Sync wrapper with Veskslop: streaming/crunch modes, vox/hev voice IDs

The Veskslop integration copy had grown word streaming
(VESKSLOP_TTS_STREAM, stream gain), 1990s crunch filters
(VESKSLOP_TTS_CRUNCH[_BITS|_RATE]), echo timing/level, and first-class
vox/hev voice IDs with preset-aware default metadata. Merge those back
into the standalone repo, keeping the tuned VOX preset (pitch 0, rate 15,
head size 34, lowering 50) in the preset and in the published defaults.

Update the wrapper regression test to the tuned registry values, add
__pycache__ to .gitignore, and document the new variables, voice IDs,
placeholder set and the word-mode-over-VOX precedence in README, NOTES
and TTS-DESIGN.

.gitignore

@@ -10,3 +10,4 @@ setup/out-*.reg
 *.wav
 setup/microslopsam.env
 third_party/flextalk/extracted/
+__pycache__/

README.md

@@ -73,8 +73,8 @@ Options: `-v` voice, `-t` text, `-o` output WAV, `-p` pitch, `-s` speed, `-V` vo
     export VESKSLOP_TTS_CMD="$PWD/setup/veskslop-tts.sh {out} {text_file}"
     export VESKSLOP_TTS_VOICES="$(setup/veskslop-tts.sh --voices)"
 
-The wrapper maps voice IDs (`sam`, `mary`, `mike`, `keith-bell`, `kerry-watson`, plus the
+The wrapper maps voice IDs (`sam`, `mary`, `mike`, `keith-bell`, `kerry-watson`, `vox`,
-MSTTS variants), reads `VESKSLOP_TTS_VOICE`, `VESKSLOP_TTS_SPEED` (multiplier),
+`hev`, plus the MSTTS variants), reads `VESKSLOP_TTS_VOICE`, `VESKSLOP_TTS_SPEED` (multiplier),
 `VESKSLOP_TTS_PITCH` (semitones) and `VESKSLOP_TTS_EXPRESSION` (0-100, Flextalk voices
 only), starts Xvfb when `DISPLAY` is unset, and writes a 48 kHz mono s16le WAV trimmed,
 faded and normalized to about -16 LUFS (-3 dBFS true peak).
@@ -95,10 +95,17 @@ so the first word is not gated; tune with `VESKSLOP_TTS_HUM_MS` (0 = off),
 
 **Half-Life presets** (Keith Bell): `VESKSLOP_TTS_PRESET=vox` applies the Valve VOX
 profile (pitch 0, rate 15, head size 34, lowering 50) and enables VOX prosody;
-`VESKSLOP_TTS_PRESET=hev` is a starting point for the HEV suit voice. The VOX values were
+`VESKSLOP_TTS_PRESET=hev` is a starting point for the HEV suit voice. The `vox` and `hev`
+voice IDs select these directly. The VOX values were
 tuned against the game's word assets with `tools/vox_compare.py`; details in
 `docs/TTS-DESIGN.md`.
 
+`VESKSLOP_TTS_CRUNCH` (`hl90`, `hl90hq`, `telephone`, `adpcm`, `crush`) adds 1990s lossy
+character to the output; `VESKSLOP_TTS_CRUNCH_BITS`/`_RATE` override its bit depth and
+sample rate. `VESKSLOP_TTS_STREAM=1` makes word mode write the WAV as it goes (no
+measurement pass; `VESKSLOP_TTS_STREAM_GAIN_DB` sets the gain). Echo timing and level are
+`VESKSLOP_TTS_ECHO_DELAY_MS` and `VESKSLOP_TTS_ECHO_LEVEL`.
+
 ## Layout
 
 - `host/sapi4host.c` — host: voice select, pitch/speed, text -> WAV
@@ -109,6 +116,7 @@ tuned against the game's word assets with `tools/vox_compare.py`; details in
 - `setup/inf2reg.py` — INF AddReg -> `.reg` converter
 - `setup/run.sh` — run helper (prefix + Xvfb)
 - `setup/veskslop-tts.sh` — Veskslop command-provider wrapper (post-processing included)
+- `setup/test-wrapper.sh` — wrapper regression test (stubbed Wine/host, no prefix needed)
 - `setup/vox_parser.py` — NetTTS-style VOX prosody encoder (Flextalk voices)
 - `tools/vox_compare.py` — reference-vs-synthesis metrics for preset tuning
 - `docs/NOTES.md` — registry/CLSID facts, runtime RE notes, gotchas

