melrose

Melrōse MCP Server exposes a Music Content Protocol (MCP) service that accepts expressions to play melodies through the Melrōse engine. The Melrōse language lets you program melodies with sequences, loops and tracks, and the MCP server is the bridge that receives those expressions and routes them to the Melrōse runtime for immediate audible playback. You can connect clients that implement MCP to send musical expressions, tweak sequences live, and observe real-time audible feedback as you adjust notes or tempo. To get started, connect to the Melrōse MCP endpoint using an MCP-compatible client and send properly formatted Melrōse expressions; the server will interpret them and drive playback via MIDI or the configured output device. The MELROSE MCP server is typically used in conjunction with the Melrōse language tooling and documentation, enabling live performance workflows and programmatic melody composition.

Prerequisites:

• Docker installed on your machine (or a Go toolchain if you prefer building from source and a compatible Melrōse MCP binary is available).
• Internet access to pull the Melrōse MCP image or to clone/build from source.

Option A: Run via Docker (recommended)

1. Ensure Docker is running on your system.
2. Pull and run the Melrōse MCP image: docker pull ghcr.io/emicklei/melrose-mcp:latest docker run -i --rm -p 8888:8888 ghcr.io/emicklei/melrose-mcp:latest
3. The MCP server will start and listen on port 8888 by default (adjust via environment if needed).

Option B: Build/run from source (if a binary is provided for your platform)

1. Ensure Go is installed (Go 1.20+ recommended).
2. Clone the Melrōse MCP repository (or the corresponding melrose-mcp repo): git clone https://github.com/emicklei/melrose-mcp.git
3. Build the server (example): cd melrose-mcp go build -o melrose-mcp
4. Run the binary: ./melrose-mcp
5. The server will start and listen on the default port specified by the build or configuration (adjust via flags or environment as needed).

Notes:

• If you are using a specific output device or MIDI interface, configure it through environment variables or command-line flags as documented in the Melrōse MCP documentation.

Tips and common considerations:

• Check that your client is speaking MCP correctly and using the Melrōse-supported expression syntax for sequences, loops, and tracks.
• If you plan to run live performances, consider locking the environment (network and device access) to prevent unintended changes mid-performance.
• Use environment variables to configure port, MIDI output, and logging verbosity as supported by the Melrōse MCP server.
• If playback seems delayed or missing notes, verify the MIDI bridge or audio output configuration in your host environment.
• Regularly pull updated MCP server images or binaries to benefit from new language features and performance improvements.