Ableton Live MCP Server

REPLACES the clip's entire note content with the given notes. Use edit_notes to add or remove a subset without touching the rest. notes: list of {"pitch": 0-127 (60 = C3 in Live's naming), "start_time": beats from clip start (float), "duration": beats, "velocity": 1-127, "mute": bool}. Precondition: the clip must exist (create_clip first).

Full offline analysis of a .adg rack or .adv preset: named macros (name/value), the chain + device tree (recursive, incl. racks-inside-racks with each device's kind/name/on-state and any sample), legacy macro-> parameter mappings, every referenced sample (name + relative path), the required Live edition, and — for drum racks — the pad map (pad -> MIDI note, label, and sample). No Live required.

Classify the Live edition a saved .adg/.adv needs, offline: 'suite' if any Suite-only device is present (Operator, Wavetable, Echo, Drift, Meld, Sampler, Collision, ...), else 'standard' if any Standard-only device is present (EQ Eight, Compressor, Simpler, Impulse, Drum Rack, ...), else 'intro'. Returns the verdict plus which devices drove it, so an agent can tell whether a preset will load on the user's edition before loading it.

Summarize a saved .adg rack or .adv device preset WITHOUT Live running: name, rack type, total device count, top-level chain count, named-macro count, required Live edition (intro/standard/suite), and whether it is a drum kit (`is_drum_rack` is true when the preset is or wraps a Drum Rack — factory kits ship wrapped in an Instrument Rack). `path` is a filesystem path to a .adg or .adv file.

Read mixing and arrangement detail from a saved .als, offline: the set's locators (name + beat time) and each track's fader volume, pan, and number of automation lanes. Complements als_summary for reviewing a mix without Live.

Detect the key/scale of a saved .als file WITHOUT Live running (Krumhansl-Kessler). Pools notes from every MIDI clip in the set, or only one track when `track_index` is given. `weight` selects the histogram weighting ("duration", "velocity", "product", "count"). `path` is a filesystem path to a .als file.

Diff two saved .als files (e.g. song_v4.als vs song_v5.als) offline: tempo/time-signature changes, tracks added/removed by name, and per-track deltas in device chain, clip count, note count, and mute state. Great for logging what changed between versions.

Extract MIDI notes from a track in a saved .als file, as {pitch,start,duration,velocity} dicts per clip. `track_index` is the track's position in the set (see als_summary). No Live required.

Lint a saved .als for likely-unfinished work, offline: no master limiter/compressor, MIDI track with no instrument, MIDI clip with no notes, empty audio track, or muted tracks. Returns machine-readable issues so an agent can decide what to fix before rendering.

List every track in a saved .als file with its clips (name, MIDI/audio, start, length, looping, sample path, note count). No Live required.

Summarize a saved .als file WITHOUT Live running: version/creator, tempo, time signature, and each track's kind, name, mute/solo, device names, clip count, and note count. `path` is a filesystem path to a .als file.

Measure local WAV (integer/float), AIFF/AIFF-C, FLAC, Ogg Vorbis, MP3, AAC or M4A/MP4 (AAC/ALAC) without Live: per-channel sample peak/RMS dBFS, DC offset, crest factor and full-scale samples. Analyzes the first max_seconds (default 30, maximum 120); marks partial results. Not LUFS or true peak. No upload. Compressed files are measured after decoding; this does not recover lost audio. Files are read locally without modification, normalization or upload.

Heuristic session-state checks, NOT audio, peak, LUFS or headroom measurements. Scan the current live set for inspection leads: several high faders, a muted or empty Session track, or a MIDI track without devices. External routing and Arrangement audio may explain these states. Returns machine-readable findings so you can decide what to fix. Reads the session; changes nothing.

Scaffold a genre starter in one call: set the tempo, add Drums, Bass, and Chords MIDI tracks, try to load fitting instruments, and write generated parts. `name` is one from list_recipes (e.g. "lofi_beat", "house_groove"). tempo/key/scale/bars override the recipe defaults. Adds new tracks; it does not overwrite existing ones.

Return playback control to the Arrangement (after Session clips have overridden arrangement content - the orange 'Back to Arrangement' state).

