AI Models - VoiceTypr

Overview

VoiceTypr supports multiple AI transcription engines with various model sizes to balance speed and accuracy based on your needs. All models run locally on your device for complete privacy.

Supported Engines

Whisper

OpenAI’s Whisper models provide excellent accuracy across 99+ languages with multiple size options.

Parakeet

NVIDIA Parakeet models optimized for Apple Silicon, offering fast transcription using the Neural Engine.

Soniox

Cloud-based speech recognition API offering fast, accurate transcription without local model downloads.

Model Types

VoiceTypr distinguishes between local and cloud models:

type SpeechModelEngine = 'whisper' | 'parakeet' | 'soniox';
type ModelKind = 'local' | 'cloud';

interface LocalModelInfo {
  kind: 'local';
  name: string;              // Internal identifier
  display_name: string;      // User-friendly name
  engine: SpeechModelEngine; // Which engine runs this model
  size: number;              // Download size in bytes
  speed_score: number;       // Speed rating (1-10)
  accuracy_score: number;    // Accuracy rating (1-10)
  recommended: boolean;      // Is this a recommended model?
  downloaded: boolean;       // Is it downloaded locally?
  requires_setup: boolean;   // Does it need configuration?
  url: string;              // Download URL
  sha256: string;           // Checksum for verification
}

Whisper Models

Available Sizes

Whisper models come in multiple sizes, each with different speed and accuracy tradeoffs:

Tiny
Base
Small
Medium
Large

Whisper Tiny (~75 MB)

Speed Score: 10/10 ⚡
Accuracy Score: 6/10
Best for: Quick drafts, testing, low-power devices
Languages: Multilingual

The smallest and fastest model. Good for quick notes when accuracy isn’t critical.

English-Only Models

Whisper also offers English-only variants (.en suffix) that are optimized for English:

"tiny.en"   // Tiny English-only
"base.en"   // Base English-only  
"small.en"  // Small English-only
"medium.en" // Medium English-only

English-only models are smaller, faster, and more accurate for English compared to their multilingual counterparts.

Parakeet Models

Parakeet models are available on macOS only and leverage Apple’s Neural Engine for hardware acceleration.

Available Models

Parakeet 1.1B
Parakeet 1.1B v2

Parakeet 1.1B (~1.3 GB)

Speed Score: 8/10
Accuracy Score: 8/10
Languages: Multilingual (100+ languages)
Hardware: Apple Neural Engine

Multilingual support with good performance on Apple Silicon.

Parakeet models are macOS-exclusive and require an Apple Silicon Mac (M1, M2, M3, or newer). They will not run on Intel Macs or other platforms.

Soniox Cloud Models

Soniox is a cloud-based speech recognition service that provides fast, accurate transcription without requiring local model downloads.

Overview

Unlike Whisper and Parakeet which run entirely on your device, Soniox processes audio in the cloud:

No downloads required: No disk space needed for models
Fast transcription: Cloud processing with optimized infrastructure
Requires internet: Audio is sent to Soniox API for processing
API key required: You need a Soniox account and API key

Setup

To use Soniox models:

Get API Key

Configure in VoiceTypr

Add your API key in Settings → Models → Soniox Configuration

Select Soniox Model

Choose a Soniox model from the Models tab

Available Models

Soniox offers several optimized models:

stt-async-v3: Latest asynchronous model with best accuracy
stt-streaming: Real-time streaming transcription
stt-multilingual: Support for multiple languages

Check the Soniox documentation for the latest available models and language support.

Privacy Considerations

When using Soniox, audio is sent to Soniox servers for processing. This differs from Whisper and Parakeet which process entirely offline on your device.Only use Soniox if you’re comfortable with cloud-based processing of your audio.

Performance

Soniox typically provides:

Speed: Very fast, limited by network latency
Accuracy: High accuracy comparable to Whisper Large
Cost: Based on Soniox API pricing

API Key Storage

Soniox API keys are stored securely in your system keychain:

macOS: Keychain Access
Windows: Credential Manager

The key is never stored in plain text.

Validation

VoiceTypr validates your Soniox API key by:

await invoke('validate_and_cache_soniox_key', {
  apiKey: 'your-soniox-api-key'
});

The validation checks against Soniox’s /v1/models endpoint to verify the key is active.

Hardware Acceleration

VoiceTypr automatically uses hardware acceleration when available for maximum performance.

macOS

Whisper: Uses Metal GPU acceleration via Apple’s Metal Performance Shaders
Parakeet: Uses Apple Neural Engine for ultra-fast inference
Requirements: macOS 13.0+ (Ventura or later)

Windows

Whisper: Supports GPU acceleration via DirectML
Compatible GPUs: NVIDIA, AMD, and Intel GPUs
Fallback: Automatically uses CPU if GPU unavailable or drivers missing

On Windows, ensure your graphics drivers are up to date for 5-10x faster transcription:

Model Management

Downloading Models

Open Models Tab

Click the VoiceTypr menubar icon and go to the Models tab.

