Switch Ableton's main window to the Arrangement view.

Parameters:

Move the arrangement playhead to a specific position.

Parameters:

• time: Position in beats from the start of the arrangement (e.g. 8.0 = bar 3 in 4/4)

List all clips placed in the Arrangement timeline for a track.

Returns each clip's name, start_time, end_time, length, and type.

Parameters:

• track_index: The index of the track to inspect

Copy a Session-view clip into the Arrangement timeline.

OVERWRITES whatever already occupies the destination range on that track (like recording over tape) - this is also the supported way to REPLACE a section. Uses Live's track.duplicate_clip_to_arrangement() API (Live 11/12). The clip is placed at destination_time beats from the start of the arrangement on the same track it lives in.

Typical workflow:

1. create_clip / add_notes_to_clip to build a Session clip

2. Call duplicate_to_arrangement once per bar/section you need

3. Call switch_to_arrangement_view to confirm the result in Live

Parameters:

• track_index: Index of the track that owns the Session clip

• clip_index: Index of the clip slot in that track (Session view)

• destination_time: Beat position in the arrangement to place the clip (e.g. 0.0 = start, 8.0 = bar 3 in 4/4)

Delete a clip from the Arrangement timeline by its position in get_arrangement_clips' list. NOTE: indices of later clips on the same track shift down by one after each delete - re-read get_arrangement_clips between deletes.

Write clip automation for a device parameter. points = [{"time": beats, "value": v}, ...]. Replaces any existing envelope for that parameter on the clip.

Clear the clip automation envelope for a device parameter.

List the browser's top-level categories and their immediate entries. NOTE: returns a shallow listing (no deep hierarchy) - drill down with get_browser_items_at_path("instruments"), ...("sounds/Piano & Keys"), etc., or skip straight to search_browser when you know a name. category_type: "all", "instruments", "sounds", "drums", "audio_effects", "midi_effects".

Get browser items at a specific path in Ableton's browser.

Parameters:

• path: Path in the format "category/folder/subfolder" where category is one of the available browser categories in Ableton

Load a drum rack and then load a specific drum kit into it.

Parameters:

• track_index: The index of the track to load on

• rack_uri: The URI of the drum rack to load (e.g., 'Drums/Drum Rack')

• kit_path: Path to the drum kit inside the browser (e.g., 'drums/acoustic/kit1')

Search the Ableton browser by display name (case-insensitive substring). Returns loadable items with their URIs for load_instrument_or_effect / load_device_to_master / load_device_to_return.

category: optionally limit to one of "instruments", "sounds", "drums", "audio_effects", "midi_effects", "packs" (default: search all of them). Prefer this over walking get_browser_items_at_path when you know a name.

Create an empty MIDI clip in a Session slot. Fails if the slot already has a clip (pick another clip_index or delete_clip first) or the track is an audio track. length is in beats (4.0 = one 4/4 bar). Typical chain: create_clip -> add_notes_to_clip -> fire_clip or duplicate_to_arrangement.

Create a new audio clip in an audio track's clip slot by importing a file.

Requires Ableton Live 12.0.5 or newer - the underlying ClipSlot.create_audio_clip Live API was introduced in 12.0.5 and is not available in earlier 12.0.x releases.

Parameters:

• track_index: The index of the audio track to create the clip in

• clip_index: The index of the clip slot to create the clip in

• path: Absolute path to a supported audio file (e.g. a .wav). The target track must be an audio track and the clip slot must be empty.

REPLACES the clip's ENTIRE note content with the given notes (kept name for upstream compatibility). Use edit_notes to add/remove a subset.

notes: list of {"pitch": 0-127 (60 = C3 in Live's naming), "start_time": beats from clip start (float), "duration": beats, "velocity": 1-127, "mute": bool}. Precondition: the clip must exist (create_clip first).

Set the name of a clip.

Parameters:

• track_index: The index of the track containing the clip

• clip_index: The index of the clip slot containing the clip

• name: The new name for the clip

Start playing a clip.

Parameters:

• track_index: The index of the track containing the clip

• clip_index: The index of the clip slot containing the clip

Stop playing a clip.

Parameters:

• track_index: The index of the track containing the clip

• clip_index: The index of the clip slot containing the clip

Delete a Session-view clip from a clip slot.

Read back all MIDI notes in a Session clip.

List grooves in the Groove Pool (index + name) and the global groove amount.

Attach a Groove Pool groove to a clip by index (swing/timing feel). Pass no groove_index to clear.

Quantize a MIDI clip. grid: quarter/eighth/eighth_triplet/sixteenth/sixteenth_triplet/thirtysecond. amount 0.0-1.0 (use <1.0 to humanize toward the grid without full snap).

