Producer Pal

What is Producer Pal about?

Producer Pal enables collaborative music creation inside Ableton Live by connecting a Large Language Model (LLM) through the Model Context Protocol (MCP). The assistant can generate drum patterns, chord progressions, basslines, and full‑song structures, and it can edit, duplicate, or delete MIDI clips based on natural‑language commands.

How to use Producer Pal?

1. Install the Producer_Pal.amxd Max for Live device in an Ableton Live set.
2. Install the corresponding MCP extension for your chosen LLM (e.g., Producer_Pal.mcpb for Claude Desktop) or configure another supported model via the Installation Guide.
3. Open a conversation with the AI (e.g., start with "connect to ableton") and issue music‑creation commands.
4. Allow the AI to use the Producer Pal tools when prompted, then interact iteratively to refine loops, melodies, or arrangements.

Key Features of Producer Pal

• MIDI‑focused generation: Create drum loops, chord progressions, basslines, and melodic ideas.
• Session & Arrangement view support: Work in Ableton’s improvisational Session view or structure a complete song in Arrangement view.
• Tool integration with multiple LLMs: Works with Claude, Gemini, OpenAI GPT, and offline models such as Qwen 3, GPT‑OSS, and Mistral Magistral.
• Advanced layering: Use routeToSource to build polyrhythmic or phased patterns across duplicated tracks.
• Interactive feedback loop: Refine results by providing clear, specific natural‑language instructions.
• Safety notices: Experimental software warnings, privacy considerations, and cost alerts are built into the UI.

Use Cases of Producer Pal

• Quick idea sketching: Generate a 4‑bar drum loop or chord progression in seconds to jump‑start a track.
• Iterative composition: Ask the assistant to expand, vary, or add fills to existing MIDI clips.
• Learning tool: Request music‑theory explanations or examples to improve compositional knowledge.
• Accessibility aid: Voice‑controlled interaction enables users with limited motor abilities to produce music.
• Template automation: Convert Session‑based sketches into full Arrangement‑view songs for faster workflow.

FAQ

Q: Which Ableton versions are supported? A: Ableton Live 12.2 or later with Max for Live.

Q: Do I need an internet connection? A: Only when using cloud‑based LLMs (Claude, Gemini, OpenAI). Offline models run locally.

Q: Will my music data be sent to external services? A: Yes, when using online models. Offline models keep data private.

Q: Can Producer Pal manipulate audio clips? A: Currently it can only delete or duplicate audio clips; it cannot generate new audio content.

Q: What happens if Ableton crashes? A: The software is experimental; always save and back up your Live sets before using Producer Pal.

Q: How do I install the Claude Desktop extension? A: Download Producer_Pal.mcpb, then drag‑and‑drop it into Claude Desktop’s Extensions screen or use the Advanced Settings → Install Extension option.

Producer Pal

Collaboratively make music in Ableton Live with an AI assistant.

Works with any LLM that supports MCP tools including:

• Anthropic Claude
• Google Gemini
• OpenAI GPT
• Offline local LLMs via apps like LM Studio, such as:
  • Qwen 3 (4B)
  • GPT OSS (20B)
  • Mistral Magistral (small)

See the Producer Pal Installation Guide to get started with any of these AI models, or continue reading for a Quick Start Guide for Claude Desktop.

Find out what's new in the latest release notes.

Demo

Watch how to install and use Producer Pal with Claude Desktop (3⅓ minutes long, no sound for the first 90 seconds), or click the thumbnail to jump to the music-making:

Requirements

• Ableton Live 12.2+ with Max for Live (e.g. Ableton Live Suite edition)
• A compatible AI app (see the Installation Guide or continue reading to setup with Claude Desktop)

Installation

1. Download the Producer_Pal.amxd Max for Live device

2. Add Producer_Pal.amxd to an Ableton Live project

   

