PyLive

PyLive is a framework for querying and controlling Ableton Live from a standalone Python script, mediated via Open Sound Control. Internally, it uses the same API as a Live Control Surface, which means it can do anything that a hardware control surface can do, including:

query and modify global parameters such as tempo, volume, pan, quantize, arrangement time
query and modify properties of tracks, clips, scenes and devices
trigger and stop clips and scenes

It can perform many of the operations described in the AbletonOSC API. More comprehensive feature coverage is a work-in-progress.

If you are looking simply to send MIDI messages to Live, this module is not what you want. Instead, try setting up a virtual MIDI bus and using isobar to generate MIDI sequences.

Note for legacy users: As of 2023, pylive has been updated to to interface exclusively with AbletonOSC for Live 11 support. Legacy LiveOSC is no longer supported beyond v0.2.2.

Requirements

Installation

From PyPi:

pip3 install pylive

Or to install the latest (pre-release) code from git:

git clone https://github.com/ideoforms/pylive.git
cd pylive
python3 setup.py install

To check that pylive is communicating successfully with Ableton Live, try running one of the examples, or run the test suite with:

python3 setup.py test

Usage

#------------------------------------------------------------------------
# Basic example of pylive usage: connect to the Live set, trigger a clip,
# and modulate some device parameters.
#------------------------------------------------------------------------
import live
import random

#------------------------------------------------------------------------
# Query the set's contents, and set its tempo to 110bpm.
#------------------------------------------------------------------------
set = live.Set(scan=True)
set.tempo = 110.0

#------------------------------------------------------------------------
# Each Set contains a list of Track objects.
#------------------------------------------------------------------------
track = set.tracks[0]
print("Track name '%s'" % track.name)

#------------------------------------------------------------------------
# Each Track contains a list of Clip objects.
#------------------------------------------------------------------------
clip = track.clips[0]
print("Clip name '%s', length %d beats" % (clip.name, clip.length))
clip.play()

#------------------------------------------------------------------------
# Mdulate the parameters of a Device object.
#------------------------------------------------------------------------
device = track.devices[0]
parameter = random.choice(device.parameters)
parameter.value = random.uniform(parameter.min, parameter.max)
print("Randomising parameter %s of device %s" % (parameter, device))

Overview

To begin interacting with an Ableton Live set, the typical workflow is as follows. Live should normally be running on localhost, with LiveOSC enabled as a Control Surface.

Create a live.Set object, passing scan=True to automatically index the tracks, clips and devices within the set
Interact with Live by setting and getting properties on your Set:
- set.tempo, set.time, set.overdub are global Set properties
- set.tracks is a list of Track objects
- set.tracks[N].name, set.tracks[N].mute, are Track properties
- set.tracks[N].clips is a list of Clip objects (with empty slots containing None)
- set.tracks[N].devices is a list of Device objects
- set.tracks[N].devices[M].parameters is a list of Parameter objects

Getters and setters use Python's @property idiom, meaning that accessing set.tempo will query or update your Live set.

If you know that no other processes will interact with Live, set set.caching = True to cache properties such as tempo. This will query the Live set on the first instance, and subsequently return locally-stored values.

For further help, see pydoc live.

Classes

Set: Represents a single Ableton Live set in its entirety.
Track: A single Live track object. Contains Device and Clip objects. May be a member of a Group.
Group: A grouped set of one or more Track objects.
Device: An instrument or audio effect residing within a Track. Contains a number of Parameter objects.
Parameter: An individual control parameter of a Device, with a fixed range and variable value.