Renoise MCP

ReMCP is a Model Context Protocol server that runs inside Renoise and exposes the full song API to any MCP-compatible AI client (Claude Desktop, Claude Code, etc.). You can ask an AI assistant to compose, arrange, mix, and edit your song using natural language.

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Installation

1. Copy (or symlink) the com.renoise.ReMCP.xrnx folder into your Renoise Tools directory:
   • macOS: ~/Library/Preferences/Renoise/V3.x.x/Scripts/Tools/
   • Windows: %APPDATA%\Renoise\V3.x.x\Scripts\Tools\
   • Linux: ~/.renoise/V3.x.x/Scripts/Tools/
2. Start Renoise. The tool loads automatically.
3. Open the control panel via Main Menu → Tools → Renoise MCP… and click Start Server.

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Connecting an AI client

Claude Desktop (recommended)

Add this to your claude_desktop_config.json:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "renoise": {
      "type": "streamable-http",
      "url": "http://localhost:19714/mcp"
    }
  }
}

Claude Code / any MCP client via mcp-remote

npx -y mcp-remote http://localhost:19714/mcp

Default port

19714 — changeable in the ReMCP control panel dialog.

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Index conventions

Object	In Renoise UI	In MCP tools
Patterns	0-based	0-based
Instruments	0-based	0-based
Tracks	1-based	1-based
Lines	1-based	1-based
Note columns	1-based	1-based
Effect columns	1-based	1-based
DSP devices	1-based	1-based (index 1 = Mixer, non-removable)

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Tool reference

Song

Tool	Description
song_get_info	Return song name, artist, BPM, LPB, TPL, track/pattern/instrument counts
song_set_name	Set the song title
song_set_artist	Set the artist name
song_undo	Undo the last action
song_redo	Redo the last undone action

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Transport

Tool	Description
transport_play	Start playback from the current position
transport_continue	Continue playback without restarting the pattern
transport_stop	Stop playback
transport_panic	Stop all playing notes
transport_get_position	Return current sequence/line position and playing state
transport_get_bpm	Return current BPM
transport_set_bpm	Set BPM (32–999)
transport_get_lpb	Return current Lines Per Beat
transport_set_lpb	Set Lines Per Beat (1–255)
transport_get_tpl	Return current Ticks Per Line
transport_set_tpl	Set Ticks Per Line (1–16)
transport_trigger_sequence	Immediately start playing at a given 1-based sequence position

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Tracks

Tool	Description
tracks_list	List all tracks with index, name, type, mute state, volume
track_get_info	Detailed info for one track (name, type, mute, solo, volume, color, columns)
track_add	Insert a new sequencer track at a 1-based position
track_remove	Remove a sequencer or group track
track_set_name	Rename a track
track_set_volume	Set post-FX volume (0.0 silent → 1.0 = 0 dB → 3.0 ≈ +9 dB)
track_set_panning	Set post-FX panning (0.0 = left, 0.5 = centre, 1.0 = right)
track_set_mute	Mute or unmute a track
track_set_solo	Solo a track
track_set_collapsed	Collapse or expand a track in the pattern editor
track_set_color	Set track color (R, G, B, 0–255 each)
track_move	Move a track to a new position using sequential swaps
track_swap	Swap two tracks of the same type
track_group_add	Insert a new empty group track
track_group_add_member	Add a track to a group
track_group_remove_member	Remove a track from its group

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Patterns

Tool	Description
patterns_list	List all patterns with their 0-based index and line count
pattern_get_info	Return line count and track count for one pattern
pattern_set_length	Set pattern length in lines (1–512)
pattern_rename	Rename a pattern
pattern_clear	Clear all tracks in a pattern
pattern_clear_track	Clear all data in one track of a pattern
pattern_copy	Copy an entire pattern to another pattern slot
pattern_get_notes	Read all non-empty note and effect columns in a pattern track. Each note column reports note, instrument, volume, panning, delay, and per-column effects.
pattern_set_note	Write a single note (with optional instrument, volume, panning, delay)
pattern_set_effect	Write an effect column value (e.g. 0D, 1B) with amount
pattern_copy_track	Copy all data from one track to another within the same pattern using Renoise’s native copy_from, preserving all columns and automation
pattern_copy_lines	Copy a contiguous block of lines to a new position within the same pattern track
pattern_move_lines	Move a block of lines (copy then clear source)

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Sequencer (Song Arrangement)

Tool	Description
sequencer_list	Show the full sequence — each row maps a position to a pattern index
sequencer_insert	Insert a pattern at a given 1-based sequence position
sequencer_remove	Remove a sequence row
sequencer_set_pattern	Change which pattern plays at a given sequence row
sequencer_new_pattern	Create a new empty pattern and insert it into the sequence
sequencer_move	Move a sequence slot to a new position
sequencer_clone_range	Clone a range of sequence rows and append the copy after the range
sequencer_jump_to	Jump playback position to a sequence row

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Instruments

Tool	Description
instruments_list	List all instruments with index, name, sample count, and plugin info
instrument_get_info	Detailed info for one instrument including sample list
instrument_set_name	Rename an instrument
instrument_add	Add a new blank instrument
instrument_remove	Remove an instrument (must keep at least one)
instrument_set_volume	Set global instrument volume (linear, 1.0 = 0 dB)
instrument_set_transpose	Set global transpose in semitones (−120 to +120)
sample_list	List all samples in an instrument with volume, panning, frame count
sample_set_name	Rename a sample
sample_add	Add a new empty sample slot
sample_remove	Remove a sample slot

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DSP Devices (FX Chains)

Tool	Description
track_devices_list	List all devices in a track’s FX chain
track_devices_available	List device paths that can be inserted on a track, with optional text filter
track_device_add	Insert a device by path at a given chain position
track_device_remove	Remove a device (index ≥ 2; index 1 is the non-removable Mixer)
track_device_move	Swap two devices within a chain
track_device_set_active	Enable or bypass a device
track_device_get_params	List all parameters of a device with current values and ranges
track_device_set_param	Set a device parameter value by index

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Adding custom tools

Drop a new .lua file into the tools/ folder. Each file must return a table of tool definitions:

return {
  {
    name = "my_tool",
    description = "What this tool does",
    inputSchema = {
      type = "object",
      properties = {
        value = { type = "number", description = "An input number." },
      },
      required = { "value" },
    },
    handler = function(args)
      local result = args.value * 2
      return { content = {{ type = "text", text = tostring(result) }} }
    end,
  },
}

Reload the tool in Renoise (Help → Reload All Tools) to pick up changes. The router auto-discovers all files in tools/.

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Architecture

main.lua            — entry point, menu entries, keybinding
mcp/
  server.lua        — HTTP/TCP server via renoise.Socket (port 19714)
  router.lua        — MCP JSON-RPC dispatcher; auto-loads tools/*.lua
  json.lua          — pure Lua JSON encoder/decoder
tools/
  song.lua          — song info and metadata
  transport.lua     — playback, BPM, LPB, TPL
  tracks.lua        — track management
  patterns.lua      — pattern editing (notes, effects, copy, move)
  sequencer.lua     — song arrangement
  instruments.lua   — instruments and samples
  devices.lua       — DSP FX chain management
ui/
  dialog.lua        — control panel (start/stop server, log, setup info)

Transport: Streamable HTTP — single POST /mcp endpoint returns application/json.

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Requirements

• Renoise 3.4 or later (Lua API version 6)
• A running Renoise instance with a song loaded
• An MCP-compatible client (Claude Desktop, Claude Code, or any client supporting Streamable HTTP)