Clara Voice Code
Hands-free voice control for Claude Code in VS Code. Speak commands, hear responses. No keyboard needed.
Features
- Push-to-Talk — Hold the button to record, release to send your voice command to Claude Code
- Voice Responses — Claude speaks back using natural TTS (edge-tts)
- Wake Word — Say "Clara" (or "Claude") to activate without touching anything
- Auto Setup — Extension installs all Python dependencies automatically on first launch
- Fast Recognition — Powered by Groq Whisper API (~1 second transcription)
- No Focus Stealing — Uses CDP injection to send text without switching windows (~400ms)
How It Works
You speak -> Groq Whisper (STT) -> Claude Code -> Claude responds -> edge-tts (TTS) -> You hear
Quick Start
- Install this extension from VS Code Marketplace
- Get a free Groq API key at console.groq.com — the setup wizard will prompt you
- Open the Push-to-Talk panel — it appears in the bottom panel (next to Terminal)
- Hold the button and speak your command
- Release — your voice is transcribed and sent to Claude Code
On first install, the extension automatically installs required Python packages and configures CDP for text injection. A VS Code restart may be required after initial setup.
Requirements
- Windows (v1 — macOS/Linux support planned)
- Python 3.10+ with pip
- Groq API key (free tier available at console.groq.com)
- Claude Code extension for VS Code
| Mode |
How it works |
| Push-to-Talk |
Hold the PTT button in the panel, speak, release to send |
| Wake Word |
Say "Clara" or "Claude", then speak your command |
| Dictation |
All speech goes directly to Claude Code |
| Off |
Microphone disabled |
Voice Personas
| Persona |
Wake Word |
Russian Voice |
English Voice |
| Clara |
"Clara" |
Svetlana |
Jenny |
| Claude |
"Claude" |
Dmitri |
Guy |
Switch persona via Command Palette: Clara Voice: Switch Persona
Commands
| Command |
Description |
Clara Voice: Push-to-Talk |
Toggle recording (also available as panel button) |
Clara Voice: Switch Persona |
Switch between Clara and Claude voices |
Clara Voice: Run Setup Wizard |
Re-run initial setup (API key, dependencies, CDP) |
Keyboard Shortcuts
| Shortcut |
Action |
Ctrl+Shift+V |
Push-to-Talk toggle |
Settings
| Setting |
Default |
Description |
claraVoice.persona |
clara |
Voice persona (clara / claude) |
claraVoice.language |
ru |
Interface language (ru / en) |
claraVoice.mode |
wakeWord |
Input mode (wakeWord / dictation / pushToTalk / off) |
claraVoice.ttsSpeed |
1.2 |
TTS speech speed (0.8 - 1.5) |
claraVoice.ttsVolume |
75 |
TTS volume (0 - 100) |
claraVoice.soundFeedback |
true |
Play sound on wake word detection |
Architecture
clara-voice-code/
src/extension.ts — VS Code extension (activation, PTT panel, CDP inject)
src/mcp/standalone.ts — MCP server (voice_speak, voice_poll, voice_status)
scripts/voice-tray.py — System tray (wake word, STT via Groq Whisper)
scripts/speak.py — TTS engine (edge-tts + miniaudio playback)
scripts/cdp_inject.py — CDP text injection into Claude Code webview
sounds/ — Audio feedback WAV files
Troubleshooting
"cdp_inject failed" — Restart VS Code. CDP needs remote-debugging-port in ~/.vscode/argv.json (auto-configured by setup wizard).
No sound on TTS — Check that no other app is using the audio output device. Try adjusting claraVoice.ttsVolume.
Microphone not detected — Ensure Python has microphone access. Check Windows Privacy Settings > Microphone.
Push-to-Talk button not visible — Open the bottom panel (View > Panel) and look for the "Clara Voice" tab.
License
MIT
