Producer Pal

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Troubleshooting ​

Common issues and solutions for Producer Pal.

AI Won't Use Producer Pal ​

Verify Your Setup ​

  • Producer Pal Max for Live device is running in Ableton Live and displays "Producer Pal Running"
  • Producer Pal tools are enabled in your AI app (most apps let you view available MCP tools/extensions)
  • If either was missing, start a new conversation. If that doesn't work, restart your AI app completely.

If AI Claims It Can't Interact with Ableton Live ​

  1. Ask "what tools do you have?"
  2. Verify it lists Producer Pal tools like ppal-connect
  3. Say "call your ppal-connect tool"

Once ppal-connect is called, Producer Pal should work. If "connect to ableton" doesn't trigger it, try:

  • "connect to ableton with your tools"
  • "connect to ableton with your ppal-connect tool"

If tools are visible but the AI won't call them, check you're using a model that supports tool calling. Many local models (including some in LM Studio) don't support tools.

Connection Issues ​

  • Ensure Producer Pal device is loaded and running in Ableton Live
  • Check that port 3350 is not blocked by firewall
  • For remote connections, verify your tunnel is active

MCP Server Not Found ​

  • If using npx: Ensure Node.js 20+ is installed and accessible from your terminal
  • If using downloaded portal script: Verify the full path to producer-pal-portal.js is correct
  • Try running npx -y producer-pal manually to test if it works (it won't output anything, but it shouldn't error or exit until you ctrl+c)

Tools Not Appearing ​

  • Toggle the Producer Pal device off and on in Live
  • Restart your AI interface
  • Check the Max console for error messages

After Upgrading ​

If Producer Pal stops working after installing a new version:

  • Claude Desktop users: Make sure you uninstalled the old extension before installing the new one
  • All users: Verify you replaced both the .amxd device AND the portal/mcpb files (if applicable for your installation)
  • Try deleting and re-adding the Producer Pal device in Ableton Live
  • Restart your AI app completely
  • Start a fresh conversation

Getting Support ​