Run several commands in ONE round-trip and ONE undo step (atomic-ish: stops at the first error; completed steps are a single undo away). commands = [{"type": "<command>", "params": {...}}, ...]. Command names match the MCP tool names (the few that differ are auto-translated), e.g. [{"type": "set_tempo", "params": {"tempo": 80}}, {"type": "create_midi_track", "params": {"index": -1}}]. Composite tools (record_section, load_drum_kit, apply_recipe, save_set, the generate_* tools) are NOT batchable - they orchestrate multiple commands server-side. Prefer this for multi-step edits: fewer round-trips, one undo reverts all.

Snapshot the currently playing Session clips into a new scene - the 'keep that combination' workflow.

Grab recently played MIDI into a new clip (Live's Capture MIDI). Requires that MIDI was recently played into an armed/monitored track.

Delete one device parameter's entire automation envelope from a clip. Resolve the device and parameter with get_device_parameters first. This removes every automation point for that parameter, not a time range; manual parameter state remains. Use write_automation to replace the envelope with new points, or undo immediately to recover an accidental clear.

Structural clip edits. op: "duplicate_loop" (double the loop, duplicating notes - extend 2 bars to 4 before adding variation), "crop" (discard material outside the loop), "duplicate_region" (copy notes from region_start/region_length to destination_time, optionally transposing by transposition_amount semitones; pitch=-1 means all pitches).

Resume playback from the current position (start_playback restarts from the playhead's last start point instead).

Create a new audio clip in an audio track's clip slot by importing a file. Requires Ableton Live 12.0.5 or newer - the underlying ClipSlot.create_audio_clip Live API was introduced in 12.0.5 and is not available in earlier 12.0.x releases. Parameters: - track_index: The index of the audio track to create the clip in - clip_index: The index of the clip slot to create the clip in - path: Absolute path to a supported audio file (e.g. a .wav). The target track must be an audio track and the clip slot must be empty.

Insert an empty audio track at a chosen position, or append with `-1`. Non-negative indices insert before the current track at that position and shift it and later track indices up. Use create_midi_track for instruments and MIDI clips, or create_return_track for a shared send-effect bus.

Create an empty MIDI clip in a Session slot. Fails if the slot already has a clip (pick another clip_index or delete_clip first) or the track is an audio track. length is in beats (4.0 = one 4/4 bar). Typical chain: create_clip -> add_notes_to_clip -> fire_clip or duplicate_to_arrangement.

Create or rename an Arrangement locator at an absolute beat position. SIDE EFFECT: first moves the Arrangement playhead to `time`, because Live creates cues at the playhead. If a locator already exists there, it is reused and renamed when `name` is provided. Use set_arrangement_time when only the playhead should move, and get_locators to inspect existing markers.

Create a new MIDI track in the Ableton session. Parameters: - index: The index to insert the track at (-1 = end of list)

Create a new return track (a send bus, e.g. for shared reverb or delay).

Create a new scene (row of clip slots). index -1 appends at the end.

Add a take lane to a track (for comping multiple recorded takes on one track). Returns the new take-lane count.

Delete a clip from the Arrangement timeline by its position in get_arrangement_clips' list. NOTE: indices of later clips on the same track shift down by one after each delete - re-read get_arrangement_clips between deletes.

Delete the existing Session-view clip in a slot, including its content. This leaves the slot empty and does not shift other slot indices. It fails for an empty slot. Use stop_clip if the intent is only to stop playback; use undo immediately if the deletion was accidental.

Delete a device from a track's chain by its position (0-based). Shifts the indices of later devices, so re-read the chain afterwards.

Delete a return track by index (0 = Return A). Later returns shift down.

Delete a scene (row). Later scene indices shift down by one.

Delete a track. NOTE: indices of all later tracks shift down by one.

A high-level map of this server: the tool groups and what each covers, plus the conventions to follow, so you can orient before your first call. Set ABLETON_TOOLSETS to load only some groups. For the current live state, call get_session_snapshot; for mix problems, analyze_mix.

Return curated guidance for a common Ableton native device: which parameters matter, their units (note `curve` = perceptual, not proportional), sensible values, and mixing tips. `device_name` is case-insensitive (e.g. "EQ Eight", "Compressor", "Glue Compressor", "Reverb", "Auto Filter", "Saturator", "Utility", "Limiter", "Delay"). Pair with get_device_parameters for the live indices and ranges.

