m4l-overview
Installation
SKILL.md
Max for Live — Overview & Skill Router
Max for Live (M4L) is Cycling '74 Max embedded in Ableton Live. Devices are saved as .amxd files (a thin binary container around a .maxpat JSON patcher). LLMs often fail at M4L because the format is partly undocumented, the GUI has a strict 169-pixel height cap, the Live API is async/deferred with idiosyncratic init timing, and a handful of fields (project block, FOURCC, NUL termination, parameter_enable) silently break devices when wrong.
Before doing any M4L work, decide what you're being asked to do and load the matching skill(s). Don't try to recall format details from memory — read the SKILL.md for the relevant area.
Three device types (FOURCC tag → required I/O objects)
| Type | FOURCC | Required objects | User Library subfolder (macOS) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Audio Effect | aaaa |
plugin~ → DSP → plugout~ |
~/Music/Ableton/User Library/Presets/Audio Effects/Max Audio Effect/ |
| Instrument | iiii |
midiin → voice engine (poly~) → plugout~ |
~/Music/Ableton/User Library/Presets/Instruments/Max Instrument/ |
| MIDI Effect | mmmm |
midiin → transform → midiout |
~/Music/Ableton/User Library/Presets/MIDI Effects/Max MIDI Effect/ |
Windows replaces ~/Music/Ableton with %USERPROFILE%\Documents\Ableton.