MCP Integration Guide World's First

Why Use MCP?

Getting Started

Step 1: Enable MCP Server

• Open SnappySnap (standalone or in your DAW)
• Toggle Enable MCP Server ON
• Click the gear icon (settings)
• Find MCP Server section
• You'll see a port number appear (like 52001)

Step 2: Connect Your AI Assistant

Use the Config Writer below to generate the right configuration for your AI client. Pick your client, choose a connection mode, and copy the result into your config file.

Config Writer

Manual Setup (if Config Writer doesn't work)

If the Config Writer isn't loading properly, use the same steps manually:

• Select your client, connection mode, and platform in the Config Writer above to generate the JSON
• Copy the generated config
• Open your client's config file from the table below and paste it in

Config File Locations

What Can the AI Do?

View Plugin Info

The AI can see:

• Which plugin is loaded
• All available parameters and their current values
• Your saved snapshots
• Current morph position

Change Parameters

The AI can:

• Adjust any parameter by name ("turn up the drive")
• Set exact values ("set reverb to 75%")
• Change multiple parameters at once
• Use fuzzy matching ("cut the highs" finds "High Cut Frequency")

Work with Snapshots

The AI can:

• Save the current sound to any of 12 slots
• Load saved snapshots
• Name your snapshots ("save this as Heavy Bass")
• List what's in each slot

Control Morphing

The AI can:

• Set the morph position between snapshots
• Use 1D morphing (simple left-to-right blend)
• Use 2D morphing (XY pad style blending)
• Check current morph state

Explore and Randomize

The AI can:

• List all your installed plugins
• Randomize parameters for happy accidents
• Exclude specific parameters from randomization
• Filter to only "sound design" parameters (skipping UI stuff)

Example Conversations

Sound Design Help

Quick Preset Creation

Morphing Between Sounds

Controlled Randomization

Tips for Best Results

Be Specific About What You Want

Use Musical Terms

The AI understands:

• "Warmer" / "Brighter" / "Darker"
• "More attack" / "Softer transients"
• "Tighter bass" / "Looser low end"
• "More presence" / "Cut through the mix"
• "Wet" / "Dry" / "Blend"

Save Before Experimenting

Ask the AI to save your current sound before making big changes:

You can always go back if you don't like the changes.

Check What Changed

After the AI makes adjustments, you can ask:

This helps you learn what affects the sound.

Understanding Parameters

What Are Parameters?

Parameters are all the controls in a plugin — every knob, slider, and button. A simple plugin might have 20 parameters. A complex synth might have 1,000+.

Normalized Values

When the AI sets parameter values, it uses "normalized" values from 0.0 to 1.0:

• 0.0 = minimum (fully left, off, lowest)
• 0.5 = middle/default
• 1.0 = maximum (fully right, on, highest)

You don't need to think about this — just say "set it to 75%" and the AI handles the conversion.

AI-Relevant vs All Parameters

Many plugins have hundreds of parameters, but not all are useful for sound design. Some are:

• Internal UI state
• MIDI learn settings
• Bypass switches
• System controls

The AI can filter to just the "sound design" parameters, making responses faster and more focused.

Troubleshooting

"Connection Refused" or "fetch failed"

Problem: The AI can't connect to SnappySnap.

Solutions:

• SnappySnap must be running first — open it before starting Claude Desktop
• Check MCP Server is enabled in settings
• Verify the port number matches what's shown in SnappySnap (default: 3001)
• If using a DAW, make sure the plugin window is open
• Try opening http://127.0.0.1:3001/mcp in a browser — if it doesn't load, SnappySnap's MCP server isn't running

Windows: "spawn npx ENOENT"

Problem: Claude Desktop can't find the npx command.

Solutions:

• Install Node.js from nodejs.org (LTS version)
• After installing, restart Claude Desktop completely
• Make sure you're using npx.cmd (not npx) in your config
• If still failing, verify Node.js is in your PATH by opening PowerShell and running: where.exe npx

Windows: "'C:\Program' is not recognized"

Problem: Paths with spaces are being split incorrectly.

Solution: Use npx.cmd directly (not the full path). If Node.js is properly installed, the simple config shown above will work.

"Unauthorized"

Problem: The AI's requests are rejected.

Solutions:

• Copy a fresh token from SnappySnap settings
• Make sure you're using the complete token (it's long!)
• Check for extra spaces when you pasted it
• The token format should be: Authorization: Bearer YOUR_TOKEN (note the space after "Bearer")

"No Plugin Loaded"

Problem: AI says there are no parameters to control.

Solutions:

• Load a plugin in SnappySnap first
• Wait for the plugin to fully initialize
• Try asking "what plugin is loaded?" to verify

"No compatible message available" (Large Plugins)

Problem: Error when working with plugins that have many parameters (500+).

Solutions:

• Use Learn Mode to select only the parameters you want AI to control
• Click "Listen", wiggle the knobs you care about, then stop listening
• This reduces 1000+ parameters down to just the ones you selected
• Ask the AI to use ai_relevant_only: true when fetching parameters

Changes Not Working

Problem: AI says it changed something but you don't hear a difference.

Possible causes:

• The parameter might not affect the current sound (e.g., changing oscillator 2 when it's off)
• The change might be subtle — try more extreme values
• Some parameters need specific conditions (e.g., filter cutoff matters more with resonance up)

Client Compatibility

SnappySnap's MCP server works with any client that supports the MCP protocol, but not all clients implement the spec equally. The key differentiator is argument passing — the ability to send parameters like instance_id to tools.

Cursor Limitations

Cursor's MCP integration (CallMcpTool) does not support passing arguments to tool calls. This means:

• Single instance: Basic tools work because instance_id is auto-routed when only one SnappySnap is running
• Multiple instances: Any tool requiring instance_id will fail — the agent cannot specify which instance to target
• Tools with required arguments (e.g. set_parameter, save_snapshot) will fail because the index/value/slot arguments cannot be passed

This is a limitation of Cursor's MCP client, not SnappySnap. Only read-only, argument-free tools like get_loaded_plugin_info and list_snapshots work reliably in Cursor.

Privacy and Security

Your Token is Your Password

• Never share your MCP token publicly
• Each SnappySnap instance has its own token
• Tokens are stored locally on your computer

Local Connection Only

MCP runs on 127.0.0.1 (localhost) — it only accepts connections from your own computer. Remote connections are not supported by default.

What the AI Can See

When connected, the AI can see:

• Plugin names and manufacturers
• Parameter names and values
• Snapshot names

It cannot see:

• Your audio
• Other applications
• Files on your computer
• Anything outside SnappySnap

Quick Reference

Common Requests