Installation Guide
Producer Pal is a free, open-source Ableton MCP server that brings AI to Ableton Live. It works with many AI providers — use whichever you prefer. Note that some AI services charge for usage.
Requirements
Requires: Ableton Live 12.3+ with Max for Live. Live 12.4 or later is recommended — some features don't work on older versions of Live. Use the version of Max bundled with Live, or make sure your standalone Max is up to date.
Upgrading from a previous version? See the upgrading guide.
Step 1: Get the Max for Live Device
Required for every setup.
Install the Device
To install it, open User Library (under Places) in Live's browser, go to Presets → MIDI Effects → Max MIDI Effect, and drag Producer_Pal.amxd into that folder:
Add It to Your Live Set
Drag it from the Max MIDI Effect folder onto a MIDI track:
It should display "Producer Pal Running" or something isn't working.
Step 2: Choose How You Want to Use It
Producer Pal works the same with any provider — the main choice is how you want to interact with it. Most groups below support multiple AI providers, so pick the experience you like best. Or skip the AI and drive Live from your own code.
Desktop Apps
Dedicated AI apps — the easiest setup for most people:
- Claude Desktop — Anthropic's desktop app (subscription required)
- ChatGPT App — OpenAI's desktop app, with Codex built in
- Antigravity — Google's agent app for Gemini (free; a subscription raises rate limits)
- LM Studio Bionic — runs models fully offline, no account needed
Built-in Chat UI
Producer Pal's own browser-based chat — bring an API key for any supported provider:
- Chat UI overview — supported providers and setup
- Gemini, OpenAI, Ollama (offline), or Anthropic, OpenRouter, Mistral & more
Command Line
For users comfortable with the terminal:
- Claude Code — Anthropic (subscription required)
- Codex CLI — OpenAI (subscription required)
- Gemini CLI — Google (free tier has strict rate limits)
- Mistral Vibe — Mistral (API key required)
Claude Code, Codex CLI, and Gemini CLI can also use the portable Agent Skill instead of MCP — one folder dropped into the agent's skills directory, no MCP config.
Web Apps
Use a provider's website in your browser — each requires a web tunnel:
Any MCP Client
Already have an MCP-compatible app? Connect directly with npx producer-pal — see Other MCP LLMs.
Scripts and Automation
Skip the AI entirely. The REST API is plain HTTP on the same port the device already serves, so any script, language, or tool that can make a request can read and edit your Live Set. Nothing to install beyond the device.
Prefer to Pick by AI Provider?
If you already know which AI you use, jump straight to its provider guide: Claude / Anthropic · OpenAI / ChatGPT · Google / Gemini · Mistral · Local / Offline · Multiple Providers
Additional Resources
- Upgrading - How to update to a new version
- Web Tunnels - Setup remote access (for web apps)
- Troubleshooting - Common issues and solutions