docs/NOTES.md

@@ -127,8 +127,8 @@ without them.
   the Python port; outputs are identical on the 31-line corpus. Re-check after any
   parser change while the clone is available.
 - VOX mode is Flextalk-only. The wrapper enables it with `VESKSLOP_TTS_VOX=1`
-  (`VESKSLOP_TTS_VOX_CLEAN=1` drops the stutter wrapper) and it takes precedence
+  (`VESKSLOP_TTS_VOX_CLEAN=1` drops the stutter wrapper); word mode
-  over `VESKSLOP_TTS_WORDS`.
+  (`VESKSLOP_TTS_WORDS=1`) wins and skips VOX prosody.
 - Half-Life presets (`VESKSLOP_TTS_PRESET=vox|hev`) target Keith Bell only. VOX starts
   from NetTTS `nettts_flextalk_vox_profile.reg` (pitch 3, rate 17, head 52, lowering 40)
   and is tuned against the game's word assets from `suchipi/half-life-vox-console`:

docs/TTS-DESIGN.md

@@ -254,6 +254,9 @@ record what the engine needs to interpret, add, or hide._
 - Assigned stable IDs: `sam`, `mary`, `mike`, `keith-bell`, `kerry-watson`; variants get
   `mike-telephone`, `mike-hall`, `mary-stadium`, `mike-space`, and so on. Unknown IDs fall
   back to `sam`.
+- `vox` (VOX (Half-Life)) and `hev` (HEV suit) are Keith Bell with a fixed preset profile;
+  selecting one implies `VESKSLOP_TTS_PRESET` (`vox` also enables VOX prosody). Their
+  `defaults=` metadata follows the active preset so the UI snap points match.
 - `/voices` (HTTP mode) reports `language: "en"`, gender, and the speed/pitch ranges below.
 
 ### Speed and pitch mapping (measured 2026-09-15)
@@ -372,15 +375,16 @@ Requirements and scope:
   The host passes `TTSDATAFLAG_TAGGED`, so the engine honors them. Other voices ignore
   `VESKSLOP_TTS_VOX`.
 - Needs `python3` at runtime; the wrapper fails loudly when it is missing.
-- Mutually exclusive with `VESKSLOP_TTS_WORDS` (VOX wins).
+- Combines with `VESKSLOP_TTS_WORDS`: word mode wins and VOX prosody is skipped.
 - Measured on the dev host for "Now approaching Sector C test lab. Please stand clear
   of the test chamber.": plain 4.70 s with 1 pause, VOX 7.81 s with 8 pauses.
 
 Other NetTTS features and their relevance:
 
-- Inline `/rate N`, `/pitch N`, `[[pause N]]`: not ported. Veskslop has speed/pitch
+- Inline `/rate N`, `/pitch N` are handled by the wrapper at the start of a line
-  controls and the profile window; `[[pause N]]` could be added as a wrapper-level
+  (percent, or a multiplier at or below 2.0); they override the env sliders for that
-  text splitter later (NetTTS supports it only outside VOX mode).
+  line and are not spoken. `[[pause N]]` is not ported; it could be added as a
+  wrapper-level text splitter later.
 - TCP server with `START`/`STOP` status sockets: not needed; Veskslop owns playback
   and knows when a line ends.
 - Winetricks prefix automation (`winxp`, `vcrun6`, `mfc42`, `riched20`): not needed;
@@ -702,10 +706,16 @@ Inputs: `{out}`, `{text_file}`, optional positional voice/speed/pitch/expression
 | --- | --- |
 | `VESKSLOP_TTS_PROFILE` | `pitch:27:...`/`key=value,...` overrides; the wrapper writes the full profile (defaults + overrides) to the Wine registry with `wine reg import` before every synthesis. |
 | `VESKSLOP_TTS_HIGHPASS` | High-pass Hz, 40-400 (default 40). |
-| `VESKSLOP_TTS_ECHO` | Mono echo 0-100 (`aecho`), default 0. |
+| `VESKSLOP_TTS_ECHO` | Mono echo 0-100 (`aecho`), default 0. The echo is mixed under the dry voice, so the voice level does not change. |
+| `VESKSLOP_TTS_ECHO_DELAY_MS` / `VESKSLOP_TTS_ECHO_LEVEL` | Echo delay 10-400 ms (default 60) and repeat level 0-0.95 relative to the dry voice (default 0.85). |
+| `VESKSLOP_TTS_CRUNCH` | `off` (default) or `hl90`, `hl90hq`, `telephone`, `adpcm`, `crush`: 1990s lossy character, applied last. |
+| `VESKSLOP_TTS_CRUNCH_BITS` / `VESKSLOP_TTS_CRUNCH_RATE` | Bit depth 1-16 and sample rate 4000-48000 overrides for the crunch stage. |
+| `VESKSLOP_TTS_STREAM` / `VESKSLOP_TTS_STREAM_GAIN_DB` | `1` = word mode writes the WAV as it goes (no measurement pass); fixed gain in dB for that path. |
 | `VESKSLOP_TTS_WORDS` / `VESKSLOP_TTS_WORD_GAP_MS` | Word-by-word synthesis with silence gaps (Flextalk only). |
 
