Talon Voice Control

Talon Voice Control Setup

Custom voice control configuration for macOS using Talon.

Source code: github.com/ejfox/dotfiles/talon-overrides

Overview

Voice-driven workflow for terminal (Ghostty + tmux), macOS app switching, and window management. All config lives in ~/.dotfiles/talon-overrides/ (symlinked to ~/.talon/user/ejfox-overrides/).

The TTS feedback script (claude-say) lives at github.com/ejfox/dotfiles/bin/claude-say and the symlink setup is in sync-dotfiles.sh.

Architecture

• Community scripts: ~/.talon/user/community/ (talonhub/community clone)
• Custom overrides: ~/.talon/user/ejfox-overrides/ (dotfiles-tracked)
• Speech engine: Conformer (Talon's built-in, downloaded via Talon menu)

Files

File	Purpose	Source
settings.talon	Global settings (tmux prefix, subtitle config)	github
custom_keys.talon	Mode switching (cmd/talk) and Enter aliases	github
tmux.talon	~30 tmux voice commands (windows, panes, sessions)	github
terminal_commands.talon	Ghostty-specific: line editing, nav, git, launchers	github
macos_nav.talon	App switching, Rectangle Pro, Spaces, general macOS	github
ghostty.talon	Ghostty terminal detection (too new for community)	github
cursor.talon	Cursor IDE detection	github
apps.py	App definitions for newer apps not in community	github
nato_alphabet.py	NATO phonetic alphabet override (Python Context)	github
mode_line.py	2px colored bar at screen bottom showing current mode	github
ejfox_subtitles.py	Right-aligned subtitles below sketchybar	github
vocabulary.talon-list	~250 custom vocabulary terms	github

Key Design Decisions

NATO Alphabet via Python Override

The community .talon-list file takes priority over user overrides. The only reliable way to replace the letter list is a Python Context override.

tmux Prefix Timing

tmux needs sleep(100ms) between the prefix key and the command key. Without it, the command fires before tmux registers the prefix.

Anchored Rules for Dictation Mode

Commands must use ^...$ anchors to work in dictation mode. Without anchors, the prose capture engine swallows the command and types it as text.

Custom Subtitles

Community subtitles plugin is center-aligned with no horizontal position setting. Custom ejfox_subtitles.py renders right-aligned text below sketchybar (38px from top).

Mode Line

2px colored line at screen bottom replacing default circle indicator:

• Pink (#e60067): Command mode
• Teal (#6eedf7): Dictation mode
• Muted (#735865): Sleep mode

Voice Command Reference

Mode Switching

Say	Does
cmd	Switch to command mode
talk	Switch to dictation mode
go ahead / send it	Press Enter

tmux Windows

Say	Does
mux one thru mux nine	Jump to window N
mux next / mux previous	Next/prev window
mux last	Last used window
mux new	New window
mux rename	Rename window
mux close	Close window
mux alert / mux newest	Jump to window with bell

tmux Panes

Say	Does
mux left/right/up/down	Navigate panes
mux next pane	Cycle panes
mux split right/down	Split pane
mux pane right/down/left/up	Split + auto-focus new pane
mux close pane	Close current pane
mux zoom	Toggle pane fullscreen
mux sessions	Session picker
mux scroll	Enter scroll mode

Window Management (Rectangle Pro)

Say	Does
snap left / snap right	Half screen
snap full / snap up	Fullscreen
snap down	Bottom half
window bigger / window smaller	Resize
window grid	Grid overlay (F1)

App Switching

open ghosty, open chrome, open safari, open slack, open discord, open signal, open messages, open obsidian, open claude, open figma, open finder, open music, open OBS

Terminal (Ghostty)

Say	Does
wipe	Clear line (ctrl-u)
wipe word	Delete last word
cancel / nope / bail	Ctrl-C
again	Re-run last command
edit	Open nvim
lazy	Open lazygit
files	Open yazi
go home/code/smallweb/clients	Navigate directories
go subway/newswell/gem/paperclip	Project shortcuts
git status/push/pull/log/diff	Git commands
dev server / install	npm run dev / npm install
run claude	Launch Claude Code
connect VPS	SSH to VPS

claude-say (TTS)

Script at ~/bin/claude-say lets Claude Code speak responses aloud:

• Mutes mic input before speaking (prevents Talon feedback loop)
• Restores mic volume after speaking
• Prefixes with tmux window number for voice navigation
• Uses macOS say -v Samantha

Lessons Learned

1. .talon-list overrides don't reliably replace community lists — use Python Context overrides
2. Ghostty is too new for community scripts — need custom app detection
3. sleep(100ms) between tmux prefix and command key is essential
4. ^...$ anchors required for commands to work in dictation mode
5. Built-in Talon subtitle controlled by speech._subtitles setting (undocumented)
6. Community subtitles are a separate plugin with their own settings
7. macOS say triggers Talon — must mute mic first via claude-say wrapper

See Also

• Dotfiles — full dotfiles setup
• CLI — terminal workflow
• Nvim — editor configuration
• tmux — multiplexer setup