say-mcp-server

An MCP server that provides text-to-speech functionality using macOS's built-in say command.

Requirements

macOS (uses the built-in say command)
Node.js >= 14.0.0

Configuration

Add the following to your MCP settings configuration file:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "say": {
      "command": "node",
      "args": ["/path/to/say-mcp-server/build/index.js"]
    }
  }
}

Installation

npm install say-mcp-server

Tools

speak

The speak tool provides access to macOS's text-to-speech capabilities with extensive customization options.

Basic Usage

Use macOS text-to-speech to speak text aloud.

Parameters:

text (required): Text to speak. Supports:
- Plain text
- Basic punctuation for pauses
- Newlines for natural breaks
- [[slnc 500]] for 500ms silence
- [[rate 200]] for changing speed mid-text
- [[volm 0.5]] for changing volume mid-text
- [[emph +]] and [[emph -]] for emphasis
- [[pbas +10]] for pitch adjustment
voice (optional): Voice to use (default: "Alex")
rate (optional): Speaking rate in words per minute (default: 175, range: 1-500)
background (optional): Run speech in background to allow further MCP interaction (default: false)

Advanced Features

Voice Modulation:

use_mcp_tool({
  server_name: "say",
  tool_name: "speak",
  arguments: {
    text: "[[volm 0.7]] This is quieter [[volm 1.0]] and this is normal [[volm 1.5]] and this is louder",
    voice: "Victoria"
  }
});

Dynamic Rate Changes:

use_mcp_tool({
  server_name: "say",
  tool_name: "speak",
  arguments: {
    text: "Normal speed [[rate 300]] now speaking faster [[rate 100]] and now slower",
    voice: "Fred"
  }
});

Emphasis and Pitch:

use_mcp_tool({
  server_name: "say",
  tool_name: "speak",
  arguments: {
    text: "[[emph +]] Important point! [[emph -]] [[pbas +10]] Higher pitch [[pbas -10]] Lower pitch",
    voice: "Samantha"
  }
});

Integration Examples

With Marginalia Search:

// Search for a topic and have the results read aloud
const searchResult = await use_mcp_tool({
  server_name: "marginalia-mcp-server",
  tool_name: "search",
  arguments: { query: "quantum computing basics", count: 1 }
});

await use_mcp_tool({
  server_name: "say",
  tool_name: "speak",
  arguments: {
    text: searchResult.results[0].description,
    voice: "Daniel",
    rate: 150
  }
});

With YouTube Transcripts:

// Read a YouTube video transcript
const transcript = await use_mcp_tool({
  server_name: "youtube-transcript",
  tool_name: "get_transcript",
  arguments: {
    url: "https://youtube.com/watch?v=example",
    lang: "en"
  }
});

await use_mcp_tool({
  server_name: "say",
  tool_name: "speak",
  arguments: {
    text: transcript.text,
    voice: "Samantha",
    rate: 175
  }
});

Background Speech with Multiple Actions:

// Start long speech in background
await use_mcp_tool({
  server_name: "say",
  tool_name: "speak",
  arguments: {
    text: "This is a long speech that will run in the background...",
    voice: "Rocko (Italian (Italy))",
    rate: 69,
    background: true
  }
});

// Immediately perform another action while speech continues
await use_mcp_tool({
  server_name: "marginalia-mcp-server",
  tool_name: "search",
  arguments: { query: "parallel processing" }
});

With Apple Notes:

// Read notes aloud
const notes = await use_mcp_tool({
  server_name: "apple-notes-mcp",
  tool_name: "search-notes",
  arguments: { query: "meeting notes" }
});

if (notes.length > 0) {
  await use_mcp_tool({
    server_name: "say",
    tool_name: "speak",
    arguments: {
      text: notes[0].content,
      voice: "Karen",
      rate: 160
    }
  });
}

Example:

use_mcp_tool({
  server_name: "say",
  tool_name: "speak",
  arguments: {
    text: "Hello, world!",
    voice: "Victoria",
    rate: 200
  }
});

list_voices

List all available text-to-speech voices on the system.

Example:

use_mcp_tool({
  server_name: "say",
  tool_name: "list_voices",
  arguments: {}
});

