# Ensemble (npm · @hearthbyte/ensemble-mcp)

AI-ready design toolkit: color palettes, typography, spacing, shadows and accessibility audits.

- Trust score: 81/100 (high trust)
- Change this week: +4
- Registry status: active
- Liveness: live
- Owner verified: no
- Last scored: 2026-11-05

## Components

- npm · `@hearthbyte/ensemble-mcp`: 81/100 (this document), [markdown](https://verifymcp.io/servers/dev-hearthbyte-ensemble/hearthbyte-ensemble-mcp.md), [page](https://verifymcp.io/servers/dev-hearthbyte-ensemble/hearthbyte-ensemble-mcp)

## Channel facts

- Registry: `npm`
- Package: `@hearthbyte/ensemble-mcp`
- Version: `1.0.0`
- Transport: `stdio`

## Trust breakdown

How this component scores in each security and reliability category. Every signal is checked automatically from public evidence about the published package, including repeated runs of it in an isolated sandbox, and we only credit what we can confirm. Scores are 0–100 per category. Scoring method: https://verifymcp.io/docs/scoring (what has changed: https://verifymcp.io/docs/scoring/changelog)

Scored 2026-11-05.

- **Supply Chain Security**: 98/100
  - No malware found by supply-chain analysis.
  - No known CVEs affecting this package version or its production dependencies.
  - No install/post-install scripts declared.
  - 30 of 92 dependencies flagged as unhealthy.
- **Provenance & Transparency**: 45/100
  - Source repository is publicly reachable at the declared URL.
  - Provenance check failed: no build-provenance attestation is published.
  - Clear OSI-approved license (MIT).
  - Actively maintained (last published 25 days ago).
  - Disclosure check failed: no security disclosure policy was found in the source repository.
- **Schema Quality & AI Usability**: 78/100
  - 100% of prompts and resources have a non-trivial description (not blank, and not just the item's name).
  - AI-judged instruction clarity (good).
  - Context-footprint check failed: tool/resource definitions use about 1788 tokens (~137/item across 13 items; 10 tools + 3 resources), over budget; trim descriptions and params.
  - Usage-examples check failed: none of the tools include examples.
- **Stability & Change Management**: 73/100
  - Stability observed for 22 of 30 days with no destabilising changes; credit accrues until the full window elapses.
- **Tool Coverage**: 100/100
  - 100% of tools have a non-trivial description (not blank, and not just the tool's name).
  - 100% of tool parameters carry a description.
- **Tool Safety**: 100/100
  - No prompt-injection markers were found in the server instructions, tool names or descriptions we captured.
  - We read all 10 captured tool definition(s), and no name or description among them implies an irreversible operation.
  - An AI judge read all 11 captured unit(s) of tool text and found none that tries to manipulate the model reading it.
- **Capabilities**: 100/100
  - Implements a supported MCP spec version (2025-11-25); the latest is 2026-07-28.

## Install

### How do I install the Ensemble MCP server?

Ensemble runs locally as an npm package, launched with npx -y @hearthbyte/ensemble-mcp. Ready-made configuration for Claude, Cursor, VS Code, Codex and 5 more is on this page, copied from each client's own documentation.

### Claude

```bash
claude mcp add dev-hearthbyte-ensemble -- npx -y @hearthbyte/ensemble-mcp
```

### Cursor

```json
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "dev-hearthbyte-ensemble": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "@hearthbyte/ensemble-mcp"
      ]
    }
  }
}
```

### VS Code

```json
{
  "servers": {
    "dev-hearthbyte-ensemble": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "@hearthbyte/ensemble-mcp"
      ]
    }
  }
}
```

### Codex

```bash
codex mcp add dev-hearthbyte-ensemble -- npx -y @hearthbyte/ensemble-mcp
```

### opencode

```json
{
  "$schema": "https://opencode.ai/config.json",
  "mcp": {
    "dev-hearthbyte-ensemble": {
      "type": "local",
      "command": [
        "npx",
        "-y",
        "@hearthbyte/ensemble-mcp"
      ],
      "enabled": true
    }
  }
}
```

