Finally,
"make it hit harder."
Talkback is an MCP server and Max for Live device that lets you talk to your Ableton session in natural language.
Go deeper in your mix, make it sound like it does in your head, and finally understand compression...jk no one can teach you that.
Get started in three steps
Drop the device on your master track
Load the talkback Max for Live device onto your main/master track in Ableton Live. Make sure the device is toggled on.
Install the MCP server
Add the talkback-mcp server to Claude Desktop, Claude Code, or any MCP client. One command — no global install needed.
Start chatting
Open your MCP-compatible LLM and start asking questions about your session. Talkback handles the rest.
What can you do with talkback?
Anything you'd ask a knowledgeable engineer sitting next to you.
Understand your session
Ask questions about your mix in plain language. Talkback reads your session state — tracks, devices, levels, routing — and explains what's happening.
Make changes naturally
Say what you want to hear, not which knob to turn. Talkback translates your intent into precise parameter changes across your session.
Mix analysis & heuristics
Get spectral analysis, headroom checks, and routing feedback. Talkback spots common issues like frequency buildup and gain staging problems.
Works with any MCP client
Use Claude, ChatGPT, or any LLM that supports the Model Context Protocol. Talkback is the bridge — you choose the brain.
Your plugins, understood
Talkback scans your Audio Units and VST3 plugins and translates device parameters from raw values into human-readable units.
Non-destructive by nature
Every change goes through Ableton's Live Object Model. Undo works. Your session file stays yours. Nothing happens without your DAW in the loop.
Sometimes technical fluency can feel like it holds you back from getting your song to sound as good as it can. Talkback uses natural language and your session as a bridge to overcome those technical hurdles.
Two parts, one workflow
Max for Live device
talkback bridge
Lives on your master track. Reads the Live Object Model, runs spectral analysis, and executes changes — all inside Ableton. Updates less frequently.
MCP server
talkback-mcp
Translates between your LLM and the bridge. Assembles context, runs mix heuristics, and manages the connection. Updates often.
Ready to try it?
Talkback is free to use. Works with Ableton Live 11+ and any MCP-compatible LLM.
Get started