Desktop MCP

Local MCP for Claude Code, Cursor, Codex, and Grok CLI. Desktop must be open. Uses the local session, not pasted API keys.

What it is

A local MCP so your existing Claude Code, Cursor, Codex, or Grok CLI app can read Aden tracks and files through the Aden desktop app on this machine. Aden Desktop does not embed those models. You do not paste an API key.

Keep Desktop open and signed in. If it is quit, tools tell you to open it again.

Hosted MCP at https://mcp.aden.space is a different server (browser OAuth, no local files).

Let your AI set it up

The top of the MCP DAW screen, Connect tab, has one button per assistant: Claude, ChatGPT, Gemini and Grok, plus Copy prompt for coding agents. Each button copies a setup prompt and opens that assistant. Claude, ChatGPT and Grok start a new chat with the prompt already filled in. On Gemini, and on Windows (links over 2083 characters get cut), you paste it.

The prompt tells your AI to:

install the hosted server as aden-cloud and, when it runs on your computer, the local one as aden
skip anything already installed
use the exact commands for Claude Code, Codex, Gemini CLI, Grok CLI, Cursor, Windsurf and VS Code, and give step-by-step instructions for the Claude, ChatGPT and other chat apps
have you sign in on aden.space in the browser, never in the chat
use the team you have open in Desktop, then prove the setup works by listing your teams and recent tracks

Stdio (preferred)

Same launch command everywhere: npx -y @aden/desktop-mcp.

Client	Transport	Command or config	Desktop must be running
Claude Code	stdio	`claude mcp add aden -- npx -y @aden/desktop-mcp`	Yes, when you call tools. Install can be saved while quit.
Cursor	stdio	Settings → MCP, or `~/.cursor/mcp.json` / `.cursor/mcp.json` with the JSON below	Yes, when you call tools
Codex CLI	stdio	`codex mcp add aden -- npx -y @aden/desktop-mcp` writes `[mcp_servers.aden]` in `~/.codex/config.toml`	Yes, when you call tools
Grok CLI	stdio	`grok mcp add aden -- npx -y @aden/desktop-mcp` writes `~/.grok/config.toml`	Yes, when you call tools
Windsurf	stdio	Same JSON as Cursor, in `~/.codeium/windsurf/mcp_config.json`	Yes, when you call tools

Cursor / Windsurf JSON:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "aden": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@aden/desktop-mcp"]
    }
  }
}

OpenCode uses a different JSON shape (mcp + command as one array), so the Cursor JSON does not paste unchanged. Skip it here.

HTTP localhost

Use this when the client cannot spawn stdio. URL: http://127.0.0.1:48731/mcp. Desktop must be running. Auth is the pairing token from Desktop (copy the HTTP command in the AI panel). Do not paste that token into a chat.

Client	Transport	Command or config	Desktop must be running
Claude Code	HTTP	Copy Claude Code HTTP from Desktop. Shape: `claude mcp add --transport http aden-desktop http://127.0.0.1:48731/mcp --header "Authorization: Bearer <token>"`	Yes
Codex CLI	HTTP	`codex mcp add aden-desktop --url http://127.0.0.1:48731/mcp --bearer-token-env-var ADEN_DESKTOP_MCP_TOKEN` then set `ADEN_DESKTOP_MCP_TOKEN` from Desktop. Copy Codex HTTP from the AI panel if you want the env prefix filled in.	Yes
Cursor	HTTP	`url` plus `headers.Authorization` Bearer, token from env `${env:ADEN_DESKTOP_MCP_TOKEN}`	Yes
Grok CLI	HTTP	`grok mcp add --transport http aden-desktop http://127.0.0.1:48731/mcp --header "Authorization: Bearer <token>"`	Yes
Windsurf	HTTP	Same token header, but the URL field is `serverUrl`, not `url`	Yes

HTTP /mcp also includes DAW tools. Stdio only exposes catalog tools.

Not supported on localhost

Client	Why
ChatGPT (developer mode / connectors)	ChatGPT only talks to a remote HTTPS MCP. `127.0.0.1` is not reachable from chatgpt.com. A public tunnel or OpenAI Secure MCP Tunnel would expose this machine. Skip. Use hosted `https://mcp.aden.space` if you need ChatGPT (no local files).
Grok consumer apps	Need a public URL. Use Grok CLI stdio on this machine instead.