Set audio-clip properties. gain 0-1, pitch_coarse semitones (-48..48), pitch_fine cents, warping on/off, warp_mode 0=Beats 1=Tones 2=Texture 3=Re-Pitch 4=Complex 6=Complex Pro.

Set a clip's loop braces (start/end beats), start marker, and looping on/off.

Edit a subset of notes in a MIDI clip without rewriting all of them. add = [{pitch,start_time,duration,velocity,mute}], remove = [{pitch,start_time}] (matched by pitch+start).

Set a clip's color by index (0-69 in Live's palette).

Full clip state: loop points, markers, playing position, per-clip time signature; for audio clips also file path, gain display, and warp markers.

Copy a Session clip to any other track/scene slot (overwrites the destination slot). The cross-track way to build variations.

Structural clip edits. op: "duplicate_loop" (double the loop, duplicating notes - extend 2 bars to 4 before adding variation), "crop" (discard material outside the loop), "duplicate_region" (copy notes from region_start/region_length to destination_time, optionally transposing by transposition_amount semitones; pitch=-1 means all pitches).

Set a clip's own time signature (polymeter / odd-bar loops).

Load an instrument or effect onto a track using its URI.

Parameters:

• track_index: The index of the track to load the instrument on

• uri: The URI of the instrument or effect to load (e.g., 'query:Synths#Instrument%20Rack:Bass:FileId_5116')

List all parameters of a device on a track: names, values, ranges, display strings.

Set a device parameter by name or index. Value is clamped to the parameter's min/max.

Enable or bypass a device on a track.

Load a device/effect from the browser onto a return track.

Load a device/effect from the browser onto the Master/Main track (e.g. a limiter for mastering).

List parameters of a device on the Master track.

Set a parameter on a Master-track device by name or index.

Set a parameter on a Return-track device by name or index.

List parameters of a device on a Return track: names, values, min/max, display strings. Call before set_return_device_parameter.

List an Instrument/Effect Rack's chains and the devices inside each - previously unreachable nested devices. Use set_chain_device_parameter to control them.

Set a parameter on a device INSIDE a rack chain (indices from get_rack_chains). Values clamp to the parameter's native range.

List a Drum Rack's occupied pads (MIDI note, name, mute, solo).

Mute/solo/rename a single Drum Rack pad by its MIDI note (e.g. 36=kick). Per-pad muting = instant beat variations without touching the notes.

Rack macro snapshots. action: "store" (save current macros as a variation), "recall" (restore variation index), "randomize" (randomize all macro knobs - instant sound-design exploration).

Write a genre drum pattern into a Session clip on a Drum Rack track. REPLACES the clip's notes if the clip exists.

style: lofi | boom_bap | house | techno | trap | dnb | ambient. swing: beats to delay 8th-note offbeats (0.0-0.1; 0.06 ≈ MPC-ish). humanize: max random velocity deviation (0 = machine-perfect). Uses the standard Live drum map (36 kick, 38 snare, 42/46 hats...).

Write a chord progression into a Session clip. REPLACES existing notes.

progression: dash- or comma-separated symbols, e.g. "Am9-Fmaj7-Cmaj9-G13" or "Dm7, G7, Cmaj7". Qualities: maj7/m7/m9/9/13/7#9/sus4/dim/add9 etc. rhythm: "held" (one chord per slot), "stabs" (hit on 1 and the and-of-3), "quarters" (four hits per bar, velocity-tapered). strum: seconds-ish stagger between chord tones (0 = block chord).

Write a bassline following a chord progression. REPLACES existing notes.

progression: same syntax as generate_chord_progression. style: "roots" (long root notes), "root_fifth" (root + fifth bounce), "walking" (root, approach tones), "eighth_pump" (driving 8ths on the root). octave: 1 = very low (C1=24), 2 = typical bass (C2=36).

Write drums from an ASCII grid (16th-note steps). REPLACES existing notes.

grid: one line per instrument: "name: pattern" where pattern chars are 'X' (accent, vel 105), 'x' (normal, 85), 'o' (soft, 55), '.' or '-' (rest). Line length = number of 16th steps (16 = one 4/4 bar; 32 = two bars...). Instruments: kick snare rim clap chat phat ohat ltom mtom htom crash ride perc shaker, or a raw MIDI number ("36: x...").

Example (one bar of lofi): kick: X..x......X..... snare: ....x.......x... chat: x.o.x.o.x.o.x.o.

Bootstrap a session in one call: set tempo and create named MIDI tracks, optionally loading an instrument found by name for each.

tracks: [{"name": "Drums", "instrument": "drum kit"}, {"name": "Bass", "instrument": "upright bass"}, ...]. "instrument" is a search_browser query (best match is loaded); omit it to create an empty track. Returns a per-track report with the loaded item names.

