Max for Live

Kadenz for Ableton Live

Send blueprints from Kadenz into Session view clips — via Bridge handoff, past imports, or a JSON file on disk.

Download the plugin bundle

Log in to Kadenz and click ⬇ Plugin in the app header. Pro and Studio plans include the device and Bridge.

Install in Ableton

Unzip the bundle and keep Kadenz.amxd and kadenz_ableton.js in the same folder. Drag the device onto a MIDI track in Live, or use Live’s browser to load it.

If the JS file is missing or in a different folder, the device will not run — you may only see unrelated Max errors in the Max Console.

Run Kadenz Bridge (Windows)

Bridge runs in the background and writes blueprint JSON to Documents/Kadenz. Launch it from the Bridge folder inside the plugin zip.

Windows SmartScreen — click Run anyway

Kadenz Bridge is not code-signed yet (certificates are expensive, and if Kadenz gets more users, we'll get a signed build, which still takes time to be trusted by Windows Defender SmartScreen). Windows Defender SmartScreen may block the first launch and show Windows protected your PC with an unknown publisher.

Our App does not access your data or do anything malicious. We're just a small team trying to make a living by selling a product that helps people make music.

If you're still concerned, you can use Kadenz without bridge by pasting the JSON into the Kadenz device in Live.

  1. Click More info on the blue SmartScreen screen (if you do not see Run anyway yet).
  2. Click Run anyway.
  3. Bridge should start and appear in the system tray.
Windows Defender SmartScreen dialog for Kadenz Bridge.exe with Run anyway and Don't run buttons
SmartScreen for an unsigned app — choose Run anyway after More info.

Configure Bridge (tray menu)

Right-click the Kadenz icon in the Windows system tray (near the clock). Two settings matter for Open in Ableton:

  • Set Kadenz plugin folder — the folder where you unzipped Kadenz.amxd and kadenz_ableton.js. Bridge writes a small handoff pointer there so the device finds new blueprints.
  • Set Ableton executable — only if Bridge cannot find Live automatically. Point it at your Ableton Live … .exe (usually under Program Files/Ableton/…/Program/).
Kadenz Bridge system tray menu showing Set Kadenz plugin folder and Set Ableton executable options
Bridge tray menu — set your plugin folder once; set Ableton’s .exe if auto-launch does not work.

You only need to configure these once per machine. If Handoff stops working after moving the device, update the plugin folder path.

Open in Ableton

On any blueprint in Kadenz, click Open in Ableton. Bridge saves the full JSON under Documents/Kadenz and may focus Live.

In Live, on the Kadenz device, click Handoff (or wait a few seconds for auto-import after Open in Ableton). Bridge does not talk to the device over the network — it only writes files on disk.

Other import methods

Drop (paste JSON)

Drop reads the JSON box on the device and builds Session clips on tracks whose names match Kadenz categories (Pad, Bass, Kick, …). Best for small blueprints.

JSON file picker

Max truncates very long pasted text (often near ~32k characters). Use JSON file on the device to pick a .json from disk, or use Handoff / Past imports with Bridge.

Past imports

Bridge keeps recent handoffs. The device can load a previous blueprint from the Past imports list without re-sending from the web app.

Troubleshooting

  • Open the device’s Edit view, then in Max use Window → Max Console. Kadenz posts lines starting with Kadenz: there.
  • If you see “a project without a name is like a day without sunshine. fatal.” — that is usually Max complaining about an unsaved Live Set, not Kadenz rejecting the blueprint. Save the set and click Handoff.
  • If Handoff finds nothing, confirm Bridge is running, Set Kadenz plugin folder points at the exact folder Live loaded the device from, and Set Ableton executable is correct if Bridge does not launch Live on its own.