# Local Model Setup

Linnet runs fully locally on the Free tier. The transcription pipeline (Whisper) and tone annotation engine (wav2vec2-based SER, or speech emotion recognition) are bundled and download automatically on first start. No additional setup is required for core functionality.

## What runs locally

| Component | Model | Purpose |
|-----------|-------|---------|
| Transcription | Whisper (base or small) | Speech-to-text |
| Tone annotation | wav2vec2 SER | Emotional/social register classification |

Audio never leaves your machine. Both models run on-device via the `cf-voice` inference layer.

## Optional: translation via DeepL

Translation is the only feature that requires an external service. Two paths are available:

### Free tier: BYOK (bring your own key)

[DeepL offers a free API tier](https://www.deepl.com/en/pro/change-plan) (500,000 characters/month). Sign up, copy your API key, and add it to your `.env`:

```dotenv
DEEPL_API_KEY=your-deepl-api-key-here
```

Restart Linnet after saving the file.

### Paid tier

The Paid tier includes a CF-managed DeepL key. No environment variable is needed. Translation appears automatically once your license key is active.

## Choosing a Whisper model size

The default is `whisper-base`. If your machine has more VRAM or you want higher accuracy:

```dotenv
WHISPER_MODEL=small   # default: base
```

Available sizes: `tiny`, `base`, `small`, `medium`, `large`. Larger models are slower but more accurate, especially for accented speech.