| name | ableton-session-build |
| description | Use when the user wants to build a track, beat, or arrangement in Ableton Live. kbot drives Ableton via OSC — you don't type notes, you describe the idea. |
| version | 1.0.0 |
| author | kbot |
| license | MIT |
| platforms | ["darwin"] |
| metadata | {"kbot":{"tags":["ableton","music","osc","m4l","production"],"related_skills":["serum2-preset-craft","dj-set-builder"]}} |
Ableton Session Build
kbot has 14 Ableton tools, 9 M4L devices, and a full OSC bridge. You describe a beat; kbot lays it down in a live session.
Iron Law
VERIFY THE OSC BRIDGE FIRST. EVERY TIME.
Without a live bridge, every tool call silently fails. Check before you plan.
Preflight (2 commands)
ableton_session_info — if this returns tempo + tracks, you're connected.- If it times out: remind the user to start Live and enable the AbletonOSC remote script (
Link/Tempo/MIDI → Control Surface → AbletonOSC).
Production Flow
- Set the frame:
ableton_transport to set tempo, key hint via scene naming, time signature.
- Create tracks: one
ableton_create_track per role (drums, bass, pad, lead, FX).
- Load sounds:
ableton_load_sample for one-shots; ableton_load_plugin for Serum/synths; ableton_load_preset for factory patches.
- Write patterns:
ableton_midi with note arrays. Use generate_drum_pattern / generate_melody_pattern as starting points.
- Arrange:
ableton_scene to build verse/chorus/drop scenes; ableton_clip to fire them.
- Mix:
ableton_mixer for levels/pan; ableton_effect_chain for returns; ableton_device for insert FX.
- Capture: render via transport record, or have the user bounce the arrangement.
Specialist Escalations
- Preset design needed? Use
serum2-preset-craft.
- Full DJ set needed? Use
dj-set-builder.
- Sound too generic? Route to
aesthete specialist with the current session_info for creative direction.
Anti-Patterns
- Writing MIDI before verifying the bridge responds. Silent failures waste the whole session.
- Loading plugins without checking the user has them installed. Use
ableton_browse first.
- Generating 32-bar patterns in one call. Work in 4- and 8-bar loops; iterate.
Known Fragility
- AbletonOSC's
set/notes endpoint quirks — if clip writes fail, fall back to setting notes via ableton_clip.write_notes with explicit velocity + duration.
- Sample loading can 404 if the browser index is stale.
ableton_browse --refresh fixes it.
- Clip firing during a running session can drop the first beat. Fire on scene boundary, not mid-bar.
What Emerges
The user stops thinking in Live's UI and starts describing ideas. "Make it darker" becomes a legitimate prompt because kbot knows darker = minor key + sub-bass boost + reverb tail + plate on the snare. This is the skill paying off over sessions.