-Placeholders `{profile}`, `{highpass}`, `{echo}`, `{words}`, `{word_gap_ms}` mirror the env vars.
+Placeholders `{profile}`, `{highpass}`, `{echo}`, `{echo_delay_ms}`, `{echo_level}`,
+`{words}`, `{word_gap_ms}`, `{crunch}`, `{crunch_bits}`, `{crunch_rate}`, `{stream}`,
+`{vox}`, `{vox_clean}`, `{preset}` mirror the env vars.
 `wine regedit` fails headlessly but returns 0: use `wine reg import`. A missing profile value
 must always write the engine default so no stale registry state survives.
 

setup/test-wrapper.sh

@@ -94,8 +94,8 @@ check "vox preset implies VOX parser" "1" "$(grep -c 'wH1' "$STUB_LOG")"
 # The preset writes the full audible profile to both hives.
 VESKSLOP_TTS_VOICE=keith-bell VESKSLOP_TTS_PRESET=vox run_wrapper
 check "preset writes both hives" "2" "$(grep -c 'Speakers\\{11260610' "$STUB_REG")"
-check "preset pitch (both hives)" "2" "$(grep -c '"Pitch"=dword:00000003' "$STUB_REG")"
+check "preset pitch (both hives)" "2" "$(grep -c '"Pitch"=dword:00000000' "$STUB_REG")"
-check "preset rate (both hives)" "2" "$(grep -c '"Speaking Rate"=dword:00000011' "$STUB_REG")"
+check "preset rate (both hives)" "2" "$(grep -c '"Speaking Rate"=dword:0000000f' "$STUB_REG")"
 check "preset gender and line mode" "4" "$(grep -cE '"Gender"=dword:00000002|"Line Mode"=dword:00000001' "$STUB_REG")"
 check "preset default speaker" "2" "$(grep -c '"Default Speaker"' "$STUB_REG")"
 
@@ -111,7 +111,7 @@ check "word mode with preset synthesizes every word" "3" "$(grep -c '^ARGV:' "$S
 check "word mode skips the VOX parser" "0" "$(grep -c 'wH1' "$STUB_LOG")"
 check "word mode tags every word" "3" \
     "$(sed -n 's/.*\[-t\] \[\(.*\)\] \[-o\].*/\1/p' "$STUB_LOG" | grep -c '^\\!R0.80 ')"
-check "word mode keeps the preset profile" "2" "$(grep -c '"Pitch"=dword:00000003' "$STUB_REG")"
+check "word mode keeps the preset profile" "2" "$(grep -c '"Pitch"=dword:00000000' "$STUB_REG")"
 check "word mode emits no attributes" "0" "$(attr_count)"
 
 # The vox preset implies VOX when the variable is unset, but word mode still wins.
@@ -139,7 +139,7 @@ check "stream has a gap per word break" "2" \
 
 # The Half-Life voices carry their profile preset.
 VESKSLOP_TTS_VOICE=vox VESKSLOP_TTS_VOX=1 run_wrapper
-check "vox voice writes the VOX profile (both hives)" "2" "$(grep -c '"Pitch"=dword:00000003' "$STUB_REG")"
+check "vox voice writes the VOX profile (both hives)" "2" "$(grep -c '"Pitch"=dword:00000000' "$STUB_REG")"
 check "vox voice runs VOX prosody" "1" "$(grep -c 'wH1' "$STUB_LOG")"
 VESKSLOP_TTS_VOICE=hev run_wrapper
 check "hev voice writes the HEV profile (both hives)" "2" "$(grep -c '"Pitch"=dword:0000000f' "$STUB_REG")"

