Chat with your Ableton session in real-time.
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
Ableton Live ↔ M4L Bridge ↔ WebSocket ↔ MCP Server ↔ Claude / Cursor / etc.
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.
Download talkback-bridge (latest) and drop it onto your master track in Ableton. Make sure the device is toggled on.
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).
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 mcp add --transport stdio talkback-mcp -- npx -y talkback-mcp
Add to .cursor/mcp.json in your project root:
{
"mcpServers": {
"talkback-mcp": {
"command": "npx",
"args": ["-y", "talkback-mcp"],
"env": { "WS_PORT": "8765" }
}
}
}
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"
Open your LLM and start asking about your session:
Your LLM will ask for approval before making any parameter changes. Undo always works.
| 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 |
| Variable | Default | Description |
|---|---|---|
WS_PORT | 8765 | WebSocket port for bridge connection |
PolyForm Shield 1.0.0 — free to use, modify, and distribute. You may not use this software to build a competing product.
Source-derived launch command. Check the maintainer’s required arguments and credentials before running:
npx -y talkback-mcpMerge this template into ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json. Keep existing servers. Add any arguments, credentials, and permissions required by the maintainer; this template has not been install-tested.
{
"mcpServers": {
"io-github-jmedure-talkback": {
"command": "npx",
"args": [
"-y",
"talkback-mcp"
]
}
}
}Restart Claude Desktop completely for changes to take effect. Confirm the server appears connected in the client’s tool list, then try a read-only example from its documentation.
Claude Desktop setup referencetalkback-mcpnpmio.github.jmedure/talkback works with any MCP-compatible client. Copy the config snippet from the Configuration section above and add it to the file shown for your client, then restart the application.
~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.jsonRestart Claude Desktop completely for changes to take effect.~/.cursor/mcp.jsonRestart Cursor for changes to take effect..vscode/mcp.jsonReload VS Code window for changes to take effect.~/.codeium/windsurf/mcp_config.jsonRestart Windsurf for changes to take effect..mcp.jsonSave at the project root, then start Claude Code in that project and review the MCP server approval prompt. Keep real credentials out of shared files.