Get detailed information about the current Ableton session

Parameters:

Set the tempo of the Ableton session.

Parameters:

• tempo: The new tempo in BPM

Start Arrangement playback from the current song time. NOTE: the response reports the PRE-command state (may say playing=false right after starting) - confirm with get_session_info.

Stop playback. NOTE: the response reports the PRE-command state - confirm with get_session_info.

Create a new scene (row of clip slots). index -1 appends at the end.

Create an arrangement locator (marker) at a beat time, optionally named.

Launch a scene (fires every clip in that row).

Rename a scene.

Set the song time signature (e.g. 4/4, 3/4, 6/8).

Set the arrangement loop region (in beats) and enable/disable looping.

Undo the last action in Live.

Redo the last undone action in Live.

Run several commands in ONE round-trip and ONE undo step (atomic-ish: stops at the first error; completed steps are a single undo away).

commands = [{"type": "", "params": {...}}, ...]. Command names match the MCP tool names (the few that differ are auto-translated), e.g. [{"type": "set_tempo", "params": {"tempo": 80}}, {"type": "create_midi_track", "params": {"index": -1}}]. Prefer this for multi-step edits: fewer round-trips, one undo reverts all.

Grab recently played MIDI into a new clip (Live's Capture MIDI). Requires that MIDI was recently played into an armed/monitored track.

Set the song's key context. root_note 0-11 (0=C, 2=D...), scale_name e.g. "Major", "Minor", "Dorian". Read current values via get_session_info.

Turn Live's metronome click on/off.

Stop every playing Session clip (does not stop the transport).

Return playback control to the Arrangement (after Session clips have overridden arrangement content - the orange 'Back to Arrangement' state).

Toggle Arrangement record. With record_mode on, start_playback records armed tracks into the Arrangement.

Toggle Session record (records into armed tracks' selected Session slots; also enables MIDI overdub into playing clips).

Resume playback from the current position (start_playback restarts from the playhead's last start point instead).

Global launch quantization for firing clips/scenes. 0=None (instant, good for auditioning), 4=1 bar (default), 7=1/4 note, 13=1/32.

Delete a scene (row). Later scene indices shift down by one.

Duplicate a scene with all its clips - instant section variation.

Snapshot the currently playing Session clips into a new scene - the 'keep that combination' workflow.

List arrangement locators (index, name, beat time) for structure-aware navigation. Jump with jump_to_locator.

Move the playhead to a locator (index from get_locators).

Restore automation that was overridden by manual parameter changes. IMPORTANT: setting a device parameter that has an envelope overrides the envelope until this is called.

Toggle arrangement overdub: recording layers MIDI onto existing arrangement clips instead of replacing them.

Toggle recording of parameter changes into Session clip envelopes - an alternative to write_automation for captured knob rides.

Start Session recording into armed tracks; record_length in beats records a fixed-length loop (e.g. 16.0 = 4 bars) then auto-switches to playback.

Get detailed information about a specific track in Ableton.

Parameters:

• track_index: The index of the track to get information about

Create a new MIDI track in the Ableton session.

Parameters:

• index: The index to insert the track at (-1 = end of list)

Set the name of a track.

Parameters:

• track_index: The index of the track to rename

• name: The new name for the track

Delete a track. NOTE: indices of all later tracks shift down by one.

Set track volume. Range 0.0-1.0 where 0.85 = 0 dB (unity gain).

Set track panning, -1.0 (left) to 1.0 (right).

Mute or unmute a track.

Solo or unsolo a track.

Set the Main/Master track volume. Range 0.0-1.0 where 0.85 = 0 dB.

Set a track's send level (send_index 0 = Return A, 1 = Return B, ...). Range 0.0-1.0.

Create a new return track (a send bus, e.g. for shared reverb or delay).

Create a new audio track. index -1 appends at the end.

List return tracks (index + name).

Set a track's color by index (0-69 in Live's palette).

Duplicate a track along with its devices and clips.

Arm or disarm a track for recording (fails on tracks that can't be armed, e.g. group/return tracks).

Read a track's output level meters (post-fader): left/right 0.0-1.0ish (0.85 ≈ 0 dB, like faders). Poll during playback to judge balance/clipping - this is how you 'listen' without exporting.

Read the Master track's output meters - values pinned near 1.0 during playback mean the master is clipping; pull set_master_volume down.

Read a track's input/output routing (current + all available options) and monitoring state (0=In, 1=Auto, 2=Off). Routing options are identified by display_name - use those strings with set_track_routing.