setup/veskslop-tts.sh

@@ -16,13 +16,24 @@
 #                                             prominences, head_size, lowering
 #                   VESKSLOP_TTS_HIGHPASS     high-pass Hz (40-400, default 40)
 #                   VESKSLOP_TTS_ECHO         mono echo amount 0-100 (default 0)
-#                   VESKSLOP_TTS_WORDS        1 = synthesize each word, merge (Flextalk)
+#                   VESKSLOP_TTS_ECHO_DELAY_MS  echo delay 10-400 (default 60)
+#                   VESKSLOP_TTS_ECHO_LEVEL   echo repeat level 0-0.95, relative to the
+#                                             dry voice (default 0.85)
+#                   VESKSLOP_TTS_CRUNCH       off | hl90 | hl90hq | telephone | adpcm | crush
+#                                             (1990s lossy character, applied last)
+#                   VESKSLOP_TTS_CRUNCH_BITS  1-16, overrides the preset bit depth
+#                   VESKSLOP_TTS_CRUNCH_RATE  4000-48000 Hz, overrides the preset rate
+#                   VESKSLOP_TTS_STREAM       1 = word mode writes the WAV as it goes
+#                   VESKSLOP_TTS_STREAM_GAIN_DB  fixed gain for streaming (no measurement)
+#                   VESKSLOP_TTS_WORDS        1 = synthesize each word, merge (Flextalk);
+#                                             combines with a preset and wins over VOX prosody
 #                   VESKSLOP_TTS_WORD_GAP_MS  silence between words in ms (0-500)
 #                   VESKSLOP_TTS_VOX          1 = VOX prosody, NetTTS-style (Flextalk)
 #                   VESKSLOP_TTS_VOX_CLEAN    1 = VOX without the \!wH1/\!wH0 stutter
 #                   VESKSLOP_TTS_HUM_MS       leading low hum in ms, 0 = off (default 80)
 #                   VESKSLOP_TTS_HUM_HZ       hum frequency, 30-200 (default 75)
 #                   VESKSLOP_TTS_HUM_DB       hum peak level, -80..-6 (default -48)
+#                   voice `vox`/`hev`         Half-Life profiles as first-class voices
 #                   VESKSLOP_TTS_PRESET       vox | hev (Half-Life profiles, Keith Bell;
 #                                             vox also enables VOX prosody)
 #
@@ -33,11 +44,21 @@ HERE=$(CDPATH= cd -- "$(dirname -- "$0")" && pwd)
 . "$HERE/config.sh"
 ROOT=$MICROSLOP_ROOT
 
+# The Keith Bell defaults follow the active preset so the UI's "default" snap points
+# match the values the preset actually writes.
+VOX_DEFAULTS="pitch:0:rate:15:prominences:22:head_size:34:lowering:50:expression:59"
+HEV_DEFAULTS="pitch:15:rate:24:prominences:22:head_size:52:lowering:40:expression:59"
+case "${VESKSLOP_TTS_PRESET:-}" in
+    vox) KB_DEFAULTS="$VOX_DEFAULTS" ;;
+    hev) KB_DEFAULTS="$HEV_DEFAULTS" ;;
+    *)   KB_DEFAULTS="pitch:27:rate:33:prominences:17:head_size:46:lowering:40:expression:59" ;;
+esac
+
 # VESKSLOP_TTS_VOICES entries: id|Name|gender|language[|flags]
 # `expression=NN` marks a Flextalk voice with an Expression profile parameter and
 # its registry default. Expression is applied at voice load, so the wrapper writes
 # it into the Wine registry before synthesis.
-VOICES="sam|Sam|male|en,mary|Mary|female|en,mike|Mike|male|en,keith-bell|Keith Bell|male|en|expression=59+defaults=pitch:27:rate:33:prominences:17:head_size:46:lowering:40:expression:59,kerry-watson|Kerry Watson|female|en|expression=100+defaults=pitch:65:rate:32:prominences:17:head_size:45:lowering:40:expression:100,mike-telephone|Mike (for Telephone)|male|en,mary-telephone|Mary (for Telephone)|female|en,mike-hall|Mike in Hall|male|en,mike-stadium|Mike in Stadium|male|en,mike-space|Mike in Space|male|en,mary-hall|Mary in Hall|female|en,mary-stadium|Mary in Stadium|female|en,mary-space|Mary in Space|female|en"
+VOICES="sam|Sam|male|en,mary|Mary|female|en,mike|Mike|male|en,keith-bell|Keith Bell|male|en|expression=59+defaults=$KB_DEFAULTS,vox|VOX (Half-Life)|male|en|expression=59+defaults=$VOX_DEFAULTS,hev|HEV suit|male|en|expression=59+defaults=$HEV_DEFAULTS,kerry-watson|Kerry Watson|female|en|expression=100+defaults=pitch:65:rate:32:prominences:17:head_size:45:lowering:40:expression:100,mike-telephone|Mike (for Telephone)|male|en,mary-telephone|Mary (for Telephone)|female|en,mike-hall|Mike in Hall|male|en,mike-stadium|Mike in Stadium|male|en,mike-space|Mike in Space|male|en,mary-hall|Mary in Hall|female|en,mary-stadium|Mary in Stadium|female|en,mary-space|Mary in Space|female|en"
 
