JS-Live-API

A series of tutorials and examples for controlling Ableton Live with JavaScript through Max for Live.

Overview

This repository contains code examples and tutorials for programming Ableton Live using JavaScript via Max for Live. The series is designed for developers who own Ableton Live 9 Suite and are comfortable with JavaScript programming.

Video Tutorial

Watch the tutorial on YouTube

Prerequisites

• Ableton Live 9 Suite (or later)
• Basic JavaScript knowledge
• Max for Live

Tutorial Series

#1 Setup

Learn how to set up your JavaScript development environment within Ableton Live:

1. Adding a Max MIDI Effect device
2. Creating a JavaScript object
3. Setting up the development workflow
4. Basic debugging setup

Detailed Setup Guide

#2 Logging & Debugging

Learn how to implement robust logging and debugging in your Live JavaScript projects:

1. Understanding the post() function
2. Building a better logging system
3. Handling different data types
4. Working with objects and JSON
5. Supporting multiple parameters

Detailed Logging Guide

#3 API Basics

Learn the fundamentals of interacting with Live’s API:

1. Understanding Live API Documentation
2. Working with Live Objects
3. Navigating Live Paths
4. Accessing Properties and Functions
5. Using this_device

Detailed API Guide

#4 Working with MIDI Clips

Part A: Reading MIDI Data

1. Accessing MIDI clips through the API
2. Reading note data
3. Understanding note properties
4. Working with selected notes
5. Building reusable classes

Detailed MIDI Reading Guide

Part B: Writing MIDI Data

1. Writing notes to clips
2. Handling out-of-bounds values
3. Replacing selected notes
4. Building a humanize function
5. Error handling and robustness

Detailed MIDI Writing Guide

#5 Building a User Interface

Learn how to create a Max for Live interface for your JavaScript code:

1. Creating message objects
2. Building slider controls
3. Creating popup windows
4. Organizing the interface
5. Polishing the final device

Key concepts covered:

• Calling JavaScript from Max
• Passing parameters
• Creating floating windows
• Interface organization
• User experience considerations

Detailed UI Guide

#6 Going Deeper

Advanced topics for building production-ready Max for Live devices:

1. Alternative Live paths
2. Path validation
3. Observers and callbacks
4. Property types
5. Proper device initialization

Key concepts covered:

• Working with canonical paths
• Handling invalid paths
• Using live.thisdevice
• Best practices for initialization
• Advanced error handling

Detailed Advanced Guide

Code Examples

Working with MIDI Clips