3. Setup an AI model to use Producer Pal:

   3a. Continue reading for the Quick Start for Claude Desktop

   3b. Or see the Installation Guide to use other apps/LLMs, including Gemini CLI or OpenAI Codex CLI

Quick Start for Claude Desktop

If you are using Claude Desktop:

4. Download the Producer_Pal.mcpb Claude Desktop extension

5. Install it into Claude Desktop by going to Claude Desktop → Settings → Extensions and:

   5a. If you already have extensions installed, you can drag and drop Producer_Pal.mcpb into the Extensions screen:

   5b. Or, if you have never installed a Claude Desktop extension before, you need to click "Advanced settings" on the Extensions screen, then click "Install extension...", and choose the Producer_Pal.mcpb file.

6. Don't forget to click "Install" and complete the Claude Desktop installation:

7. You should see Producer Pal tools in Claude's "Search and Tools" menu (make sure it's enabled when starting a conversation):

8. Start a conversation with "connect to ableton"

   

9. In order for Producer Pal to work, you need to allow the tools to be used:

See the Usage Guide for more help getting started.

Support and Issues

• Bug Reports: GitHub Issues (please do not send pull requests)
• Documentation: GitHub Homepage (this page) and the dedicated area of my website
• Community: GitHub Discussions

⚠️ Important Notices

🧪 EXPERIMENTAL SOFTWARE: Always save and backup your Live sets before use. The software may cause crashes, data loss, or unexpected behavior.

🔒 PRIVACY: When using an online model from Anthropic, Google, OpenAI, etc your musical data (MIDI notes, track names, tempo, etc.) is transmitted to the online service for processing. Review the AI provider's privacy policy and account settings for more info. Do not use online AI services with confidential or commercially sensitive musical content. Producer Pal supports offline models for scenarios where data must be kept private.

💰 USAGE COSTS: Producer Pal itself is free. Some AI models require subscriptions, or API keys that can cost money for every interaction. Many AI models supported by Producer Pal have a free tier with usage limits.

Usage

Basic Examples

• Start a chat like:

  connect to ableton

• If Ableton Live or the Producer Pal Max for Live device aren't running, the AI will let you know. Once it's running, say:

  try again

• Setup a drum rack in a track called "Drums" and ask:

  find the drums track and generate a 4-bar drum loop

  then:

  I like that, make some variations

  or:

  great! can you expand that to 16 bars?

  or:

  it's pretty repetitive, can you add some drum fills on the last few beats?

  or:

  meh, that's not very good. do something more like ...

  the better you can describe exactly what you want, the better the results should be.

• Setup some pads or keys in a track called "Chords" and ask:

  in the chords track, generate a 4-chord progression of whole notes in C minor

• Then (with a "Bass" track):

  in the bass track, generate a bassline to go along with that chord progression

• Let the AI tell you what else it can do:

  what are all the things you can do with your Ableton Live tools?

Session and Arrangement views

Producer Pal understands how to use both the Session view and the Arrangement view of Ableton Live. Use Session view for idea generation and jamming, and if you like the results, you can ask Producer Pal to help lay it out as a song in Arrangement view. Or open existing Session-based projects and get help turning them into full songs. Feel free to jump directly to Arrangement view if that's your preference for new projects.

Limitations

Producer Pal is focused on generating and manipulating MIDI clips.

It cannot (yet) manage devices (instruments or effects) in your tracks. You must add and adjust all devices yourself. Note that it can duplicate tracks, including all the track's devices.

It cannot work with audio clips beyond some general features like deleting and duplicating clips (it cannot add new audio clips or create audio from scratch).

Although Drum Racks are supported in arbitrary instrument rack structures (nested at any depth, in any chain position), tracks with multiple Drum Racks have a limitation: only the first Drum Rack found during device traversal will populate the drum map (which tells the AI which pitches correspond to which drum sounds). Subsequent Drum Racks on the same track are ignored. To ensure predictable drum programming, avoid using multiple Drum Racks within a single track when working with Producer Pal.