 if [ "${1:-}" = "--voices" ]; then
     echo "$VOICES"
@@ -53,11 +74,25 @@ EXPRESSION=${VESKSLOP_TTS_EXPRESSION:-${6:-}}
 PROFILE=${VESKSLOP_TTS_PROFILE:-}
 HIGHPASS=${VESKSLOP_TTS_HIGHPASS:-40}
 ECHO=${VESKSLOP_TTS_ECHO:-0}
+ECHO_DELAY=${VESKSLOP_TTS_ECHO_DELAY_MS:-60}
+ECHO_LEVEL=${VESKSLOP_TTS_ECHO_LEVEL:-0.85}
+CRUNCH=${VESKSLOP_TTS_CRUNCH:-off}
+CRUNCH_BITS=${VESKSLOP_TTS_CRUNCH_BITS:-}
+CRUNCH_RATE=${VESKSLOP_TTS_CRUNCH_RATE:-}
+STREAM=${VESKSLOP_TTS_STREAM:-0}
+STREAM_GAIN=${VESKSLOP_TTS_STREAM_GAIN_DB:-0}
 WORDS=${VESKSLOP_TTS_WORDS:-0}
 WORD_GAP=${VESKSLOP_TTS_WORD_GAP_MS:-120}
 VOX=${VESKSLOP_TTS_VOX:-0}
 VOX_CLEAN=${VESKSLOP_TTS_VOX_CLEAN:-0}
 PRESET=${VESKSLOP_TTS_PRESET:-}
+
+# The Half-Life voices are Keith Bell with a fixed profile preset; selecting one
+# stands in for VESKSLOP_TTS_PRESET.
+case "$VOICE" in
+    vox) [ -n "$PRESET" ] || PRESET=vox ;;
+    hev) [ -n "$PRESET" ] || PRESET=hev ;;
+esac
 # The VOX preset is the Half-Life announcement voice: it implies VOX prosody
 # unless the caller explicitly disables it.
 if [ "$PRESET" = "vox" ] && [ -z "${VESKSLOP_TTS_VOX:-}" ]; then
@@ -72,6 +107,8 @@ case "$VOICE" in
     mary)           ENGVOICE="Mary" ;;
     mike)           ENGVOICE="Mike" ;;
     keith-bell)     ENGVOICE="Keith Bell" ;;
+    vox)            ENGVOICE="Keith Bell" ;;
+    hev)            ENGVOICE="Keith Bell" ;;
     kerry-watson)   ENGVOICE="Kerry Watson" ;;
     mike-telephone) ENGVOICE="Mike (for Telephone)" ;;
     mary-telephone) ENGVOICE="Mary (for Telephone)" ;;
@@ -350,9 +387,11 @@ fi
 
 # SAPI4 is ANSI/CP1252. VOX mode (Flextalk only) first transforms the text into
 # vendor tags (\!wH1/\!wH0, \!br, \!sfNN) with setup/vox_parser.py; the parser
-# works on UTF-8, so it runs before the CP1252 transliteration.
+# works on UTF-8, so it runs before the CP1252 transliteration. Word mode builds
+# its own cadence from single-word instances, so the parser is skipped there: VOX
+# tags cannot survive a word split.
 TEXT_SRC="$TEXT_IN"
-if [ "$VOX" = "1" ] && [ -n "$SPEAKER_GUID" ]; then
+if [ "$VOX" = "1" ] && [ -n "$SPEAKER_GUID" ] && [ "$WORDS" != "1" ]; then
     if command -v "$MICROSLOP_PYTHON" >/dev/null 2>&1 && [ -f "$MICROSLOP_ROOT/setup/vox_parser.py" ]; then
         if [ "$VOX_CLEAN" = "1" ]; then
             "$MICROSLOP_PYTHON" "$MICROSLOP_ROOT/setup/vox_parser.py" --clean < "$TEXT_IN" > "$TMP/vox.txt"
@@ -399,10 +438,19 @@ try_run_host() {
     exit 1
 }
 
+# Streaming word mode writes each word as it is synthesized (see below), after the
+# filter chain exists, so the classic all-at-once path is skipped for it.
+STREAM_WORDS=0
+if [ "$STREAM" = "1" ] && [ "$WORDS" = "1" ] && [ -n "$SPEAKER_GUID" ]; then
+    STREAM_WORDS=1
+fi
+
+if [ "$STREAM_WORDS" != "1" ]; then
 # Word mode (Flextalk): synthesize each word and merge with silence gaps, which
 # gives the staccato radio cadence the Half-Life VOX/HEV voices are known for.
-# VOX mode takes precedence: it produces its own cadence with vendor tags.
+# It combines with a preset (the profile is already written) and takes precedence
-if [ "$WORDS" = "1" ] && [ -n "$SPEAKER_GUID" ] && [ "$VOX" != "1" ]; then
+# over VOX prosody, which cannot survive a word split.
+if [ "$WORDS" = "1" ] && [ -n "$SPEAKER_GUID" ]; then
     GAP=$WORD_GAP
     case "$GAP" in *[!0-9]*|"") GAP=120 ;; esac
     [ "$GAP" -gt 500 ] && GAP=500
@@ -432,6 +480,7 @@ else
     try_run_host "$RAW" "$TAG_PREFIX$(cat "$TXT")"
 fi
 [ -s "$RAW" ] || { echo "engine produced no audio" >&2; exit 1; }
+fi
 
