Installation Guide

Get Ableton MCP Extended running in under 10 minutes

Want to see what's possible first? Check out our capabilities demonstration video to see Ableton MCP Extended in action before installing!

Prerequisites

Before we start, make sure you have:

Ableton Live 11 or newer (any edition - Intro, Standard, or Suite)
Python 3.10 or higher (Download here)
Git command-line tool.
Claude Desktop or Cursor IDE (Claude | Cursor) | Gemini CLI works, but I've tested it and it's nowhere as good as the previous.
15 minutes of uninterrupted time
Administrator privileges on your computer

Installation Steps

The installation process involves three main steps: getting the code, installing the remote script in Ableton, and configuring your AI assistant.

Step 1: Get the Code

First, clone the repository and install the required Python package.

Clone the Repository:

git clone [https://github.com/uisato/ableton-mcp-extended.git](https://github.com/uisato/ableton-mcp-extended.git)
cd ableton-mcp-extended

Install the Package: This command installs the project in "editable" mode, which is recommended.
```
pip install -e .
```
Verify Installation: Run the following command. A success message indicates the Python component is correctly installed.
```
python -c "from mcp.server.fastmcp import FastMCP; print('✅ Python package installed successfully!')"
```

Step 2: Install the Ableton Remote Script

Ableton Live loads control scripts from a specific user directory.

Your Ableton Remote Scripts location depends on your operating system:

🪟 Windows

C:\Users\[YourUsername]\Documents\Ableton\User Library\Remote Scripts\

Quick way to find it:

Open File Explorer
Paste this in the address bar: %USERPROFILE%\Documents\Ableton\User Library\Remote Scripts
Press Enter

🍎 macOS

~/Library/Preferences/Ableton/Live [Version]/User Remote Scripts/

Quick way to find it:

Open Finder
Press Cmd + Shift + G
Paste: ~/Library/Preferences/Ableton/
Navigate to your Live version folder, then User Remote Scripts

Install the Main Remote Script

Create folder: In your Remote Scripts directory, create a new folder called AbletonMCP
Copy file: Copy AbletonMCP_Remote_Script/__init__.py into the AbletonMCP folder

Your folder structure should look like:

Remote Scripts/
├── AbletonMCP/
│   └── __init__.py
└── (other scripts...)

Same would apply if you want to install the UDP version of Ableton MCP server. Create another folder (I called it "AbletonMCP_UDP") and place its corresponding 'init.py' inside. Both servers can co-exist.

💡 Tip: Double-check this folder structure - it's the most common source of installation issues.

Step 3: Configure Ableton Live

Enable the Remote Script:

Open or restart Ableton Live.
Navigate to Preferences (Ctrl + , or Cmd + ,).
Go to the Link, Tempo & MIDI tab.
In an empty Control Surface slot, select AbletonMCP from the dropdown menu.
Set the Input and Output for the AbletonMCP surface to None.
Close the Preferences window.

When the script is loaded correctly, you will see a message in Ableton's status bar: "AbletonMCP: Listening for commands on port 9877".

Step 4: Connect Your AI Assistant

Choose your preferred AI assistant:

🔵 Claude Desktop

Open Claude Desktop
Go to Claude → Settings → Developer
Click "Edit Config"
Replace the entire content with:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "AbletonMCP": {
      "command": "python",
      "args": [
        "C:\\path\\to\\ableton-mcp-extended\\MCP_Server\\server.py"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Update the path: Replace C:\\path\\to\\ableton-mcp-extended with your actual installation path
Save and restart Claude Desktop

🔍 Finding Your Installation Path

Windows:

# In your ableton-mcp-extended folder, run:
echo %CD%\MCP_Server\server.py

macOS:

# In your ableton-mcp-extended folder, run:
echo $PWD/MCP_Server/server.py

🟡 Cursor IDE

Open Cursor
Go to Settings → MCP
Add new MCP server:
- Paste this:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "AbletonMCP": {
      "command": "python",
      "args": [
        "C:/path/to/ableton-mcp-extended/MCP_Server/server.py"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Save settings

Verify AI Connection

For Claude Desktop: Look for a 🔨 hammer icon in the chat interface - this indicates MCP tools are loaded.

For Cursor: You'll see a green dot next to the MCP server icon, and a message saying "40 tools enabled".

You might have to restart your AI assistant in order for changes to impact.

Step 5: Test Your Installation

To confirm everything is working, try these commands in your AI assistant:

Basic Tests

"Get information about my current Ableton session"
- Should return details about your Ableton project
"Create a new MIDI track"
- Should create a new track in Ableton
"What tracks do I currently have?"
- Should list your tracks

If all three commands work correctly, congratulations! 🎉 Your installation is complete.