### OpenClaw

```bash
openclaw mcp add dev-hearthbyte-ensemble --command npx --arg -y --arg @hearthbyte/ensemble-mcp
```

### Hermes

```yaml
mcp_servers:
  dev-hearthbyte-ensemble:
    command: "npx"
    args: ["-y", "@hearthbyte/ensemble-mcp"]
```

### Netclaw

```json
{
  "McpServers": {
    "dev-hearthbyte-ensemble": {
      "Transport": "stdio",
      "Command": "npx",
      "Arguments": [
        "-y",
        "@hearthbyte/ensemble-mcp"
      ]
    }
  }
}
```

### Vellum

```bash
assistant mcp add dev-hearthbyte-ensemble -t stdio -c npx -a -y @hearthbyte/ensemble-mcp
```

### Other

```json
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "dev-hearthbyte-ensemble": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "@hearthbyte/ensemble-mcp"
      ]
    }
  }
}
```

## Changelog

Every change recorded for this component, newest first. Days that predate change tracking, or that we cannot explain, say so: "we were watching and nothing happened" and "we were not watching" are different claims.

### 2026-11-05 (score 81, +1)

No change was recorded against any check on this day. Stability & Change Management went from 70 to 73. That category is still filling its 30-day observation window: 21 days of observed history at the previous scan, 22 at this one. The score rises as the window fills, whether or not the server changes.

### 2026-11-03 (score 80, +1)

No change was recorded against any check on this day. Stability & Change Management went from 63 to 67. That category is still filling its 30-day observation window: 19 days of observed history at the previous scan, 20 at this one. The score rises as the window fills, whether or not the server changes.

### 2026-11-01 (score 79, +1)

No change was recorded against any check on this day. Stability & Change Management went from 57 to 60. That category is still filling its 30-day observation window: 17 days of observed history at the previous scan, 18 at this one. The score rises as the window fills, whether or not the server changes.

### 2026-10-30 (score 78, +1)

No change was recorded against any check on this day. Stability & Change Management went from 50 to 53. That category is still filling its 30-day observation window: 15 days of observed history at the previous scan, 16 at this one. The score rises as the window fills, whether or not the server changes.

### 2026-10-29 (score 77, 0)

- [functional regression] Security disclosure: unverified → fail

### 2026-10-28 (score 77, +1)

- [functional regression] Security disclosure: fail → unverified

### 2026-10-25 (score 76, +1)

No change was recorded against any check on this day. Stability & Change Management went from 33 to 37. That category is still filling its 30-day observation window: 10 days of observed history at the previous scan, 11 at this one. The score rises as the window fills, whether or not the server changes.

### 2026-10-23 (score 75, +1)

No change was recorded against any check on this day. Stability & Change Management went from 27 to 30. That category is still filling its 30-day observation window: 8 days of observed history at the previous scan, 9 at this one. The score rises as the window fills, whether or not the server changes.

## MCP tools (10)

### `harmony_generate_palette` (~226 tokens)

Generate a working color system from one brand color: primary, secondary and accent ramps, neutrals, and semantic colors (success, warning, error, info).

color_scheme decides how the secondary and accent hues are derived:
• monochromatic — one hue, many shades (elegant, unified)
• analogous — neighbors on the wheel (calm, cohesive; the default)
• complementary — the opposite hue (high contrast)
• triadic — three evenly spaced hues (balanced, colorful)
• split-complementary — the two hues beside the complement (nuanced contrast)

Input parameters:

- `color` (string, required): Brand color in hex (e.g. #6366F1). The whole system is built from it.
- `color_scheme` (string): How the palette is derived from the brand color (default analogous)
- `colors` (array): Additional brand colors in hex (up to 5 colors in total, including `color`).
- `preferences` (object): Other design preferences, so tools called separately stay consistent with each other. Pass the same values to every tool.

### `duet_pair_fonts` (~162 tokens)

Pick a heading, body and monospace font pairing with a type scale, chosen for a typographic character.

type_style: modern (clean sans), classical (serif-led), minimalist (restrained), expressive (display-led). Returns font families, weights, fallbacks and the size scale.

Input parameters:

- `color` (string): Brand color in hex. Optional here; defaults to #3B82F6.
- `colors` (array): Additional brand colors in hex (up to 5 colors in total, including `color`).
- `preferences` (object): Other design preferences, so tools called separately stay consistent with each other. Pass the same values to every tool.
- `type_style` (string): The typographic character to pair for (default modern)

### `tempo_generate_scale` (~169 tokens)

Generate a spacing system tuned to the type: a base unit, a spacing scale, semantic spacing (padding, gaps, sections) and layout measures.

density: compact (dense UIs), balanced (the default), airy (generous whitespace).

