mr

A live-coding CLI for Ableton Live. Pipe-based, composable, fast.

mr turns your terminal into a musical instrument. Generators produce patterns, transforms reshape them, and sinks write them into a running Ableton session — all connected with Unix pipes.

mr scale C4 dorian --octaves 2 | mr degrade 0.15 | mr overlap 0.3 | mr write pad:0 --length 17

How it works

Four JSON data types flow through pipes:

• Pattern — notes with pitch, time, duration, velocity
• Progression — sequences of chords
• Curve — automation envelopes (arrays of floats)
• Pitches — raw pitch lists

Generators emit data to stdout. Transforms read stdin and write stdout. Sinks consume stdin and send OSC to Ableton. Chain them freely.

Commands

Session control

mr tempo 128            # set tempo
mr play                 # start transport
mr stop                 # stop transport
mr status               # tempo, track count, playing state
mr undo / mr redo

Tracks & mixing

mr track pad --simpler ~/samples/glass.wav    # create track with sample
mr track bass --instrument Analog             # create track with synth
mr effect pad "Auto Filter"                   # add audio effect
mr mix pad --vol 0.7 --pan=-0.3               # set levels
mr send pad reverb 0.4                        # send to return track
mr device pad "Filter Freq":0.6 --device 1    # set device parameter

Inspection

mr tracks               # list all tracks with levels
mr inspect pad          # devices, clips, sends
mr params pad           # all device parameter names and values
mr read pad:0           # clip notes as JSON (round-trip ready)
mr meters               # real-time output levels
mr returns              # return tracks and devices

Pattern generators

mr scale C4 dorian --octaves 2 --duration 0.25
mr euclidean 7 16 --pitch 36 --duration 0.25
mr chord Cmaj7 --duration 4
mr notes "C4:2 Eb4:1 G4:0.5"
mr markov C4 dorian --steps 32
mr accumulate --seed '...' --transforms "rotate:3,transpose:5" --iterations 8

Pattern transforms

mr transpose 5          # shift pitch
mr rotate 3             # rotate events
mr retrograde           # reverse time
mr invert               # mirror pitch around axis
mr stretch 0.5          # compress/expand time
mr degrade 0.2          # randomly remove notes
mr thin 1.0             # remove by duration threshold
mr humanize             # add timing/velocity variation
mr swing 0.33           # triplet swing
mr overlap 0.3          # extend note durations
mr crescendo 40 120     # velocity ramp
mr quantize 0.25        # snap to grid
mr repeat 4             # repeat pattern
mr velocities "100 60 80 60"  # apply velocity pattern
mr morph second.json --amount 0.6   # interpolate between two patterns
mr weave --voice a --balance 0.5    # split into complementary voices

Curves & automation

# Generate
mr curve sine --range 0.2 0.8 --bars 8 --cycle 2
mr curve drunk --range 0.3 0.7 --bars 16 --step 0.04
mr curve envelope --attack 0.1 --sustain 0.6 --release 0.3 --bars 8
mr curve ramp --from 0.0 --to 1.0 --bars 4
mr curve stochastic --range 0.1 0.9 --density 0.3 --bars 16

# Transform
mr curve-invert           # flip vertically
mr curve-reverse          # flip horizontally
mr curve-scale 0.3 0.7    # remap range
mr curve-offset 0.1       # shift values
mr curve-blend other.json --amount 0.5

# Apply to Ableton
mr automate pad:0 "Filter Freq"
mr automate pad:0 "Filter Freq" --device 1   # effect device

Harmony

mr harmony walk Cmaj7 --steps 8 --dist 1    # random walk through chord space
mr harmony path Cmaj7 F#minmaj7 --smoothest  # find voice-leading path
mr harmony orbit Cmajor P,L,R               # PLR cycle (triadic)
mr voice bloom --range 48 72                 # voice a progression
mr voice open / wide / led                   # voicing strategies

Real-time parameter control

mr walk pad "Filter Freq" --from 0.2 --to 0.8 --seconds 8           # linear ramp
mr walk pad "Filter Freq" --drunk --range 0.3 0.7 --step 0.05 --seconds 20  # brownian
mr walk pad "Filter Freq" --sine --range 0.2 0.6 --cycle 4 --seconds 16     # oscillate

Genre & rhythm

mr genre list                                 # 18 genres with BPM ranges
mr genre drums house --tempo 124              # canonical drum pattern
mr rhythm four-on-the-floor --pitch 36        # rhythmic figure
mr rhythm dembow / 2step / breakbeat / clave-32

Cross-domain bridges

# Extract features from a pattern as a curve
mr read pad:0 | mr to-curve pitch --bars 16

# Convert curve values to pitches
mr curve drunk --range 48 72 --bars 8 | mr to-pattern

Persistence

mr save my_groove              # save to ~/.mr/stash/
mr load my_groove              # recall
mr snapshot save mix_v1        # save full session mix state
mr snapshot restore mix_v1     # recall mix state

Architecture

mr (Rust CLI)
  ├── metaritual (pattern algebra, harmony, transforms)
  ├── ableton-rs (OSC transport)
  └── AbletonOSC (Ableton Remote Script)
        └── Ableton Live

mr depends on metaritual for music theory and pattern operations, and ableton-rs for OSC communication with Ableton Live via the AbletonOSC remote script.

Building

cargo build --release
cargo install --path .

Requires a running Ableton Live instance with AbletonOSC installed.

License

MIT