Detect the key/scale of one Session MIDI clip (Krumhansl-Kessler). Reads the clip's notes and returns the best-fit key with a confidence (-1..1), margin over the runner-up, and the runner-up key. `weight` is how notes are weighted into the pitch-class histogram: "duration" (default), "velocity", "product", or "count". Reads only; changes nothing.

Detect the overall key/scale of the whole set by pooling the notes of every MIDI track's Session clips (Krumhansl-Kessler). Gives the harmonic center of the arrangement as a whole. `weight` selects the histogram weighting ("duration", "velocity", "product", "count"). Reads only.

Detect the key/scale of a whole track by pooling the notes of every Session clip it holds (Krumhansl-Kessler). Useful when a part is spread across several clips. `weight` selects the histogram weighting ("duration", "velocity", "product", "count"). Reads only; changes nothing.

Copy a Session clip to any other track/scene slot (overwrites the destination slot). The cross-track way to build variations.

Insert a copy of one Session scene, including every clip in its row. This creates new content and increases the scene count; later scene indices shift to make room. Use duplicate_track for a whole track or duplicate_clip_to for one clip. Use the new scene as an editable section variation.

Copy a Session-view clip into the Arrangement timeline. OVERWRITES whatever already occupies the destination range on that track (like recording over tape) - this is also the supported way to REPLACE a section. Uses Live's track.duplicate_clip_to_arrangement() API (Live 11/12). The clip is placed at destination_time beats from the start of the arrangement on the same track it lives in. Typical workflow: 1. create_clip / add_notes_to_clip to build a Session clip 2. Call duplicate_to_arrangement once per bar/section you need 3. Call switch_to_arrangement_view to confirm the result in Live Parameters: - track_index: Index of the track that owns the Session clip - clip_index: Index of the clip slot in that track (Session view) - destination_time: Beat position in the arrangement to place the clip (e.g. 0.0 = start, 8.0 = bar 3 in 4/4)

Insert a copy of one regular track, including its devices and clips. This creates new content and increases the track count; later track indices shift to make room. Use duplicate_scene for a Session row or duplicate_clip_to for one clip. Rename or edit the copy to create a variation.

Edit a subset of notes in a MIDI clip without rewriting all of them. add = [{pitch,start_time,duration,velocity,mute}], remove = [{pitch,start_time}] (matched by pitch+start).

Launch one existing Session-view clip using Live's launch quantization. The slot must contain a clip. Launching it takes Session control of that track and replaces any other playing Session clip on the same track; firing an already-playing clip may retrigger it according to its launch settings. Use fire_scene to launch a whole row, or continue_playing for transport only.

Launch a Session-view scene using Live's launch quantization. This fires the row's clips together and can replace or stop clips currently playing on the affected tracks according to each slot's launch behavior. Use fire_clip to launch only one track's clip, or start_playback when the intent is Arrangement transport rather than Session launching.

Write a Philip-Glass additive process into a Session clip. REPLACES the clip's notes if it already exists. Builds a short one-voice motif (each pitch a ``note_length``-beat note, back to back) from ``pitches`` -- a space-/comma-separated list of MIDI numbers. Then plays the first 1 note, then the first 2, then the first 3 ... concatenated end to end, so the phrase audibly grows one note per stage. ``steps`` is how many stages to build (0 = use every note; capped at the number of pitches). If ``source_clip_index`` is given, the motif is read from that clip on the same track instead of built from ``pitches``. Returns a short summary.

Write a bassline following a chord progression. REPLACES existing notes. progression: same syntax as generate_chord_progression. style: "roots" (long root notes), "root_fifth" (root + fifth bounce), "walking" (root, approach tones), "eighth_pump" (driving 8ths on the root). octave: 1 = very low (C1=24), 2 = typical bass (C2=36).

Generate voiced chords and write them into one Session-view MIDI clip. DESTRUCTIVE: creates a clip when the slot is empty; otherwise resizes its loop and replaces every existing note. The track must accept MIDI. Progressions accept dash/comma/space-separated symbols such as `Am9-Fmaj7-Cmaj9-G13`; supported qualities include maj7, m7, m9, 9, 13, 7#9, sus4, dim, and add9. Use add_notes_to_clip for exact notes or edit_notes to preserve existing ones.