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Sonus

Sonus is an open-source JavaScript library for Node.js that detects customizable hotwords offline with Snowboy, then streams speech to Google Cloud Speech and emits recognition results in real time.

Explore the practical guide ↓

Independent OpenViST project profile, based on linked sources.

Sonus — OpenViST project profile in Audio & Voice AI.
OpenViST project illustration. See the linked sources for product details.
Understand the project

Practical overview

When it fits

Use Sonus when building a Node.js voice interface for a documented Linux or macOS environment and the workflow can use offline Snowboy hotword detection followed by Google Cloud Speech recognition.

Who it is for

  • Node.js developers adding voice input to hardware or software projects.
  • Developers prototyping voice-command interfaces or hands-free home-automation controls.

Documented uses

  • Listen for a configurable hotword without sending the hotword-detection stage to a cloud recognizer.
  • Stream speech after hotword detection to Google Cloud Speech for transcription.
  • Use hotword and final-result events as inputs to application logic.
Before you choose

Requirements & limits

  • SoX is a required system dependency in addition to the Node.js package.
  • Google Cloud Speech credentials are needed for the documented recognition setup.
  • Hotword detection is offline, while speech recognition uses a cloud service.
  • The README lists Linux and macOS support and does not list Windows support.
  • Training a new Snowboy hotword model takes place online through Snowboy’s web service.

Check current requirements in the official documentation. Source-based guidance does not mean OpenViST has run or independently tested this project.

Source-based practical guide

Set up Sonus with Google Cloud Speech

Prepare a Node.js project to initialize Sonus with a Snowboy hotword and Google Cloud Speech client.

Before you start

  • Node.js project
  • SoX installed
  • Google Cloud Speech configured with credentials, including a JSON key file accessible through GOOGLE_APPLICATION_CREDENTIALS or a key-file path
  • Snowboy hotword model file

Steps

  1. Install Sonus in the project with npm install --save sonus.

  2. Install SoX using the documented package-manager instructions for Linux or macOS.

  3. Configure Google Cloud Speech and provide its credentials.

  4. Create a Google Cloud Speech client, define the hotword model, and initialize Sonus with the hotword and client.

Expected outcome

The project has the documented Sonus initialization components for offline hotword detection and Google Cloud Speech recognition.

Guide limitations

  • This covers setup and initialization, not a verified running deployment.
  • Custom Snowboy hotword training must take place online through Snowboy’s web service.
  • The documented platform support is Linux and macOS; Windows is not listed as supported.
Documentation 1 ↗
Evidence and transparency

Sources & review

Official repository ↗
Source record details
Source availability
Active
Sources checked
14 October 2026
Original website title
evancohen/sonus · Official homepage title · retained in its source language
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