Input parameters:

- `color` (string): Brand color in hex. Optional here; defaults to #3B82F6.
- `colors` (array): Additional brand colors in hex (up to 5 colors in total, including `color`).
- `density` (string): How tight or generous the spacing is (default balanced)
- `preferences` (object): Other design preferences, so tools called separately stay consistent with each other. Pass the same values to every tool.
- `type_style` (string): The typography the spacing is tuned to (default modern)

### `chord_generate_shadows` (~169 tokens)

Generate a shadow and elevation system tinted by the palette: elevation levels, a focus ring and a glow.

shadow_intensity: flat (borders, no depth), subtle (the default), pronounced, dramatic.

Input parameters:

- `color` (string, required): Brand color in hex (e.g. #6366F1). The whole system is built from it.
- `color_scheme` (string): The palette the shadows are tinted from (default analogous)
- `colors` (array): Additional brand colors in hex (up to 5 colors in total, including `color`).
- `preferences` (object): Other design preferences, so tools called separately stay consistent with each other. Pass the same values to every tool.
- `shadow_intensity` (string): How strong the elevation shadows are (default subtle)

### `cadence_generate_grid` (~135 tokens)

Generate a responsive grid: breakpoints, column counts, gutters and max widths, sized from the spacing system.

density: compact, balanced (the default), airy.

Input parameters:

- `color` (string): Brand color in hex. Optional here; defaults to #3B82F6.
- `colors` (array): Additional brand colors in hex (up to 5 colors in total, including `color`).
- `density` (string): How tight or generous the gutters are (default balanced)
- `preferences` (object): Other design preferences, so tools called separately stay consistent with each other. Pass the same values to every tool.

### `riff_generate_motion` (~150 tokens)

Generate a motion system: durations, easing curves (cubic-bezier) and ready-made transition presets.

animation_style: none (reduced motion), minimal (the default), fluid (smooth, longer), energetic (snappy, springy).

Input parameters:

- `animation_style` (string): The character of the motion (default minimal)
- `color` (string): Brand color in hex. Optional here; defaults to #3B82F6.
- `colors` (array): Additional brand colors in hex (up to 5 colors in total, including `color`).
- `preferences` (object): Other design preferences, so tools called separately stay consistent with each other. Pass the same values to every tool.

### `bridge_generate_theme` (~140 tokens)

Generate a complete dark mode from the light system built on a brand color: dark surfaces and text, adjusted palette, shadows and spacing, with contrast checked.

Input parameters:

- `color` (string, required): Brand color in hex (e.g. #6366F1). The whole system is built from it.
- `color_scheme` (string): The palette the dark theme is derived from (default analogous)
- `colors` (array): Additional brand colors in hex (up to 5 colors in total, including `color`).
- `preferences` (object): Other design preferences, so tools called separately stay consistent with each other. Pass the same values to every tool.

### `pitch_audit_contrast` (~223 tokens)

Audit the contrast of the palette built from a brand color: which text and background pairs pass WCAG, which fail, and what to change. Returns a contrast matrix, the failures and recommendations.

To check one specific foreground and background pair, use a11y_validate (free, no key). audit_all_combinations checks every pair in the palette, not just the meaningful ones.

Input parameters:

- `audit_all_combinations` (boolean): Check every pair in the palette, not just the meaningful ones
- `color` (string, required): Brand color in hex (e.g. #6366F1). The whole system is built from it.
- `color_scheme` (string): The palette to audit (default analogous)
- `colors` (array): Additional brand colors in hex (up to 5 colors in total, including `color`).
- `contrast_algorithm` (string): wcag2 (the default) or apca
- `preferences` (object): Other design preferences, so tools called separately stay consistent with each other. Pass the same values to every tool.

### `compose_export` (~255 tokens)

Build the whole design system from one brand color and export it: colors, typography, spacing, shadows, grid, motion and accessibility notes, as ready-to-use files.

formats: css (custom properties), json, tailwind (config) and scss. Pass the same preferences you used with the other tools so the export matches them.

