Skip to main content

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.

image.png

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.

The Test Voice button plays a short test phrase using whichever voice is currently active — Windows TTS or ElevenLabs.

Voice Output Device

Selects the audio output device used for all voice output — both Windows TTS and ElevenLabs. Set to Default (system audio) to use whatever Windows has set as the default playback device, or select a specific device (e.g. your sim headset) to route voice independently of other system audio.

This is particularly useful on a sim rig where you want race commentary and voice alerts going to your headset while other audio goes elsewhere.

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 an ElevenLabs account at https://elevenlabs.io. The FREE tier is adequate for most iReporter use.

  • 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.

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

Pauses in Spoken Text

You can insert pauses into any Speak Text field using the {PAUSE} or {PAUSE:N} variable, where N is the pause duration in milliseconds.

  • {PAUSE} — inserts a 500ms pause
  • {PAUSE:1000} — inserts a 1000ms (1 second) pause

Example: Crash detected. {PAUSE:500} Car {CRASHCAR} at turn three.

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 an 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.

Back to top