This is a personal project made for fun :)

CriTTS Recoded

A modern, free Text-to-Speech (TTS) application with a sleek GUI. CriTTS uses Microsoft Edge's TTS engine (via edge-tts) to generate high-quality speech and can route audio to any output device, including virtual cables for Discord/VRChat integration.

Features

Core TTS

• Free TTS Engine: Uses Microsoft Edge's online TTS service (no API key required)
• 100+ Voices: Access to all Microsoft Edge voices in multiple languages
• Voice Customization: Adjust speech rate (-100 to +100), volume (0-100), and pitch (-100 to +100)
• Auto Language Detection: Automatically detects text language and selects appropriate voice
• Custom Language Mappings: Set preferred voices for each language

Audio Processing

• Audio Routing: Route TTS output to any audio device (including VB-Cable for Discord)
• Microphone Passthrough: Route your real microphone to VB-Cable alongside TTS for voice mixing
• Processing Profiles: Choose between Fast Preview, Balanced, or High Quality
• Audio Normalization: Peak, RMS, or LUFS normalization for consistent volume
• High-Quality Resampling: 48kHz with Kaiser-windowed anti-aliasing filters
• Stereo Enhancement: Converts mono TTS to natural-sounding stereo

Performance

• Persistent Audio Cache: Generated audio is cached to disk for instant replay
• LRU Cache Eviction: Configurable cache size with automatic cleanup
• Phrase Pre-generation: Frequently used phrases can be pre-generated
• Streaming Playback: Experimental low-latency mode starts playing before generation completes

GUI

• Modern Interface: Built with CustomTkinter for a sleek, modern look
• Dark/Light Mode: Switch between themes or follow system setting
• Voice Search & Filters: Search by name, filter by language/region/gender
• Voice Favorites: Save favorite voices for quick access
• Configurable Keybinds: All keyboard shortcuts are customizable
• Recording Overlay: Compact always-on-top overlay showing recording state with pulsing indicator (draggable, toggleable)

Voice Input (STT)

• Speech-to-Text: Record microphone audio and transcribe using Google Web Speech API
• Auto-Speak: Optionally speak transcribed text automatically
• Language Support: Configure recognition language in Settings → Behavior

VRChat Integration

• OSC Chatbox: Send TTS text to VRChat's in-game chatbox
• Viseme Animation: Automatic lip-sync for your avatar
• Voice Amplitude: Real-time mouth movement based on audio volume
• Typing Indicator: Show typing animation in VRChat while composing

Installation

Prerequisites

• Python 3.8 or higher
• Windows, macOS, or Linux

Quick Start

# Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/k1rk11/CriTTS.git
cd CriTTS

Using launcher scripts (recommended):

# Windows
run.bat

# Linux / macOS
./run.sh

The launcher scripts automatically check for Python, install dependencies, and launch the app.

Manual installation:

# Install dependencies
pip install -r requirements.txt

# Run the application
python main.py

Dependencies

customtkinter
edge-tts>=7.2.3
langid>=1.1.6
sounddevice
soundfile>=0.12.0
numpy>=1.21.0
scipy>=1.9.0
pyloudnorm>=0.1.0
python-osc>=1.8.0
SpeechRecognition
keyboard>=0.13.5

Usage

Basic Operation

1. Enter Text: Type or paste text in the main text area
2. Speak: Click "Speak" or press Enter
3. Stop: Click "Stop" or press Escape
4. Clear: Click "Clear" or press Ctrl+T

Voice Input

Click the 🎙 Voice button (or press Ctrl+Shift+V) to start recording. Click again (or press the keybind again) to stop and transcribe.

