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Voice Options

Overview

iReporter can speak a message aloud when a button is pressed. Voice is configured globally in the Voice Options section and then controlled per-button using a Speak Text field on each button.

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Enable Voice

Master switch for all voice output. When unchecked, no speech occurs regardless of per-button settings. When enabled, the Voice Options panel expands and a Speak Text field appears on every button.

Windows Voice

Uses the built-in Windows Text-to-Speech engine. Select any installed Windows voice from the dropdown. No internet connection is required. Voice quality depends on the installed Windows voices — additional voices can be installed via Windows Settings > Time & Language > Speech.

ElevenLabs

Optional high-quality cloud voice synthesis. When an ElevenLabs API key and Voice ID are configured, ElevenLabs replaces the Windows voice for all speech output.

You can sign up for a ElevenLabs account here: https://elevenlabs.io and they have a variety of different accounts. We have found the FREE tier seems to be adequate for most the purposes of iReporter.

  • API Key — your ElevenLabs account API key.
  • Voice ID — the ID of the ElevenLabs voice to use (found in the ElevenLabs voice library).
  • Voice Name — display label only, for your reference.
  • Output Device — the audio output device to use for ElevenLabs playback.

Requires an internet connection during races. If ElevenLabs is unavailable, no fallback to Windows TTS occurs automatically — ensure your connection is stable.

Push to Talk

iReporter can simulate a Push to Talk key press around each spoken message, so your microphone is muted while the voice plays through your headset.

To help get around the issue of having multiple buttons assigned to one function (like press to talk), we suggest the use of VJOY. VJOY is FREE software that can become a interface that adds options for users between their device (like a steering wheel button) and the game itself. 

VJOY download for Windows 10 & 11: https://github.com/BrunnerInnovation/vJoy/releases/tag/v2.2.2.0 

  • Keyboard Key — enter the key name (e.g. F13, CapsLock). The key will be held down for the duration of the spoken text.
  • vJoy Device / Button — alternatively, specify a vJoy virtual joystick device number and button number. Use either keyboard or vJoy, not both.

Per-Button Voice Control

When Voice is globally enabled, a Speak Text box appears on each button. Enter the text to be spoken when that button is pressed. Message variables such as {DRIVER} and {CAR#} are supported and will be substituted with live data at press time.

To silence voice for a specific button, tick Disable Voice for this button. The speak text is preserved but no audio will play for that button.

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