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Overview

STTMuteFilter is a general-purpose processor that combines STT muting and interruption control. When active, it prevents both transcription and interruptions during specified conditions (e.g., bot speech, function calls), providing a cleaner conversation flow. The processor supports multiple simultaneous strategies for when to mute the STT service, making it flexible for different use cases.
Want to try it out? Check out the STTMuteFilter foundational demo

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Constructor Parameters

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config
STTMuteConfig
required
Configuration object that defines the muting strategies and optional custom logic
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stt_service
Optional[STTService]
required
The STT service to control (deprecated, will be removed in a future version)

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Configuration

The processor is configured using STTMuteConfig, which determines when and how the STT service should be muted:
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strategies
set[STTMuteStrategy]
Set of muting strategies to apply
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should_mute_callback
Callable[[STTMuteFilter], Awaitable[bool]]
default:"None"
Optional callback for custom muting logic (required when strategy is CUSTOM)

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Muting Strategies

STTMuteConfig accepts a set of these STTMuteStrategy values:
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FIRST_SPEECH
STTMuteStrategy
Mute only during the bot’s first speech (typically during introduction)
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MUTE_UNTIL_FIRST_BOT_COMPLETE
STTMuteStrategy
Start muted and remain muted until first bot speech completes. Useful when bot speaks first and you want to ensure its first response cannot be interrupted.
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FUNCTION_CALL
STTMuteStrategy
Mute during LLM function calls (e.g., API requests, external service calls)
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ALWAYS
STTMuteStrategy
Mute during all bot speech
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CUSTOM
STTMuteStrategy
Use custom logic provided via callback to determine when to mute. The callback is invoked when the bot is speaking and can use application state to decide whether to mute. When the bot stops speaking, unmuting occurs automatically if no other strategy requires muting.
MUTE_UNTIL_FIRST_BOT_COMPLETE and FIRST_SPEECH strategies should not be used together as they handle the first bot speech differently.

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Input Frames

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BotStartedSpeakingFrame
Frame
Indicates bot has started speaking
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BotStoppedSpeakingFrame
Frame
Indicates bot has stopped speaking
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FunctionCallInProgressFrame
Frame
Indicates a function call has started
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FunctionCallResultFrame
Frame
Indicates a function call has completed
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StartInterruptionFrame
Frame
User interruption start event (suppressed when muted)
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StopInterruptionFrame
Frame
User interruption stop event (suppressed when muted)
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UserStartedSpeakingFrame
Frame
Indicates user has started speaking (suppressed when muted)
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UserStoppedSpeakingFrame
Frame
Indicates user has stopped speaking (suppressed when muted)

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Output Frames

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STTMuteFrame
Frame
Control frame to mute/unmute the STT service
All input frames are passed through except VAD-related frames (interruptions and user speaking events) when muted.

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Usage Examples

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Basic Usage (Mute During Bot’s First Speech)

stt = DeepgramSTTService(api_key=os.getenv("DEEPGRAM_API_KEY"))
stt_mute_filter = STTMuteFilter(
    config=STTMuteConfig(strategies={
        STTMuteStrategy.FIRST_SPEECH
    })
)

pipeline = Pipeline([
    transport.input(),
    stt_mute_filter,  # Add before STT service
    stt,
    # ... rest of pipeline
])

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Mute Until First Bot Response Completes

stt_mute_filter = STTMuteFilter(
    config=STTMuteConfig(strategies={STTMuteStrategy.MUTE_UNTIL_FIRST_BOT_COMPLETE})
)
This ensures no user speech is processed until after the bot’s first complete response.

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Always Mute During Bot Speech

stt_mute_filter = STTMuteFilter(
    config=STTMuteConfig(strategies={STTMuteStrategy.ALWAYS})
)

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Custom Muting Logic

The CUSTOM strategy allows you to control muting based on application state when the bot is speaking. The callback will be invoked whenever the bot is speaking, and your logic decides whether to mute: 
# Create a state manager
class SessionState:
    def __init__(self):
        self.session_ending = False

session_state = SessionState()

# Callback function that determines whether to mute
async def session_state_mute_logic(stt_filter: STTMuteFilter) -> bool:
    # Return True to mute, False otherwise
    # This is called when the bot is speaking
    return session_state.session_ending

# Configure filter with CUSTOM strategy
stt_mute_filter = STTMuteFilter(
    config=STTMuteConfig(
        strategies={STTMuteStrategy.CUSTOM},
        should_mute_callback=session_state_mute_logic
    )
)

# Later, when you want to trigger muting (e.g., during session timeout):
async def handle_session_timeout():
    # Update state that will be checked by the callback
    session_state.session_ending = True

    # Send goodbye message
    goodbye_message = "Thank you for using our service. This session is now ending."
    await pipeline.push_frame(TTSSpeakFrame(text=goodbye_message))

    # The system will automatically mute during this message because:
    # 1. Bot starts speaking, triggering the callback
    # 2. Callback returns True (session_ending is True)
    # 3. When bot stops speaking, unmuting happens automatically

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Combining Multiple Strategies

async def custom_mute_logic(processor: STTMuteFilter) -> bool:
    # Example: Mute during business hours only
    current_hour = datetime.now().hour
    return 9 <= current_hour < 17

stt_mute_filter = STTMuteFilter(
    config=STTMuteConfig(
        strategies={
            STTMuteStrategy.FUNCTION_CALL,       # Mute during function calls
            STTMuteStrategy.CUSTOM,              # And during business hours
            STTMuteStrategy.MUTE_UNTIL_FIRST_BOT_COMPLETE  # And until first bot speech completes
        },
        should_mute_callback=custom_mute_logic
    )
)

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Frame Flow

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Notes

  • Combines STT muting and interruption control into a single concept
  • Muting prevents both transcription and interruptions
  • Multiple strategies can be active simultaneously
  • CUSTOM strategy callback is only invoked when the bot is speaking
  • Unmuting happens automatically when bot speech ends (if no other strategy requires muting)
  • Placed before STT service in pipeline
  • Maintains conversation flow during bot speech and function calls
  • Efficient state tracking for minimal overhead