 # Filter chain: adjustable high-pass, silence trim, fades, optional mono echo.
 case "$HIGHPASS" in *[!0-9]*|"") HIGHPASS=40 ;; esac
@@ -441,17 +490,65 @@ case "$HIGHPASS" in *[!0-9]*|"") HIGHPASS=40 ;; esac
 case "$ECHO" in *[!0-9]*|"") ECHO=0 ;; esac
 [ "$ECHO" -gt 100 ] && ECHO=100
 
+case "$ECHO_DELAY" in *[!0-9]*|"") ECHO_DELAY=60 ;; esac
+[ "$ECHO_DELAY" -lt 10 ] && ECHO_DELAY=10
+[ "$ECHO_DELAY" -gt 400 ] && ECHO_DELAY=400
+case "$ECHO_LEVEL" in *[!0-9.]*|""|".") ECHO_LEVEL=0.85 ;; esac
+ECHO_LEVEL=$(awk -v v="$ECHO_LEVEL" 'BEGIN{ if (v<0) v=0; if (v>0.95) v=0.95; printf "%.2f", v }')
+
 SIL="silenceremove=start_periods=1:start_duration=0.05:start_silence=0.03:start_threshold=-50dB"
 PRE="highpass=f=$HIGHPASS,$SIL,afade=t=in:st=0:d=0.008,areverse,$SIL,afade=t=in:st=0:d=0.008,areverse"
+# aecho's in_gain/out_gain scale the dry signal as well, so a low ECHO_LEVEL used to
+# quiet the whole line (and the streaming path, which skips the loudness measurement,
+# had nothing to make it up). Keep both gains at unity and let the repeats' decay carry
+# the level; the limiter absorbs the summed peaks.
 if [ "$ECHO" -gt 0 ]; then
-    DECAY=$(awk -v e="$ECHO" 'BEGIN{printf "%.2f", 0.2 + e * 0.006}')
+    DECAY=$(awk -v e="$ECHO" -v l="$ECHO_LEVEL" 'BEGIN{
-    PRE="$PRE,aecho=0.8:0.85:60:${DECAY}"
+        d = (0.2 + e * 0.006) * (l / 0.85);
+        if (d < 0.02) d = 0.02;
+        if (d > 0.95) d = 0.95;
+        printf "%.2f", d
+    }')
+    PRE="$PRE,aecho=1:1:${ECHO_DELAY}:${DECAY},alimiter=limit=0.98:level=disabled"
+fi
+
+# Compression stage ("crunch"): the lossy 1990s codec character, built as its own
+# stage that runs after the rest of the chain so it colours the echo tails too. The
+# signal is quantized at a low rate / bit depth and comes back to 48 kHz so the
+# daemon's output contract holds.
+CRUNCH_FILTERS=""
+case "$CRUNCH" in
+    hl90|vox90)      CRUNCH_BAND="highpass=f=200,lowpass=f=5000";  CRUNCH_RATE=${CRUNCH_RATE:-11025}; CRUNCH_BITS=${CRUNCH_BITS:-8} ;;
+    hl90hq)          CRUNCH_BAND="highpass=f=200,lowpass=f=7000";  CRUNCH_RATE=${CRUNCH_RATE:-22050}; CRUNCH_BITS=${CRUNCH_BITS:-8} ;;
+    telephone|phone) CRUNCH_BAND="highpass=f=300,lowpass=f=3400";  CRUNCH_RATE=${CRUNCH_RATE:-8000};  CRUNCH_BITS=${CRUNCH_BITS:-8} ;;
+    adpcm)           CRUNCH_BAND="highpass=f=200,lowpass=f=5000";  CRUNCH_RATE=${CRUNCH_RATE:-11025}; CRUNCH_BITS=${CRUNCH_BITS:-4} ;;
+    crush|custom)    CRUNCH_BAND="${VESKSLOP_TTS_CRUNCH_BAND:-}";  CRUNCH_RATE=${CRUNCH_RATE:-22050}; CRUNCH_BITS=${CRUNCH_BITS:-6} ;;
+    off|"") ;;
+    *) echo "unknown crunch preset: $CRUNCH" >&2; exit 2 ;;
+esac
+if [ "$CRUNCH" != "off" ] && [ -n "$CRUNCH" ]; then
+    case "$CRUNCH_RATE" in *[!0-9]*|"") CRUNCH_RATE=22050 ;; esac
+    [ "$CRUNCH_RATE" -lt 4000 ] && CRUNCH_RATE=4000
+    [ "$CRUNCH_RATE" -gt 48000 ] && CRUNCH_RATE=48000
+    case "$CRUNCH_BITS" in *[!0-9]*|"") CRUNCH_BITS=8 ;; esac
+    [ "$CRUNCH_BITS" -lt 1 ] && CRUNCH_BITS=1
+    [ "$CRUNCH_BITS" -gt 16 ] && CRUNCH_BITS=16
+    [ -n "$CRUNCH_BAND" ] && CRUNCH_FILTERS="$CRUNCH_BAND,"
+    CRUNCH_FILTERS="${CRUNCH_FILTERS}aresample=$CRUNCH_RATE"
+    if [ "$CRUNCH_BITS" = "8" ]; then
+        CRUNCH_FILTERS="$CRUNCH_FILTERS,aformat=sample_fmts=u8"
+    else
+        CRUNCH_FILTERS="$CRUNCH_FILTERS,acrusher=bits=$CRUNCH_BITS:mode=log:mix=1"
+    fi
+    CRUNCH_FILTERS="$CRUNCH_FILTERS,aresample=48000,aformat=sample_fmts=s16"
 fi
 