• Uses Google Web Speech API (free, requires internet)
• Configure language and microphone in Settings → Behavior
• Enable Auto-Speak to automatically speak transcribed text

Settings

Access settings by clicking the "Settings" button or pressing Ctrl+,

Voice Tab

• Select voice from the list (100+ voices available)
• Adjust rate, volume, and pitch
• Preview voices before selecting
• Manage favorite voices

Audio Output Tab

• Select output device
• Enable/disable normalization
• Choose normalization type (Peak, RMS, LUFS)
• Microphone Passthrough: Route your real microphone to VB-Cable alongside TTS
  • Enable/disable passthrough
  • Select microphone device
  • Adjust passthrough volume (0-200%)

Appearance Tab

• Switch between Dark, Light, or System theme
• Button Visibility: Choose which buttons appear in the main window (Speak, Stop, Clear, Voice, Overlay). Settings button is always visible.

Abbreviations Tab

• Define text expansion shortcuts (e.g., "idk" → "I don't know")

Keybinds Tab

• Customize all keyboard shortcuts

Behavior Tab

• Configure speak mode (current line or all text)
• Enable auto language detection
• Set language-to-voice mappings

VRChat OSC Tab

• Enable OSC integration
• Configure chatbox settings
• Set up viseme/amplitude for lip-sync

Advanced Tab

• Manage audio cache settings
• Select processing profile
• Enable streaming playback (experimental)

VB-Cable Setup (Discord Integration)

To route TTS audio to Discord or other applications:

1. Install VB-Cable

   • Download from VB-Audio Software
   • Install the virtual audio cable
   • CriTTS will automatically detect if VB-Cable is missing and prompt you to install it

2. Configure CriTTS

   • Open Settings > Audio Output
   • Select "CABLE Input (VB-Audio Virtual Cable)"

3. Configure Discord

   • Open Discord Settings > Voice & Video
   • Set Input Device to "CABLE Output"
   • Disable "Automatically determine input sensitivity"

4. Use

   • Type text in CriTTS and click Speak
   • Audio will be routed to Discord

Microphone Passthrough

The Microphone Passthrough feature allows you to route your real microphone audio to VB-Cable alongside TTS output. This is useful for mixing your voice with TTS in VRChat or Discord.

Setup

1. Enable Passthrough

   • Open Settings > Audio Output
   • Scroll to "Microphone Passthrough" section
   • Check "Enable microphone passthrough to VBCable"

2. Select Microphone

   • Choose your microphone device from the dropdown
   • Use "Default (System)" to use your system's default microphone

3. Adjust Volume

   • Set passthrough volume (0-200%)
   • 100% = normal volume
   • 200% = doubled volume (for quiet microphones)
   • 0% = muted

Use Cases

• VRChat: Speak normally while TTS plays, both audio sources go to VB-Cable
• Discord: Mix your voice with TTS for roleplay or accessibility
• Streaming: Combine voice and TTS into a single audio source

How It Works

When enabled, CriTTS creates a real-time audio stream from your selected microphone to VB-Cable. This runs continuously in the background, allowing you to speak naturally while TTS plays. The volume control lets you boost quiet microphones or balance levels between your voice and TTS.

Audio Processing Profiles

Profile	Sample Rate	Anti-Aliasing	Stereo Width	Best For
Fast Preview	Original	None	None	Quick testing
Balanced	48kHz	Kaiser β=5	0.3	General use (default)
High Quality	48kHz	Kaiser β=8	0.5	Important content

Normalization Types

Type	Description	Best For
Peak	Limits maximum amplitude to -1dB	General use, prevents clipping
RMS	Ensures consistent loudness	Multi-voice projects
LUFS	Professional loudness standards (-14 LUFS)	Streaming, broadcast
None	No processing	External audio workflows

VRChat Integration

Setup

1. Enable VRChat OSC in Settings > VRChat OSC
2. Ensure OSC is enabled in VRChat (Settings > OSC > Enable OSC)
3. Configure desired features:
   • Send to Chatbox: Display TTS text in VRChat
   • Viseme Animation: Animate avatar mouth
   • Voice Amplitude: Real-time mouth movement