Input parameters:

- `animation_style` (string): Motion character (default minimal)
- `color` (string, required): Brand color in hex (e.g. #6366F1). The whole system is built from it.
- `color_scheme` (string): How the palette is derived (default analogous)
- `colors` (array): Additional brand colors in hex (up to 5 colors in total, including `color`).
- `corners` (string): Corner radius character (default rounded)
- `density` (string): Spacing density (default balanced)
- `formats` (array): Export formats (default ["css", "json"])
- `preferences` (object): Other design preferences, so tools called separately stay consistent with each other. Pass the same values to every tool.
- `shadow_intensity` (string): Shadow strength (default subtle)
- `type_style` (string): Typography character (default modern)

### `a11y_validate` (~109 tokens)

Check one foreground and background color pair for accessibility (WCAG 2.1 and APCA).

FREE - No API key required.

Returns the contrast ratio, pass or fail for normal and large text, and suggested fixes.

Input parameters:

- `algorithm` (string): Contrast algorithm (default: both)
- `background` (string, required): Background color in hex
- `fontSize` (number): Font size in pixels (affects the large-text thresholds)
- `foreground` (string, required): Text color in hex

## Diagnostics

Captured diagnostic sections: Provenance, Dependencies. The full working is on the page: https://verifymcp.io/servers/dev-hearthbyte-ensemble/hearthbyte-ensemble-mcp#diagnostics

## Score history

- 2026-11-05: 81
- 2026-11-04: 80
- 2026-11-03: 80
- 2026-11-02: 79
- 2026-11-01: 79
- 2026-10-31: 78
- 2026-10-30: 78
- 2026-10-29: 77
- 2026-10-28: 77
- 2026-10-27: 76
- 2026-10-26: 76
- 2026-10-25: 76
- 2026-10-24: 75
- 2026-10-23: 75
- 2026-10-22: 74
- 2026-10-21: 70
- 2026-10-20: 70
- 2026-10-19: 70
- 2026-10-18: 70
- 2026-10-17: 70
- 2026-10-16: 70
- 2026-10-15: 70
- 2026-10-14: 70
- 2026-10-13: 38
- 2026-10-12: 38

## Common questions

### What is the Ensemble MCP server?

Ensemble is an MCP server listed in the public MCP registry as dev.hearthbyte/ensemble. AI-ready design toolkit: color palettes, typography, spacing, shadows and accessibility audits. This page covers its npm package (@hearthbyte/ensemble-mcp).

### Is the Ensemble MCP server safe to use?

Ensemble scores 81 out of 100 on VerifyMCP. We found no known CVEs affecting it as of 5 November 2026. It declares no install or post-install scripts. That is a record of what we were able to check automatically, not an endorsement. The category breakdown on this page shows every signal behind the number, including the ones we could not confirm.

### What tools does the Ensemble MCP server expose?

Ensemble exposes 10 tools: harmony_generate_palette, duet_pair_fonts, tempo_generate_scale, chord_generate_shadows, cadence_generate_grid, and 5 more. Their descriptions and schemas cost roughly 1,738 tokens of context every time the server is loaded.

### Is the Ensemble MCP server still maintained?

Ensemble is still listed as active in the MCP registry. We last reached this channel on 5 November 2026. Those dates come from our own scans of the registry and the channel itself, not from anything the publisher announced.

### What licence is the Ensemble MCP server under?

Ensemble declares the MIT licence, which is OSI-approved. That covers the source only, and says nothing about the cost of any service it calls.

## Links

- npm package: https://www.npmjs.com/package/@hearthbyte/ensemble-mcp
- Socket report: https://socket.dev/npm/package/@hearthbyte/ensemble-mcp
- Repository: https://github.com/MPfeifer33/ensemble-mcp
- Website: https://hearthbyte.dev/ensemble/
- Changelog RSS feed: https://verifymcp.io/servers/dev-hearthbyte-ensemble/hearthbyte-ensemble-mcp.xml
- Changelog JSON feed: https://verifymcp.io/servers/dev-hearthbyte-ensemble/hearthbyte-ensemble-mcp.json
- HTML version of this page: https://verifymcp.io/servers/dev-hearthbyte-ensemble/hearthbyte-ensemble-mcp