lmms-claude-mcp-improved

LMMS-Claude-MCP

LMMS integration with Claude AI through Model Context Protocol (MCP), inspired by ableton-mcp.

Overview

LMMS-Claude-MCP connects LMMS to Claude AI through the Model Context Protocol (MCP), allowing Claude to directly interact with and control LMMS. This integration enables prompt-assisted music production, track creation, and session manipulation in LMMS.

Features

• Two-way communication: Connect Claude AI to LMMS through a Python-based MCP server
• Track manipulation: Create, modify, and manipulate MIDI tracks
• Instrument and effect selection: Claude can access and load instruments and effects in LMMS
• Pattern creation: Create and edit MIDI patterns with notes
• Project control: Basic control over LMMS project

Components

The system consists of two main components:

1. LMMS Integration Module: Python code that interacts with LMMS through its Remote Control API
2. MCP Server: A Python server that implements the Model Context Protocol and connects to LMMS

Installation

Prerequisites

• LMMS 1.2 or newer
• Python 3.8 or newer
• uv package manager (recommended) or pip

If you're on Mac, please install uv as:

brew install uv

Otherwise, install from uv's official website

Installation Methods

Method 1: Install from GitHub directly using uv (Recommended)

uv pip install git+https://github.com/akidry/lmms-claude-mcp-improved.git

Method 2: Clone and install locally

# Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/akidry/lmms-claude-mcp-improved.git
cd lmms-claude-mcp-improved

# Install with uv
uv pip install -e .

# Or install with pip
pip install -e .

Method 3: Use with uvx without installation

# Run directly without installing
uvx https://github.com/akidry/lmms-claude-mcp-improved.git lmms-mcp

Verify Installation

After installation, you should be able to run:

lmms-mcp --help

If you get a help message, the installation was successful.

Claude for Desktop Integration

1. Go to Claude > Settings > Developer > Edit Config > claude_desktop_config.json to include the following:

{ 
  "mcpServers": { 
    "LMMSMCP": { 
      "command": "lmms-mcp", 
      "args": [] 
    } 
  } 
}

If using uvx without installation:

{ 
  "mcpServers": { 
    "LMMSMCP": { 
      "command": "uvx", 
      "args": [ "https://github.com/akidry/lmms-claude-mcp-improved.git", "lmms-mcp" ] 
    } 
  } 
}

Cursor Integration

Add this to Cursor Settings > MCP:

lmms-mcp

If using uvx without installation:

uvx https://github.com/akidry/lmms-claude-mcp-improved.git lmms-mcp

⚠️ Only run one instance of the MCP server (either on Cursor or Claude Desktop), not both

Usage

Starting the Connection

1. Launch LMMS
2. Ensure the MCP server is configured in Claude Desktop or Cursor
3. The connection should be established automatically when you interact with Claude

Using with Claude

Once the server is running, you can interact with Claude AI to control LMMS. For example, you can ask Claude to:

• "Create a new project with a synth bass track"
• "Add a drum pattern"
• "Create a melody for the chorus"
• "Set the tempo to 120 BPM"

Troubleshooting

Common Issues

Package Not Found or Dependencies Error

No solution found when resolving tool dependencies:
Because lmms-mcp was not found in the package registry...

Solution:

• Make sure you've installed the package using one of the methods above
• Try installing directly from GitHub with: uv pip install git+https://github.com/akidry/lmms-claude-mcp-improved.git
• Ensure you have the required dependencies: python-osc>=1.8.0, websockets>=10.0, and model-context-protocol>=0.1.0

Connection Issues

Solution:

• Ensure LMMS is running before starting the MCP server
• Check that the ports (default: 8000 for MCP, 9000 for LMMS) are not blocked by a firewall
• Look for error messages in the console output

Command Not Found

Solution:

• If lmms-mcp command is not found, make sure the package is properly installed
• Check that your Python environment's bin directory is in your PATH
• Try using the full path to the command or use python -m lmms_mcp.cli

Advanced Debugging

For detailed debugging, you can run the server manually with verbose logging:

lmms-mcp server --host 127.0.0.1 --port 8000 --lmms-host 127.0.0.1 --lmms-port 9000

Technical Details

Communication Protocol

The system uses a JSON-based protocol over TCP sockets:

• Commands are sent as JSON objects with a type and optional params
• Responses are JSON objects with a status and result or message

Limitations

• LMMS has more limited remote control capabilities compared to Ableton Live
• Some features may require LMMS to be in specific modes or states
• Complex musical arrangements might need to be broken down into smaller steps

Contributing

Contributions are welcome! Please feel free to submit a Pull Request.

Disclaimer

This is a third-party integration and not made by LMMS or Anthropic.