Works with Claude (Claude Desktop, Claude Code) or ChatGPT (via Codex CLI). The whole thing is three steps: install the package, pick VibeMind as a Control Surface in Live, then talk to your AI client.

You need

• A Mac with Apple silicon (M1 or later) on macOS 13 or later.
• Ableton Live 12 (Live 11 is untested).
• One AI client: Claude Desktop, Claude Code or Codex CLI.
• Max for Live (Live Suite, or Standard with the Max for Live add-on) is needed only for the PluginHost (hosted synths with every parameter) and Arranger devices. The session, track, clip, device, browser and Serum 1 preset tools work without it.

1. Quit Ableton Live and your AI client.
2. Open VibeMind-for-Ableton-1.0.0.pkg from your download page and click through. It installs:
   • the Live control surface script into ~/Music/Ableton/User Library/Remote Scripts/VibeMind
   • the Max for Live devices into ~/Music/Ableton/User Library/VibeMind
   • the VibeMind server into /Library/Application Support/VibeMind/bin/vibemind-mcp
   • ~/.vibemind/config.json (only if you do not have one already)
3. The installer adds VibeMind to every AI client it finds on this Mac. It never removes or changes your other MCP servers.
   • Claude Desktop: ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json
   • Claude Code: claude mcp add --scope user vibemind ...
   • Codex CLI: [mcp_servers.vibemind] in ~/.codex/config.toml
   What it did is recorded in ~/Library/Logs/VibeMind/install.json.

Installed a client after VibeMind, or using a second account on this Mac? Run, as that user:

"/Library/Application Support/VibeMind/install-user.sh"

1. Open Live > Settings (Live 11: Preferences) > Link, Tempo & MIDI.
2. In an empty Control Surface slot choose VibeMind. Leave Input and Output at None.
3. Live’s status bar shows “VibeMind: Listening on ports 9877 (control) and 9878 (browser)”.

Open your AI client (restart it if it was open during the install) and try:

• “What’s in my Live set right now?”
• “Make me a tech house loop at 126: kick, clap, hats and a bassline, 8 bars.”
• “Search my plugins for Serum and load it on a new MIDI track.”
• “Analyze this reference: ~/Music/refs/track.wav, then design a Serum 1 bass from it.”

Hosted synths with every parameter

When you want a hosted synth with every parameter (Serum 2, Vital, Diva...): drag VibeMind_PluginHost from the Live browser (User Library > VibeMind) onto a MIDI track, then ask “Load Serum 2 into the PluginHost and show me its parameters”. Up to four hosts can run at once: VibeMind_PluginHost, _2, _3 and _4 (tools take instance 1-4).

Arrangement view clips and automation

Drag VibeMind_Arranger onto any track.

Claude Desktop

Restart Claude Desktop after installing. VibeMind appears under the tools (hammer/plug) icon. If it does not, check that claude_desktop_config.json contains:

{ "mcpServers": { "vibemind": { "command": "/Library/Application Support/VibeMind/bin/vibemind-mcp", "args": [] } } }

Claude Code

Run claude mcp list; vibemind should be listed. To add it by hand:

claude mcp add --scope user vibemind "/Library/Application Support/VibeMind/bin/vibemind-mcp"

Codex CLI (ChatGPT)

Codex uses your ChatGPT account. Run codex and ask it to use the VibeMind tools; /mcp lists the servers. By hand, add to ~/.codex/config.toml:

[mcp_servers.vibemind]
command = "/Library/Application Support/VibeMind/bin/vibemind-mcp"
args = []
startup_timeout_sec = 30

The ChatGPT desktop app itself only accepts remote (web) connectors, so it cannot talk to VibeMind directly at 1.0; use Codex CLI.

VibeMind runs fully for 14 days from the first time your AI client starts it. After that only two tools stay available: vibemind_status and vibemind_activate.

To activate, paste the whole key block from your purchase email (comment lines and the line starting with #) into the chat: “Activate VibeMind with this key: ...”. Or in Terminal:

"/Library/Application Support/VibeMind/bin/vibemind-mcp" --activate -
# paste the key block, then press Ctrl-D

• The key is stored in ~/Library/Application Support/VibeMind/license.key.
• Keys are not machine-locked: the same key works on each Mac you use.
• Ask “What’s the VibeMind status?” to see trial days left or who it is licensed to.
• To keep it, buy a licence ($49, one-time). The key arrives by email within minutes; check spam. The Gumroad receipt or order number is not the key.

Start with “Run vibemind_status” in the chat, or in Terminal:

"/Library/Application Support/VibeMind/bin/vibemind-mcp" --status

It shows the version, config and log paths, whether Live answers on the two ports, the licence state and the knowledge pack.

• “Could not connect to Ableton on port 9877”: Live is not running, or Control Surface is not set to VibeMind. Check the status shows control.reachable: true.
• Port already in use: another control surface (for example an older AbletonMCP script, or the old VibeMind Node device) owns 9877/9878. Remove it from Live’s Control Surface list and from any track. To see who listens: lsof -nP -iTCP:9877 -sTCP:LISTEN. To move VibeMind to other ports, set control_port / browser_port in ~/.vibemind/config.json and restart Live and your AI client.
• PluginHost / Arranger tools time out: the device is not on a track, or Max for Live is missing (Live Standard without the add-on, or Live Intro/Lite). Drag VibeMind_PluginHost onto a MIDI track. The Max window prints “[PluginHost] Device dir: ...” (the IPC folder) when the device loads.
• VibeMind is not in Live’s Control Surface list: your User Library is not in the default place (~/Music/Ableton/User Library). Copy /Library/Application Support/VibeMind/payload/Remote Scripts/VibeMind into the Remote Scripts folder of your User Library (Live > Settings > Library shows where it is) and restart Live. Do the same with payload/User Library/VibeMind.
• Claude Desktop shows no VibeMind tools: if claude_desktop_config.json had a JSON error the installer left it untouched (see install.json); fix the file, then re-run install-user.sh.
• Logs: ~/Library/Logs/VibeMind/vibemind-mcp.log.

Help

• support@rollaaudio.com. Include your macOS and Live versions, your AI client, the output of vibemind_status and the exact error text.

sudo "/Library/Application Support/VibeMind/uninstall.sh"

Removes the Remote Script, the M4L devices, ~/.vibemind, the logs, the server, the knowledge pack, the installer receipts, and the VibeMind entry from Claude Desktop, Claude Code and Codex CLI (your other servers stay). Your licence key is kept so a reinstall stays activated; add --purge to remove it too. Restart Live and your AI client afterwards.

Buy VibeMind · $49 ↗Back to VibeMind