Optional: Advanced Features

⚡ High-Performance UDP Server (For Real-Time Control)

For ultra-low latency parameter control (like the XY Mouse Controller example):

Install UDP Remote Script:
- Create folder: Remote Scripts/AbletonMCP_UDP/
- Copy: Ableton-MCP_hybrid-server/AbletonMCP_UDP/__init__.py
Configure in Ableton:
- Add another Control Surface: "AbletonMCP_UDP"
- Input/Output: "None"

Test XY Mouse Controller:

cd experimental_tools/xy_mouse_controller
pip install -r requirements.txt
python mouse_parameter_controller_udp.py

Perfect for: Live performance, real-time effects, expressive control.

Note: both remote scripts (TCP and UDP) can co-exist without issues.

🎤 ElevenLabs Voice Integration

Add AI voice generation to your workflow:

Get ElevenLabs API Key:
- Sign up at elevenlabs.io
- Get your API key from account settings

Add to AI Assistant Config:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "AbletonMCP": {
      "command": "python",
      "args": ["C:/path/to/MCP_Server/server.py"]
    },
    "ElevenLabs": {
      "command": "python",
      "args": ["C:/path/to/elevenlabs_mcp/server.py"],
      "env": {
        "ELEVENLABS_API_KEY": "your-api-key-here"
      }
    }
  }
}

Test Voice Generation: Try: "Generate a voice saying 'Hello from ElevenLabs' and import it into Ableton"

Perfect for: Vocals, narration, podcast production, creative voice effects

🛠️ Troubleshooting

❌ Common Issues & Solutions

🔴 "AbletonMCP not found in Control Surface list"

Possible causes:

Remote Script not in correct folder
File permissions issue
Incorrect folder name

Solutions:

Verify folder path: Remote Scripts/AbletonMCP/__init__.py
Check file permissions (should be readable)
Restart Ableton Live completely
Check Ableton's log for error messages

🟡 "No hammer icon in Claude Desktop"

Possible causes:

Incorrect path in config file
Python not in system PATH
MCP server file missing

Solutions:

Verify Python installation: python --version
Check absolute path to server.py file
Use double backslashes on Windows: C:\\path\\to\\file
Restart Claude Desktop after config changes

🟠 "Connection refused" or "Socket error"

Possible causes:

Ableton not running
Remote Script not loaded
Firewall blocking connection

Solutions:

Make sure Ableton Live is running
Verify Remote Script is selected in Ableton preferences
Check Windows Firewall/macOS firewall settings
Try restarting both Ableton and your AI assistant

🔵 "Python not found" error

Solutions:

Install Python: Download from python.org
Add to PATH: During installation, check "Add Python to PATH"
Verify installation: Open terminal, type python --version
Use full path: If still issues, use full Python path in config

🔧 Advanced Troubleshooting

Enable Debug Mode:

Set environment variable: ABLETON_MCP_DEBUG=1
Restart your AI assistant
Check console output for detailed logs

Test Components Individually:

# Test Python installation
python --version

# Test MCP server directly
python MCP_Server/server.py

# Test Ableton connection (with Ableton running)
python -c "import socket; s = socket.socket(); s.connect(('localhost', 9877)); print('✅ Connected')"

Capabilities Demonstration

📹 See Ableton MCP Extended in action: [Link to your capabilities demonstration]

Installation Complete!

You're now ready to co-create with your AI assistant!

🚀 Next Steps:

Watch the Demo Video - See the amazing possibilities
Join the Community - Share your creations

💬 Need Help?

🐛 Found a bug? Open an issue
❓ Have questions? Join discussions

Welcome to the future of music production!

Ready to make music through conversation? Let's create something amazing together.

Provide feedback

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Installation Guide

Prerequisites

Installation Steps

Step 1: Get the Code

Step 2: Install the Ableton Remote Script

🪟 Windows

🍎 macOS

Install the Main Remote Script

Step 3: Configure Ableton Live

Step 4: Connect Your AI Assistant

🔵 Claude Desktop

🔍 Finding Your Installation Path

🟡 Cursor IDE

Verify AI Connection

Step 5: Test Your Installation

Basic Tests

Optional: Advanced Features

🛠️ Troubleshooting

❌ Common Issues & Solutions

🔧 Advanced Troubleshooting

Capabilities Demonstration

Installation Complete!

🚀 Next Steps:

💬 Need Help?

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INSTALLATION.md

Latest commit

History

INSTALLATION.md

File metadata and controls

Installation Guide

Prerequisites

Installation Steps

Step 1: Get the Code

Step 2: Install the Ableton Remote Script

🪟 Windows

🍎 macOS

Install the Main Remote Script

Step 3: Configure Ableton Live

Step 4: Connect Your AI Assistant

🔵 Claude Desktop

🔍 Finding Your Installation Path

🟡 Cursor IDE

Verify AI Connection

Step 5: Test Your Installation

Basic Tests

Optional: Advanced Features

🛠️ Troubleshooting

❌ Common Issues & Solutions

🔧 Advanced Troubleshooting

Capabilities Demonstration

Installation Complete!

🚀 Next Steps:

💬 Need Help?