Welcome to Patchwright

Goal: Understand what Patchwright is, what you can build, and how it fits into Ableton Live 12.

Time: ~10 minutes

What Patchwright does for you

Patchwright is a visual builder for Ableton Live Extensions. You wire nodes on a canvas — like patching cables — or describe what you want in plain language to PatchAI. Patchwright writes the extension code, bundles it, and gives you something you can run in Live or share as an .ablx file.

You do not need to write TypeScript, install Node.js, or use a terminal.

Tip: Think of it as Blueprint-style patching for Live’s new Extensions system — trigger → read from Live → transform → write back to Live.

What is a Live Extension?

A Live Extension is a small add-on that adds commands to Live’s right-click menu. When you choose your command, it runs once, changes your Set (clips, tracks, notes, names, colors, and more), and then finishes. It is not an always-on plugin like a VST or a Max for Live device that runs in real time.

Each command you build:

  1. Appears under Extensions when you right-click the right kind of object (a MIDI clip, a track, etc.).
  2. Runs a fixed sequence of steps you designed in Patchwright.
  3. Can be undone in Live when you grouped changes inside an undo group (see Core Concepts).

What you can build

Examples that work well today:

Idea What happens in Live
Clip stamp Rename and recolor the clip you right-clicked
Transpose tool Move all MIDI notes up or down by semitones
New MIDI track Create a track and name it from the menu
Scale-aware chords Generate notes that follow your Set’s scale
Batch rename Loop over tracks and fix names or colors
Simple dialog Ask “How many semitones?” before changing the clip
Export helper Package your tool as .ablx for another computer

What Patchwright is not

Not this Why
Max for Live Extensions run once per command, not audio-rate or MIDI-stream realtime
A VST / AU plugin You are not building a device that sits on a track
A replacement for learning Live You still need to know clips, tracks, Session vs Arrangement
Ableton official software Patchwright is an independent builder; Ableton ships the Extensions SDK

How Patchwright relates to Live 12

Ableton Live 12 Suite (beta 12.4.5+) includes Extensions and an Extension Host. Patchwright:

  1. Lets you design what the extension does (the graph).
  2. Builds the extension package.
  3. On desktop, Build & Run sends it to Live through the host bridge.

You turn on Developer Mode in Live → Settings → Extensions to install and test extensions. See Getting Started for the full setup path.

One project, many menu commands

Your Patchwright project can include more than one “When you right-click…” node. Each trigger becomes its own command in Live’s Extensions menu, labeled like:

YourExtensionName: MIDI Clip

So one project file can offer several related tools — for example, one command on MIDI clips and another on MIDI tracks — without building separate apps.

Next steps

  1. Complete Getting Started if you have not run Build & Run yet.
  2. Tour the studio: The Patchwright Studio.
  3. Learn wires and triggers: Core Concepts.
  4. Try Tutorial 4: Scale-aware chord / arp.