Quickstart

Register the server with an MCP client

Point the client at cli.mjs serve in your checkout. Use an absolute path:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "ableton": {
      "command": "node",
      "args": ["/path/to/ableton-mcp/apps/ableton-mcp/src/cli.mjs", "serve"]
    }
  }
}

The server speaks MCP over stdio. It publishes tools, resources and prompts.

Try it from the shell

The CLI calls the same service:

npm run cli -- status --json
npm run cli -- resource ableton://set/tracks --json
npm run cli -- call list_devices --args '{"trackId":"track-0"}' --json

Make a change

Every Live mutation is planned first, then executed.

1. Read the current stateVersion from status or get_live_state.
2. Call the tool with expectedStateVersion. The result is a dry-run plan with a confirmation.

npm run cli -- call set_tempo --args '{"expectedStateVersion":12,"tempo":124}' --json

1. Execute the reviewed plan with its single-use token and plan hash:

npm run cli -- call set_tempo --args '{"expectedStateVersion":12,"tempo":124,"dryRun":false,"confirmationToken":"<token>","planHash":"<hash>"}' --json

If the Set changed after the plan was made, execution is refused. Guarded mutations covers the full contract.

Run without Live

ABLETON_MCP_FIXTURE=1 npm start

Fixture mode serves canned data over stdio. Use it to check client wiring.