Pantani/ableton-mind

Definitive MCP (Model Context Protocol) server for **Ableton Live**. Exposes the full **Live Object Model** to LLMs (Claude, Cursor, etc.) with an embedded native device knowledge base, declarative music recipes, an integrated verify loop, and reactive listeners.
> Status: **alpha / v0.1.1 published** — core smoke passed against Ableton Live 12.4.1 on macOS and package validation is green. npm, GitHub Release .mcpb, and the MCP Registry are live. Glama has a listing, but its hosted release/deploy must be published separately from the Glama admin build flow; Smithery metadata is present and may lag indexing. API unstable. Don't use in production yet.
>
> Phase 8 status: slice 1 delivers read-only Max for Live/plug-in introspection and Link/remote status discovery. Deeper M4L control, VST3 sidecars, remote DAW integration and mobile companion work remain pending.
📚 **Full documentation:** pantani.github.io/ableton-mind/
Architecture (3 layers)
- **src/** — TypeScript MCP server. Tools, resources, prompts, TCP client, recipe runner, knowledge loader.
- **live/AbletonMind/** — Python Remote Script. TCP server on port 9876, dispatches JSON-RPC to LiveAPI.
- **recipes/**, **src/knowledge/** — embedded JSON (drum kits, basslines, racks, device schemas).
Full spec in PLAN.md. Frozen contracts in _workspace/contracts/.
Highlights vs. existing MCP/OSC servers
| Capability | ahujasid/ableton-mcp | AbletonOSC + MCP wrapper | **ableton-mind** |
|---|---|---|---|
| MCP tools | 22 | ~30 | **36** |
| LOM coverage | ~10% | ~95% | **~100%** |
| Knowledge base | none | none | **55 devices, scales, drum kits** |
| Recipes | none | none | **14 across 7 categories** |
| Verify loop | no | no | **yes, integrated (session_snapshot/diff)** |
| Render preview | no | no | yes (snapshot now, bounce planned) |
| Reactive listeners → MCP notifications | no | partial (OSC) | **yes (7 events live)** |
| Transactions (undo unitary) | no | no | **yes** |
| Automation envelopes | no | partial | **complete (linear / hold)** |
| Push 1/2/3 control | no | no | **yes (pad/button/mode LEDs)** |
| Docker | no | no | yes |
| .mcpb 1-click | no | no | yes |
| Doctor CLI | no | no | yes |
Requirements
- Node 20+
- Ableton Live 12 (priority; Live 11 supported)
- macOS (primary), Windows (Phase 1 final)
Setup (source install)
Install Remote Script (Python bridge)
Dev mode (symlink):
Manual:
- **macOS:** copy live/AbletonMind/ to ~/Music/Ableton/User Library/Remote Scripts/AbletonMind/
- **Windows:** copy to ~/Documents/Ableton/User Library/Remote Scripts/AbletonMind/
Then **Live → Preferences → Link/Tempo/MIDI → Control Surface → AbletonMind**.
Smoke test: docs/smoke-test.md.
Run the MCP server
Env vars:
| Var | Default | |
|---|---|---|
| ABLETON_MIND_HOST | 127.0.0.1 | Python bridge host |
| ABLETON_MIND_PORT | 9876 | Bridge TCP port |
| ABLETON_MIND_TIMEOUT_MS | 5000 | Per-request timeout |
| ABLETON_MIND_MAX_FRAME_BYTES | 1048576 | Max incoming JSON-RPC frame |
| ABLETON_MIND_MAX_PENDING_REQUESTS | 128 | Max in-flight JSON-RPC calls |