 # Fixed-gain normalization: single-pass loudnorm misbehaves on short lines
 # (LRA=0 causes heavy attenuation), so measure EBU R128 integrated loudness and
 # true peak, then apply one gain clamped by the -3 dBFS peak target.
-M=$("$MICROSLOP_FFMPEG" -hide_banner -nostats -i "$RAW" -af "$PRE,ebur128=peak=true" \
+MEASURE_CHAIN="$PRE"
+[ -n "$CRUNCH_FILTERS" ] && MEASURE_CHAIN="$PRE,$CRUNCH_FILTERS"
+M=$("$MICROSLOP_FFMPEG" -hide_banner -nostats -i "$RAW" -af "$MEASURE_CHAIN,ebur128=peak=true" \
         -f null - 2>&1 || true)
 I=$(printf '%s' "$M" | sed -n 's/ *I: *\(-\{0,1\}[0-9.]*\) *LUFS.*/\1/p' | tail -1)
 TP=$(printf '%s' "$M" | sed -n 's/ *Peak: *\(-\{0,1\}[0-9.]*\) *dBFS.*/\1/p' | tail -1)
@@ -468,6 +565,71 @@ else
     GAIN=0
 fi
 
+# Streaming word mode: write a WAV header with unknown sizes, then append each
+# word's PCM as it is ready, so a player can start on the first word instead of
+# waiting for the whole line. The loudness measurement is skipped; set
+# VESKSLOP_TTS_STREAM_GAIN_DB if the engine levels need a nudge.
+if [ "$STREAM_WORDS" = "1" ]; then
+    SGAIN=""
+    case "$STREAM_GAIN" in
+        ''|*[!0-9.-]*|'.'|'-') ;;
+        *) SGAIN=",volume=${STREAM_GAIN}dB" ;;
+    esac
+
+    # RIFF/????/WAVE, fmt 16 bytes, PCM mono 48000 Hz s16le, data/????
+    printf 'RIFF\377\377\377\377WAVEfmt \020\000\000\000\001\000\001\000\200\273\000\000\000w\001\000\002\000\020\000data\377\377\377\377' > "$OUT" \
+        || { echo "could not write $OUT" >&2; exit 1; }
+
+    set -f
+    # shellcheck disable=SC2046
+    set -- $(cat "$TXT")
+    set +f
+    WORD_COUNT=$#
+    INDEX=0
+    GAP=$WORD_GAP
+    case "$GAP" in *[!0-9]*|"") GAP=120 ;; esac
+    [ "$GAP" -gt 500 ] && GAP=500
+
+    # Leading hum, written once before the first word (same settings as the classic path).
+    if [ "$HUM_MS" -gt 0 ]; then
+        HUM_S=$(awk -v ms="$HUM_MS" 'BEGIN{printf "%.3f", ms/1000}')
+        HUM_HZ_C=$(awk -v v="$HUM_HZ" 'BEGIN{ if (v<30) v=30; if (v>200) v=200; printf "%.1f", v }')
+        HUM_DB_C=$(awk -v v="$HUM_DB" 'BEGIN{ if (v>-6) v=-6; if (v<-80) v=-80; printf "%.1f", v }')
+        HUM_AMP_C=$(awk -v db="$HUM_DB_C" 'BEGIN{printf "%.6f", 10^(db/20)}')
+        if "$MICROSLOP_FFMPEG" -hide_banner -loglevel error -f lavfi \
+                -i "aevalsrc=exprs='$HUM_AMP_C*sin(2*PI*$HUM_HZ_C*t)':s=48000:d=$HUM_S" \
+                -f s16le -ac 1 -ar 48000 "$TMP/hum.raw"; then
+            cat "$TMP/hum.raw" >> "$OUT"
+        fi
+    fi
+
+    for word in "$@"; do
+        INDEX=$((INDEX + 1))
+        try_run_host "$TMP/sw$INDEX.wav" "${TAG_PREFIX}${word}"