Known Issues

• Using the Producer Pal in an Ableton Live template may cause Ableton to crash when loading that template. You may need to reset your default Live template if you save Producer Pal into it. I will try to work with Ableton to get this crash solved eventually, but in the meantime it's recommended you do not save Producer Pal into Ableton Live templates. (Saving and opening normal projects seems fine.)

Advanced Examples

Above are some basic ideas to get you started. For best results, be very specific and detailed about what you want. Instead of "generate a melody", try:

Generate an 8-bar EDM-style synthesizer melody in the key of C major with a mix of whole notes, half notes, quarter notes, and eighth notes. Use some dotted rhythms and syncopation too. Keep the center of the melody around the C above middle C.

If you don't know enough about music theory to ask for things like this, try asking the AI for help learning music theory. Or just describe it the best you can and chat back and forth as needed to clarify. Find your own way to interact with it based on your unique perspective. For example, if you aren't sure how to ask for specific aspects of a melody, you could ask things like "What makes a good melody in [some genre]?", chat about that topic, and then ask "Show me an example of a melody like that in the lead track in Ableton Live". It can be very powerful to ask the AI to perform web searches and do research during these types of conversations.

Advanced Technique: MIDI Layering with routeToSource

Producer Pal can create sophisticated layering setups where multiple tracks control a single instrument:

Example: Create a phasing pattern

Duplicate the melody track and use routeToSource. Then make the clips different lengths - a 3-bar pattern on one track and a 4-bar pattern on the other creates an evolving 12-bar cycle.

Example: Build complex drums from simple parts

Create a basic kick pattern, then duplicate the track with routeToSource. Add hi-hats to the new track. Duplicate again for snares. Now you can launch different combinations of clips for dynamic drum arrangements.

Example: Polyrhythmic textures

After creating a 4/4 arpeggio, duplicate with routeToSource and change the new clip to 7/8 time. The polyrhythmic interplay creates rich, evolving textures.

Tips

For a full feature reference see FEATURES.md.

Always keep backups and save often! Don't let AI loose on a serious song you care about unless you've saved a backup copy. Producer Pal can overwrite and delete things. If you make good progress, save it before you lose it.

Producer Pal can't read your mind, so if it doesn't do what you wanted, try to clearly tell it what it did wrong and what you wanted instead. Assuming it has the functionality, it can often correct itself with clear feedback. If it doesn't have the functionality, it should be able to explain its limitations and help set your expectations.

If the AI is making mistakes or you are asking for something particularly complex, if the AI supports it (e.g. Claude), try the "extended thinking" feature or set thinking/reasoning effort to high. Note this is probably overkill most of the time and will reach usage limits faster, so it's recommended to leave it off until you need it.

Keep your context window small for best results. In practical terms, that means: If you have a very long conversation, consider starting a new conversation. The AI can easily re-read the state of Ableton Live in a new conversation (just say "connect to ableton" again). If you want to maintain context from the old conversation, ask the AI to summarize the current conversation and copy and paste that summary into a new conversation. Or add things you want the AI to remember to the project notes in the Max for Live device's UI.

To help keep your context window small, it's recommended to use standalone conversations by default and not use a "project" with additional context (e.g. a Claude Project). In the context of coding assistants like Gemini CLI, Codex CLI, and Claude Code, this means running the AI in an empty folder (not a code repository) when you want to use Produce Pal. However, you may find value in setting up a focused AI project for specific musical goals, for example, by specifying music theory rules and info in a Claude Project's instructions and/or knowledge base files.

Producer Pal's Mission

• Supplement, complement, enhance, and amplify human creativity. Don't replace human creativity!

• Help people get unblocked when they're creatively blocked.

• Make it easier to experiment with music in terms of high level ideas instead of the low level piano roll events.

• Facilitate life-long learning by teaching people things they didn't know about music theory, composition, and arrangement.

• Help people with disabilities produce music (assuming Claude Desktop or an alternative chat client can be used in a hands-free voice mode, this should be possible)