Features

• Chatbox Integration: TTS text appears in VRChat's chatbox
• Lip-Sync: Avatar mouth moves in sync with speech
• Typing Indicator: Shows typing animation while composing

Limitations

• Only incoming messages from other players can be monitored (VRChat limitation)
• Your own typed messages in VRChat are not logged by VRChat

Project Structure

CriTTS/
├── main.py                    # Application entry point
├── requirements.txt           # Python dependencies
├── README.md                  # This file
└── src/
    ├── config/
    │   └── settings_manager.py    # JSON settings persistence
    ├── tts/
    │   ├── tts_engine.py          # TTS orchestration
    │   ├── text_preprocessor.py   # Text cleaning & abbreviation expansion
    │   ├── audio_cache.py         # Persistent LRU audio cache
    │   └── providers/
    │       └── edge_tts_provider.py   # edge-tts integration
    ├── audio/
    │   └── audio_router.py        # Audio device routing & processing
    ├── stt/
    │   └── stt_engine.py          # Speech-to-text engine
    ├── utils/
    │   ├── language_detector.py   # Language detection for auto voice selection
    │   └── keybind_utils.py       # Keybind utility functions
    ├── gui/
    │   ├── main_window.py         # Main application window
    │   ├── settings_window.py     # Settings dialog
    │   ├── keybind_manager.py     # Dynamic keybind registration
    │   ├── theme_constants.py     # UI theme & layout constants
    │   ├── recording_overlay.py   # Recording state overlay
    │   └── settings_tabs/         # Settings tab components
    │       ├── voice_tab.py           # Voice selection & customization
    │       ├── audio_output_tab.py    # Audio device & normalization
    │       ├── appearance_tab.py      # Theme & button visibility
    │       ├── abbreviations_tab.py   # Text expansion shortcuts
    │       ├── keybinds_tab.py        # Keyboard shortcuts
    │       ├── behavior_tab.py        # Speak mode & language detection
    │       ├── vrchat_osc_tab.py      # VRChat OSC integration
    │       └── advanced_tab.py        # Cache & processing profiles
    └── vrchat/
        ├── osc_client.py          # VRChat OSC client
        └── viseme_mapper.py       # Phoneme-to-viseme mapping

Keyboard Shortcuts

Default Shortcut	Action
Escape	Stop playback
Ctrl+T	Clear text
Ctrl+,	Open Settings
Ctrl+Shift+V	Voice input (toggle recording)

All shortcuts are customizable in Settings > Keybinds.

Global Hotkeys: Enable the "Global Hotkeys" toggle in Settings > Keybinds to allow shortcuts to work even when the app is not focused. This requires the keyboard library (included in dependencies).

Troubleshooting

No Audio Output

1. Check output device in Settings > Audio Output
2. Ensure device is not muted in system settings
3. Try "System Default" device

VB-Cable Not Working

1. Verify VB-Cable is installed correctly
2. Check Discord input device is "CABLE Output"
3. Disable noise suppression in Discord

TTS Not Working

1. Check internet connection (edge-tts requires internet)
2. Verify firewall is not blocking Python
3. Try refreshing voices in Settings

VRChat Integration Issues

1. Ensure OSC is enabled in VRChat settings
2. Check IP/port configuration (default: 127.0.0.1:9000)
3. Use "Test Connection" in Settings > VRChat OSC

Performance Tips

1. Enable Audio Cache: Reduces regeneration of repeated phrases
2. Use Balanced Profile: Good quality without excessive processing
3. Pre-generate Phrases: Common phrases load instantly
4. Enable Streaming: Lower latency for long text (experimental)

Credits

• GUI Framework: CustomTkinter
• TTS Engine: edge-tts
• Audio I/O: sounddevice, soundfile
• Virtual Audio: VB-Audio Cable

License

This project is open source. Feel free to modify and distribute.

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Enjoy CriTTS Recoded! 🎙️