+        if ! "$MICROSLOP_FFMPEG" -hide_banner -loglevel error -y -i "$TMP/sw$INDEX.wav" \
+                -af "$PRE$SGAIN${CRUNCH_FILTERS:+,$CRUNCH_FILTERS}" \
+                -f s16le -ac 1 -ar 48000 "$TMP/sw$INDEX.raw"; then
+            echo "streaming post-processing failed" >&2
+            exit 1
+        fi
+        cat "$TMP/sw$INDEX.raw" >> "$OUT" 2>/dev/null || { echo "stream write failed" >&2; exit 1; }
+
+        # The player waits for this marker so it does not start on the bare header.
+        if [ "$INDEX" = "1" ]; then : > "$OUT.ready"; fi
+
+        if [ "$GAP" -gt 0 ] && [ "$INDEX" -lt "$WORD_COUNT" ]; then
+            if "$MICROSLOP_FFMPEG" -hide_banner -loglevel error -y -f lavfi -i "anullsrc=r=48000:cl=mono" \
+                    -t "$(awk -v g="$GAP" 'BEGIN{printf "%.3f", g/1000}')" \
+                    -f s16le -ac 1 -ar 48000 "$TMP/gap.raw"; then
+                cat "$TMP/gap.raw" >> "$OUT"
+            fi
+        fi
+    done
+
+    [ "$INDEX" -gt 0 ] || { echo "no words to stream" >&2; exit 1; }
+    exit 0
+fi
+
 TMPOUT="$TMP/out.wav"
 # Leading hum: a quiet low tone in the pre-speech padding, to prime Discord's
 # audio pipeline so the first syllable is not gated. Level/frequency/duration
@@ -488,12 +650,12 @@ if [ "$HUM_MS" -gt 0 ]; then
     if ! "$MICROSLOP_FFMPEG" -hide_banner -nostats -y \
             -f lavfi -i "aevalsrc=exprs='$HUM_AMP*sin(2*PI*$HUM_HZ*t)':s=48000:d=$HUM_S" \
             -i "$RAW" \
-            -filter_complex "[0:a]afade=t=in:st=0:d=$HUM_FADE,afade=t=out:st=$HUM_FADE_OUT:d=$HUM_FADE,aformat=sample_fmts=s16:channel_layouts=mono:sample_rates=48000[h];[1:a]$PRE,volume=${GAIN}dB,aresample=48000,aformat=sample_fmts=s16:channel_layouts=mono[a];[h][a]concat=n=2:v=0:a=1[out]" \
+            -filter_complex "[0:a]afade=t=in:st=0:d=$HUM_FADE,afade=t=out:st=$HUM_FADE_OUT:d=$HUM_FADE,aformat=sample_fmts=s16:channel_layouts=mono:sample_rates=48000[h];[1:a]$PRE,volume=${GAIN}dB,${CRUNCH_FILTERS:+$CRUNCH_FILTERS,}aresample=48000,aformat=sample_fmts=s16:channel_layouts=mono[a];[h][a]concat=n=2:v=0:a=1[out]" \
             -map "[out]" -c:a pcm_s16le "$TMPOUT" >/dev/null 2>"$TMP/ff"; then
         head -c 400 "$TMP/ff" >&2
         exit 1
     fi
-elif ! "$MICROSLOP_FFMPEG" -hide_banner -nostats -y -i "$RAW" -af "$PRE,volume=${GAIN}dB" \
+elif ! "$MICROSLOP_FFMPEG" -hide_banner -nostats -y -i "$RAW" -af "$PRE,volume=${GAIN}dB,${CRUNCH_FILTERS:+$CRUNCH_FILTERS,}aresample=48000,aformat=sample_fmts=s16" \
         -ar 48000 -ac 1 -c:a pcm_s16le "$TMPOUT" >/dev/null 2>"$TMP/ff"; then
     head -c 400 "$TMP/ff" >&2
     exit 1