Summary
Bridges Claude to Ableton Live through a Max for Live device and WebSocket connection. Exposes your full session state as MCP tools: read tracks with routing and device parameters, capture spectral snapshots from the master bus, run mix analysis heuristics, and write back parameter changes in human units like dB and Hz. You can ask Claude to adjust an EQ band, bypass a compressor for A/B testing, or flag frequency buildups across your mix. Works with Claude Desktop, Cursor, and other local MCP clients. The M4L device sits on your master track and streams Live Object Model data in real time, so the LLM sees current state before every operation.
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talkback mcp
Chat with your Ableton session in natural language. Go deeper in your mix, make it sound like it does in your head, and finally understand compression... jk no one can teach you that.
Talkback is an MCP server and Max for Live device that gives AI assistants real-time access to your Ableton Live session — read tracks, adjust parameters, analyze your mix, and get spectral snapshots, all through conversation.
talkback.createwcare.com · Docs · Changelog
How it works
Ableton Live ↔ M4L Bridge ↔ WebSocket ↔ MCP Server ↔ Claude / Cursor / etc.
- talkback bridge — a Max for Live device on your master track that reads the Live Object Model and streams session data over WebSocket
- talkback-mcp (this package) — an MCP server that exposes your session as tools any LLM can use
Quick start
The fastest way to get set up — installs the MCP server and configures Claude Desktop automatically:
curl -fsSL https://talkback.createwcare.com/install.sh | bash
Already in an AI agent? Let it set things up for you:
npx skills add jmedure/talkback-mcp
Then ask your agent: "Help me set up talkback"
Requires Node.js 18+. See the full setup guide for more options.
1. Install the Max for Live device
Download talkback-bridge (latest) and drop it onto your master track in Ableton. Make sure the device is toggled on.
2. Add the MCP server
Talkback requires a desktop MCP client — it runs locally on your machine and connects to Ableton over WebSocket. It does not work with claude.ai in the browser (web chat doesn't support local MCP servers yet).
Claude Desktop (recommended)
Download Claude Desktop, then add to your config:
~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json (macOS)
%APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json (Windows)
{
"mcpServers": {
"talkback-mcp": {
"command": "npx",
"args": ["-y", "talkback-mcp"],
"env": { "WS_PORT": "8765" }
}
}
}
Restart Claude Desktop after saving.
Using nvm or fnm? Claude Desktop doesn't load your shell profile, so it may pick up an old system Node. Use the full path to
npxinstead — runwhich npxin Terminal, then set that as"command"in the config above. See troubleshooting for details.
Claude Code
claude mcp add --transport stdio talkback-mcp -- npx -y talkback-mcp
Cursor
Add to .cursor/mcp.json in your project root:
{
"mcpServers": {
"talkback-mcp": {
"command": "npx",
"args": ["-y", "talkback-mcp"],
"env": { "WS_PORT": "8765" }
}
}
}
Other clients (Windsurf, etc.)
Point your client at npx -y talkback-mcp as the server command with WS_PORT=8765 as an environment variable.
Or use add-mcp to auto-configure all your installed agents:
npx add-mcp "npx -y talkback-mcp"
3. Start chatting
Open your LLM and start asking about your session:
- "What's going on in my session?"
- "My bass sounds muddy, can you help?"
- "Cut 3 dB at 300 Hz on the vocal EQ"
- "Does my mix have any obvious problems?"
Your LLM will ask for approval before making any parameter changes. Undo always works.
Tools
| Tool | What it does |
|---|---|
get_session_context | Reads your full session — tracks, volumes, panning, mutes, sends, devices, routing |
get_track_details | Deep-dives a single track with every device parameter in human-readable units |
get_spectral_snapshot | Captures ~2s of live audio from master bus with peak/RMS per frequency band |
get_plugin_library | Lists all installed AU and VST3 plugins on your system |
analyze_mix | Runs heuristic checks for frequency buildup, dynamics, headroom, and routing issues |
set_device_parameter | Changes a device parameter using human-readable units (dB, ms, Hz, etc.) |
toggle_device_bypass | Enables or bypasses a device for A/B comparison |
create_group_track | Creates a new group track containing specified tracks |
set_track_routing | Changes a track's output routing to another track or bus |
get_bridge_health | Returns bridge performance metrics from the M4L device |
Requirements
- Ableton Live 11+ with Max for Live
- Node.js 18+
- A desktop MCP client — Claude Desktop (recommended), Claude Code, Cursor, or similar
Environment variables
| Variable | Default | Description |
|---|---|---|
WS_PORT | 8765 | WebSocket port for bridge connection |
License
PolyForm Shield 1.0.0 — free to use, modify, and distribute. You may not use this software to build a competing product.
Featured
Keep your Mac awake while Claude Code and 40+ AI agents run. Sleeps when they're idle.
One time payment $9 →Integrate web data into your AI product. One API to scrape website & brand data.
Get API Key Now →Agent, run crypto. Access onchain data & trade routes via 1inch.
Install now →On Capafy, your Skill runs online 24/7 as an agent product, and you get paid every time someone uses it.
Start earning →Configuration
WS_PORTWebSocket port for the Max for Live bridge connection
Registryactive
Packagetalkback-mcp
TransportSTDIO
UpdatedMar 17, 2026
