| Capability | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Core live control | Live 11/12 on macOS and Windows, with the matching Remote Script. |
| Create an audio clip via API | Live 12.0.5 or newer. |
| Replace a Simpler sample | Live 12.4+ and a Simpler device. Provide an absolute path to a local audio file. |
| Offline .als/.adg/.adv inspection | No running Live or Remote Script. Reads saved structure, not audio. |
| Audio measurements | WAV (integer and floating point), AIFF/AIFF-C, FLAC, Ogg Vorbis, MP3, AAC and M4A/MP4 (AAC or Apple Lossless). Up to 8 channels and 384 kHz, subject to processing limits. |
| Devices, packs and plug-ins | Must be installed and licensed locally. A tool cannot grant missing Suite/Max for Live content. |
Analyze audio without converting it first
Give analyze_audio_file a local file path. It measures sample peak, RMS, DC offset and crest factor after decoding, while preserving the original file and floating-point headroom. Lossy formats are measured as decoded audio; decoding does not recover detail lost during compression.
Analysis covers the first 30 seconds by default, up to 120 seconds, within a 32-million-sample processing budget. Results indicate when only part of a file was analyzed. These measurements are not LUFS or true peak.
Setting device parameters
Parameters accept native numeric values, exact menu labels, or supported display units such as Hz, kHz, ms, s, dB and percent. Display conversions can be approximate; read back the returned value. Controls managed by automation or rack macros may need to be adjusted at their source.
Compare session changes
Call session_diff before and after an edit to see renamed, added, removed or reordered tracks and changes to mixer state, clip counts and device lists. Track identifiers distinguish duplicate names and last for the running bridge session.
Why keep the Remote Script?
AbletonMCP uses a Remote Script to connect locally to Live 11 and 12. Select AbletonMCP under Settings → Tempo & MIDI → MIDI → Control Surface, with Input and Output set to None. The installation guide walks through setup.
Sources: Ableton Live release notes, Extensions FAQ, official SDK.