Voice input device suggestions

[flint crown]

Im looking for a device like https://www.hashop.nl/Home-Assistant-Voice-Preview-Edition?gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=20022869970&gbraid=0AAAAADs0KN3zGFwWE2-rYO6uyYVNmkZDL&gclid=Cj0KCQiA4pvMBhDYARIsAGfgwvyR1_P9aybnPX8Uac_S1qKM6CT42rKCee7JWcDpnpvP1IAk3nID3QUaAqGfEALw_wcB , maybe even just that.. a microphone box with wake up word that can run local.

Im looking for the best option our there but om going to need 3-4 of them so preferably not 150-200€ each ^^ (audio output is not needed, im going to keel using my Google nest speakers for that).

Any suggestions are welcome.

Im Running my HA on an unraid server with 48gb of ram, 2x2tb cache SSD's and a rtx 5060ti with 16vram with wisper and Piper activated & loads of strong hardware.. just need something to get my voice commands into the system like Ive been doing with Google for years.. only now i want it all local:)

Thanks in advance

[late wolf]

The VPE is a great device, it has the XMOS audio processor in it which helps clean up audio and filters so it doesn't hear itself etc... it also has the 3.5mm jack line out so you can pipe audio into a bigger speaker if you want/need to. They are decent value for what you actually get hardware wise and also you directly support the project by buying them.

audio output is not needed
Note that redirecting the output of responses to another device other then the satellite with the microphone is not something that is really supported currently. there are some tricks you can do to make it sort of work but it has issues. This is why having the 3.5mm jack on the VPE is so great.

[flint crown]

The feedback isn't really important anyway, i mainly use voice to Trigger commands and automations.. hardly any need for feedback. But if it's a good input device ill be buying a couple asap

[flint crown]

You have some good experiences with it i take?

[late wolf]

Yeah I think its great, HERE is a write up of one of my setups with it. with some pictures.

[late wolf]

To be fair, I haven't tried mic only satellites for a long time and was before voice components got reworked a bunch. if you are just calling basic commands for stuff in the room then the VPE will now just make an acknowledgement sound instead of speaking back too.

[flint crown]

Sounds great. I orderd one now just to test it out.

I am trying to work it into a script or automation (if i ever figure out how) that all audio comes to my nest speakers wich are already installed and castings to them works

How hard is changing the wake word/Phrase?

[late wolf]

ESPHome voice/sound stuff is in super active development stuff so those updates come down the VPE pretty nicely.

[flint crown]

I want to make up a Fun acronym for my smart home and wake it up with that

Thanks for all the feedback

[late wolf]

not super easy
the VPE uses onboard MicroWakeWord and the stock firmware has "okay naby" "hey jarvis" "hey mycroft" making your own is possible but requires a bit of work.

[flint crown]

May i ad you to friends for Future questions? Im a newb in Home assistant

[late wolf]

I would prefer you keep it to the support channels but feel free to tag me in a thread if you think i can be helpful.

[flint crown]

But there are Guides around i guess? + Claude ai might figure out some code

[late wolf]

I can explain the gist of it.

[flint crown]

Please do 🙂

No Rush though, i gtg, didnt expect fast response tbf

[late wolf]

You first need to make a MWW model, the easiest way to do this currently is THIS project. results may vary of how well it works but you can play with it a bit.
NB: if you want to go more "manual" and use more live data with a sample database you can learn out the training process HERE but

once you have the model file you need to host that (a github repo would be easiest)

then you have to "take control" of your VPE and modify the firmware to add your wake word model repo to the firmware so when it builds it grabs your model.
then you are able to select it.

NB: there is a plan to make it easier to load custom models without firmware modifications and just load directly from HA. The plan is in the Voice Backlog Issues Repo HERE there is no timeline on it yet, its a matter of there being developer time to use on it.

Realistically if a custom WW is something that you can live without for a while and you don't want to bother with the manual firmware stuff (which can lead to other issues as your building from dev instead of stable) then leaving it for a while until it becomes easier might be a good option. but its up to you.

[flint crown]

Could i host the model on my own server instead of on github? Im Running everything on a strong unraid server/homelab

Ooh the first link you send is directly for unraid

Looks like it could work

[late wolf]

I imagine so, as long as the builder tool for the firmware can see it. it doesn't need to be constantly accessible it just need to be there so it can be compiled into the firmware whilst its building.

[late wolf]

yeah its just a container and they have it on the unraid store it seems.

[flint crown]

The server runs 24/7 anyway 😉 so that wouldnt have been An issue

[flint crown]

That's perfect! I knew chosing unriad was the best idea.' eventhough i Know nothing of Linux :p

[late wolf]

I personally dislike unraid conceptually... but if it works for you and does what you need it to do then that is great.

[late wolf]

The model just needs to bee hosted on a webserver for it to be pulled and built into the firmware.

from the ESPHome Documentation:

Most people would just use a GitHub repo but I don't think it would care if it was somewhere else as long as the json and tflite file are accessible at the same path.

[flint crown]

I Came from Synology and didnt Know what would be best.. i Found unraid to have a good community and had lots of help (i have brzind damage becsuse i got run over by a car.. learning new things is hard becsuse my memory loses 30% of je memories Every couple of weeks.) the unraid People have been so kind and held my hand throughout it all 😉 i have no experience with anything Else other than Windows :p