Browse Available Models

Models are organized into two sections:

Available to Use: Already downloaded and ready
Available to Setup: Need to be downloaded first

Download a Model

Click the Download button on any model. Progress is shown in real-time.

Verify and Activate

After download, the model is verified using SHA-256 checksum and automatically becomes available for use.

Download Progress Tracking

Download progress is tracked in real-time:

downloadProgress: Record<string, number>  // modelName -> percentage (0-100)

You can cancel an in-progress download at any time:

cancelDownload(modelName: string)

Model Verification

All downloaded models are verified using SHA-256 checksums to ensure integrity:

verifyingModels: Set<string>  // Models currently being verified

Model verification happens automatically after download. If verification fails, the download is considered corrupted and must be retried.

Deleting Models

To free up disk space, you can delete models you no longer need:

Navigate to Models

Open the Models tab in VoiceTypr.

Find Downloaded Model

Locate the model in the “Available to Use” section.

Delete

Click the delete/trash icon on the model card.

If you delete the currently active model, VoiceTypr will clear your model selection. You’ll need to select and download a new model before transcription will work.

Model Selection

To switch between downloaded models:

Go to the Models tab
Click on any downloaded model to select it
The selected model is saved in settings:

current_model: string;           // Model name
current_model_engine: 'whisper' | 'parakeet' | 'soniox';

Choosing the Right Model

Use this guide to select the best model for your needs:

I want the fastest possible transcription

Recommended: Whisper Tiny or Tiny.en

Fastest inference times
Good for quick notes and drafts
Trade-off: Lower accuracy

I need the best accuracy

Recommended: Whisper Large or Medium

Highest accuracy scores
Best for professional transcription
Trade-off: Slower processing

Consider enabling AI Enhancement to further improve output quality.

I want balanced performance (recommended)

Recommended: Whisper Small or Small.en ⭐

Excellent balance of speed and accuracy
Default recommended model
Good for most daily use cases

I have an Apple Silicon Mac

Recommended: Parakeet 1.1B v2 (English) or Parakeet 1.1B (Multilingual)

Optimized for Apple Neural Engine
Faster than Whisper on M-series chips
Great accuracy

I transcribe non-English languages

Recommended: Whisper Small, Medium, or Large (multilingual variants)

Support for 99+ languages
Avoid .en suffix models (English-only)
Parakeet 1.1B also supports 100+ languages

Disk Space Requirements

Ensure you have enough free disk space before downloading models:

Model	Size
Whisper Tiny	~75 MB
Whisper Base	~150 MB
Whisper Small	~500 MB
Whisper Medium	~1.5 GB
Whisper Large	~3 GB
Parakeet 1.1B	~1.3 GB

You only need one model to use VoiceTypr. The recommended Whisper Small model requires just 500 MB.

Model Storage Location

Downloaded models are stored in:

macOS: ~/Library/Application Support/com.voicetypr.app/models/
Windows: %APPDATA%\com.voicetypr.app\models\

Troubleshooting

Download Failed

Check your internet connection
Ensure you have enough free disk space
Try canceling and restarting the download
Check firewall/antivirus isn’t blocking the download

Verification Failed

If SHA-256 verification fails:

Delete the corrupted model
Retry the download
Check for disk errors if it continues failing

Model Not Appearing

If a downloaded model doesn’t appear:

Click “Refresh Models” in the Models tab
Restart VoiceTypr
Check the model storage location manually

Slow Transcription

If transcription is slower than expected:

macOS: Ensure you’re using a model compatible with Metal acceleration
Windows: Update your GPU drivers for hardware acceleration
Try a smaller/faster model (Tiny or Base)
Close resource-intensive applications

Get Started

Core Features

Guides

Platform Specific

Help

​Overview

​Supported Engines

Whisper

Parakeet

Soniox

​Model Types

​Whisper Models

​Available Sizes

​English-Only Models

​Parakeet Models

​Available Models

​Soniox Cloud Models

​Overview

​Setup

​Available Models

​Privacy Considerations

​Performance

​API Key Storage

​Validation

​Hardware Acceleration

​macOS

​Windows

​Model Management

​Downloading Models

​Download Progress Tracking

​Model Verification

​Deleting Models

​Model Selection

​Choosing the Right Model

​Disk Space Requirements

​Model Storage Location

​Troubleshooting

​Download Failed

​Verification Failed

​Model Not Appearing

​Slow Transcription

Overview

Supported Engines

Model Types

Whisper Models

Available Sizes

English-Only Models

Parakeet Models

Available Models

Soniox Cloud Models

Overview

Setup

Available Models

Privacy Considerations

Performance

API Key Storage

Validation

Hardware Acceleration

macOS

Windows

Model Management

Downloading Models

Download Progress Tracking

Model Verification

Deleting Models

Model Selection

Choosing the Right Model

Disk Space Requirements

Model Storage Location

Troubleshooting

Download Failed

Verification Failed

Model Not Appearing

Slow Transcription