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Detect Beats

detect_beats

Estimates a steady beat grid from a local audio or video file without altering Premiere, returning BPM, phase-aligned beat times, confidence, and half/double-time alternatives.

Instructions

Estimate a steady beat grid from a local audio or video file without changing Premiere. FFmpeg decodes at most 30 minutes to a bounded mono analysis stream; local onset autocorrelation returns BPM, phase-aligned beat times, confidence, and half/double-time alternatives.

Tool call template

Replace each placeholder with a value matching the input schema. Only required parameters are included; add optional parameters as needed.

{
  "id": 1,
  "jsonrpc": "2.0",
  "method": "tools/call",
  "params": {
    "arguments": {
      "media_path": "<media_path>"
    },
    "name": "detect_beats"
  }
}

Input Schema

NameRequiredDescriptionDefault
max_beatsNoMaximum beat times returned (default: 500).
media_pathYesAbsolute path to an existing local audio or video file.
idempotency_keyNoOptional client-chosen key (1-128 chars of A-Z a-z 0-9 . _ : -) for this intended edit. Pass a fresh key per edit and reuse it only when retrying that same edit, for example after a client-side timeout. A repeat with the same tool, key and arguments is not run again: while the first call is running it fails with IDEMPOTENCY_IN_PROGRESS (poll get_last_operations); after it finished it returns the original outcome marked replayed. A definite failure with nothing applied (receipt outcome not_applied) may be retried with the same key. Reusing a key with different arguments fails with IDEMPOTENCY_KEY_REUSED. Scoped to this MCP session (the stdio server process, or the HTTP server process when Streamable HTTP is stateless per request) and held in memory only (200 keys, 1 hour); it does not survive a restart or reconnect. Read-only invocations are never deduplicated.
expected_cep_targetNoOptional reviewed CEP sequence/clip identity and exact tick ranges. Checked before every generated command; UXP refuses this CEP-only guard.
expected_project_pathNoOptional absolute saved-project path. Every generated CEP command refuses before its body when the active project differs or is unsaved. UXP commands refuse this CEP-only guard; local-only tools do not inspect Premiere. Omit to keep existing behavior.

Output Schema

NameRequiredDescriptionDefault
okYesWhether the tool completed successfully.
dataNoTool-specific result data when ok is true; on failure, diagnostic detail when the tool provides it.
toolYesThe registered MCP tool name.
errorNoFailure detail when ok is false.
receiptNoVersioned common mutation receipt; success never implies rendered verification.
idempotencyNoPresent when idempotency_key deduplicated this call: replayed is true when the original outcome was returned instead of running again.

Schema Changelog

Changes observed during successful MCP inspections.

  1. First observedv1.30.0

TDQS

A3.8/5.0
Behavior4/5

Does the description disclose side effects, auth requirements, rate limits, or destructive behavior?

Goes well beyond the annotations by disclosing the 30-minute decode cap, a bounded mono analysis stream, the local autocorrelation method, and the exact result fields (BPM, beat times, confidence, half/double-time alternatives). The one gap: it says the call does not change Premiere while readOnlyHint=false, so an agent gets no explanation of what non-read-only state (e.g. ffmpeg work, temp artifacts) the call touches.

Agents need to know what a tool does to the world before calling it. Descriptions should go beyond structured annotations to explain consequences.

Conciseness5/5

Is the description appropriately sized, front-loaded, and free of redundancy?

Two tight sentences, front-loaded with the action and scope, then the resource bound and return shape. Every clause carries information an agent cannot get from the structured fields and there is no filler.

Shorter descriptions cost fewer tokens and are easier for agents to parse. Every sentence should earn its place.

Completeness4/5

Given the tool's complexity, does the description cover enough for an agent to succeed on first attempt?

For a local-analysis tool it covers the essentials: the decode budget, the algorithm, the non-mutation of the host app, and what is returned (the output schema covers the return shape in detail). It is slightly incomplete about the nested expected_cep_target/expected_project_path guards and about cost/latency past 30 minutes of media.

Complex tools with many parameters or behaviors need more documentation. Simple tools need less. This dimension scales expectations accordingly.

Parameters3/5

Does the description clarify parameter syntax, constraints, interactions, or defaults beyond what the schema provides?

Schema description coverage is 100%, so the schema already explains media_path, max_beats, idempotency_key and the CEP/project guards in detail. The description adds only indirect meaning ('at most 30 minutes', 'maximum beat times' implied by bounded output) and says nothing new about max_beats, idempotency_key, or expected_cep_target.

Input schemas describe structure but not intent. Descriptions should explain non-obvious parameter relationships and valid value ranges.

Purpose4/5

Does the description clearly state what the tool does and how it differs from similar tools?

States a specific verb and resource ('Estimate a steady beat grid') plus the input domain ('local audio or video file') and the method ('local onset autocorrelation'). It implicitly separates itself from siblings like detect_audio_transients by naming the output artifact (BPM, phase-aligned beat times), but it never names an alternative tool, so differentiation is inferred rather than stated.

Agents choose between tools based on descriptions. A clear purpose with a specific verb and resource helps agents select the right tool.

Usage Guidelines3/5

Does the description explain when to use this tool, when not to, or what alternatives exist?

Usage is only implied: the file must be a local path and the operation leaves Premiere untouched, which hints at pre-edit analysis. There is no explicit 'use this when you need X instead of detect_audio_transients / detect_scene_edits' routing, no exclusion conditions, and no guidance on when to consult the half/double-time alternatives.

Agents often have multiple tools that could apply. Explicit usage guidance like "use X instead of Y when Z" prevents misuse.

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