps to configure your environment:

Install dependencies:
npm install --global yarn and brew install pnpm
Deploy Ableton-JS scripts:
git clone https://github.com/leolabs/ableton-js.git && cd ableton-js && yarn ableton11:start
Initialize the MCP server:
git clone https://github.com/androidStern/ableton-vibe.git && cd ableton-vibe && pnpm i
Build and monitor changes:
npm run build (keep this running in the background)
Configure claude's MCP settings:
Update claude_desktop_config.json with the server path as shown in the setup guide.

Setup Features

Key Features of Setup: Seamless Control & Pro Workflow?

Direct MIDI track manipulation via claude commands (e.g., "Create a MIDI track at index 0")
Real-time script updates using watch mode in the build process
Inspectable server diagnostics via the MCP inspector tool
Example scripts for programmatic device addition (see test-browser.js)

Use Cases of Setup: Seamless Control & Pro Workflow?

Automating repetitive track setup tasks during live performances
Debugging Ableton scripts through the MCP inspector interface
Testing device placements and parameter configurations without manual adjustments
Developing custom workflows that integrate natural language commands with DAW controls

Setup FAQ

FAQ from Setup: Seamless Control & Pro Workflow?

Q: Does this work with Ableton 12?

A: Currently tested only with Ableton 11. Windows users may need to adjust temp directory logic in ableton-mcp.ts.
Q: How do I fix Windows compatibility?

A: Modify line 9 of ableton-mcp.ts to use %TEMP% instead of macOS-specific commands.
Q: Why isn't my claude command working?

A: Ensure Ableton is running and claude has been restarted post-configuration. Check the MCP inspector logs for errors.
Q: Can I contribute features?

A: Add tools/resources directly to ableton-mcp.ts. Avoid editing the generated JS file.

Content

Setup

Install deps: yarn cause ableton-js uses it for some build scripts and pnpm.

npm install --global yarn brew install pnpm

Install the midi-script in ableton:

git clone https://github.com/leolabs/ableton-js.git && cd ableton-js && yarn ableton11:start

Clone the ableton-vibe mcp server if you havent yet:

git clone https://github.com/androidStern/ableton-vibe.git && cd ableton-vibe && pnpm i

Build and watch changes:

npm run build

Add mcp config to claude. General instructions here

replace path-to-repo with path to wherever you cloned ableton-vibe as for where claude's config is: on my machine the mcp config is in ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json/

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "ableton-vibe": {
      "command": "node",
      "args": ["<path-to-repo>/ableton-vibe/ableton-mcp.js"]
    }
  }
}

Usage

Make sure you have Ableton running. Restart claude before trying to use the server. Try asking claude "Create a midi track at index 0". thats all it can do right now lol.

Supported Ableton versions

I have tested with Ableton 11. Haven't tried with Ableton 12.

Supported OS

I've only tried this on my mac. I suspect you might need to change ablton-mcp.ts line 9 to get the temp directory logic working for windows but I haven't given it much thought yet. here's the relevant line const userTempDir = execSync('getconf DARWIN_USER_TEMP_DIR').toString().trim()

Debugging

you can run the mcp inspector to quickly debug the server: npm run inspect then open the url in the output. Instructions for using the inspector are here

Running Test Add Device Script

test-browser.js is an example script to add a device to your ableton set programaticaly. Ableton must be running and the ableton-js midi-remote script must be installed. Refer to step # 2 of Setup at the top of this file to see how to install midi-remote script.

node test-browser.js

Contributing

Right now everything is in ablton-mcp.ts so if you're adding tools or resources, put it there. Don't edit the ablton-mcp. JS file, you want the TS file.

Next Steps

get propper build and release setup. should be able to just install everything with a single command.
add the rest of the ableton api as mcp tools. i dont really want to do this by hand. it would be nice to discover and expose it all programatically.
add support for ableton 12
add tests
add support for other os (windows)
voice controll