Gemini CLI

Use Producer Pal with Google's command line coding assistant.

Free Tier Limitations

Gemini CLI works best with a Google AI Pro subscription. Without a subscription, the free tier has strict rate limits and you'll hit quotas quickly. Consider Claude Code for an alternative CLI experience.

If you feel comfortable with the command line, this is an option for using Producer Pal. Also consider using Gemini with Producer Pal's built-in chat UI (but probably via OpenRouter as noted on that page).

Requirements

• Ableton Live 12.3+ with Max for Live
• Node.js 20+
• Gemini CLI (requires Google account)

Installation Steps

1. Install the Max for Live Device

Download Producer_Pal.amxd, the Producer Pal Max for Live device, and add it to a MIDI track in Ableton Live:

It should display "Producer Pal Running" or something isn't working.

2. Configure Gemini CLI

Add Producer Pal to Gemini's settings in ~/.gemini/settings.json:

Option A: With npx (recommended) - Allows flexible startup order and auto-reconnection:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "producer-pal": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "producer-pal"]
    }
  }
}

Option B: Direct HTTP - Requires Ableton running first, no auto-reconnection:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "producer-pal": {
      "httpUrl": "http://localhost:3350/mcp"
    }
  }
}

Option C: Download portal script - Same benefits as npx:

Download producer-pal-portal.js and configure:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "producer-pal": {
      "command": "node",
      "args": ["/absolute/path/to/producer-pal-portal.js"]
    }
  }
}

3. Start Gemini CLI

Run gemini in an empty folder (so it can focus on Producer Pal instead of coding)

4. Verify Tools

Run /mcp list in the Gemini CLI to confirm the Producer Pal tools are available:

5. Start Using Producer Pal

1. Start a conversation with "connect to ableton"
2. Allow Producer Pal tools to be used when Gemini tries to use them:

Troubleshooting

If it doesn't work, see the Troubleshooting Guide.