Recommended Voices

<table> <tr> <th>Voice</th> <th>Language/Region</th> <th>Intellectual Figure</th> <th>Haiku</th> <th>CLI Specification</th> </tr> <tr> <td>Anna (Premium)</td> <td>German</td> <td>Emmy Noether</td> <td>Symmetrie haucht Leben Algebras verborgne Form Abstraktion blüht Symmetry breathes life Algebra's hidden forms Abstraction blooms</td> <td><code>-v "Anna (Premium)"</code></td> </tr> <tr> <td>Emma (Premium)</td> <td>Italian</td> <td>Maria Adelaide Sneider</td> <td>Algoritmi in danza Macchina sussurra dolce Il codice vive Algorithms dance Machine whispers secrets soft Code becomes alive</td> <td><code>-v "Emma (Premium)"</code></td> </tr> <tr> <td>Federica (Premium)</td> <td>Italian</td> <td>Pia Nalli</td> <td>Teoremi fluenti Numeri danzano liberi Verità emerge Flowing theorems dance Numbers move in freedom's space Truth emerges pure</td> <td><code>-v "Federica (Premium)"</code></td> </tr> <tr> <td>Serena (Premium)</td> <td>English (UK)</td> <td>Bertha Swirles</td> <td>Quantum waves ripple Through mathematical seas deep Truth's light emerges Quantum waves ripple Through mathematical seas deep Truth's light emerges</td> <td><code>-v "Serena (Premium)"</code></td> </tr> <tr> <td>Petra (Premium)</td> <td>German</td> <td>Ruth Moufang</td> <td>Algebra spricht In Symmetrien versteckt Wahrheit erblüht Algebra speaks soft Hidden in symmetries pure Truth blooms anew here</td> <td><code>-v "Petra (Premium)"</code></td> </tr> <tr> <td>Yuna (Premium)</td> <td>Korean</td> <td>Hee Oh</td> <td>숨은 패턴 빛나고 마음의 방정식 핀다 지식 자라나 Hidden patterns gleam Mind's equations softly bloom Knowledge multiplies</td> <td><code>-v "Yuna (Premium)"</code></td> </tr> <tr> <td>Alva (Premium)</td> <td>Swedish</td> <td>Sonja Korovkin</td> <td>Mönster flödar fritt Genom tankens labyrinter Visdom blomstrar här Patterns flowing free Through labyrinths of the mind Wisdom blooms right here</td> <td><code>-v "Alva (Premium)"</code></td> </tr> <tr> <td>Amélie (Premium)</td> <td>French (Canada)</td> <td>Sophie Germain</td> <td>Nombres premiers murmurent Dansent entre les silences Symétrie s'ouvre Prime numbers whisper Dancing between the silence Symmetry unfolds</td> <td><code>-v "Amélie (Premium)"</code></td> </tr> <tr> <td>Ewa (Premium)</td> <td>Polish</td> <td>Maria Wielgus</td> <td>Logiki korzenie Matematyczne krainy Myśl kiełkująca Logic's tender roots Mathematical landscapes Thought's seeds germinate</td> <td><code>-v "Ewa (Premium)"</code></td> </tr> <tr> <td>Kiyara (Premium)</td> <td>Hindi</td> <td>Shakuntala Devi</td> <td>गणित की लय में अंक नृत्य करते हैं ज्ञान जगता है In rhythm of math Numbers dance their sacred steps Knowledge awakens</td> <td><code>-v "Kiyara (Premium)"</code></td> </tr> <tr> <td>Majed (Premium)</td> <td>Arabic</td> <td>Maha Al-Aswad</td> <td>أرقام ترقص في فضاء اللانهاية الحقيقة تشرق Numbers dance freely In infinity's vast space Truth rises like dawn</td> <td><code>-v "Majed (Premium)"</code></td> </tr> <tr> <td>Tünde (Premium)</td> <td>Hungarian</td> <td>Julia Erdős</td> <td>Számok táncolnak Végtelen térben szállnak Igazság virrad Numbers dance and soar Through infinite space they glide Truth dawns pure and bright</td> <td><code>-v "Tünde (Premium)"</code></td> </tr> <tr> <td>Fiona (Enhanced)</td> <td>English (Scottish)</td> <td>Mary Somerville</td> <td>Highland mists reveal Mathematical mysteries Truth shines like the stars Highland mists reveal Mathematical mysteries Truth shines like the stars</td> <td><code>-v "Fiona (Enhanced)"</code></td> </tr> <tr> <td>Lesya (Enhanced)</td> <td>Ukrainian</td> <td>Olena Voinova</td> <td>Тиша говорить Між зірками знання спить Думка проростає Silence speaks softly Knowledge sleeps among the stars Thought begins to grow</td> <td><code>-v "Lesya (Enhanced)"</code></td> </tr> <tr> <td>Carmit (Enhanced)</td> <td>Hebrew</td> <td>Tali Seror</td> <td>מילים נושמות בשקט בין שורות של דממה שיר מתעורר Words breathe silently Between lines of deep stillness Poem awakening</td> <td><code>-v "Carmit (Enhanced)"</code></td> </tr> <tr> <td>Milena (Enhanced)</td> <td>Russian</td> <td>Olga Ladyzhenskaya</td> <td>Память шепчет нам Уравнения текут Истина молчит Memory whispers Equations flow like rivers Truth speaks silently</td> <td><code>-v "Milena (Enhanced)"</code></td> </tr> <tr> <td>Katya (Enhanced)</td> <td>Russian</td> <td>Sofia Kovalevskaya</td> <td>Числа танцуют В пространстве бесконечном Истина цветёт Numbers dance freely In space of infinity Truth blooms like a flower</td> <td><code>-v "Katya (Enhanced)"</code></td> </tr> <tr> <td>Damayanti (Enhanced)</td> <td>Indonesian</td> <td>Sri Pekerti</td> <td>Angka menari Dalam ruang tak batas Kebenaran tumbuh Numbers dance gently In boundless space they flutter Truth grows like new leaves</td> <td><code>-v "Damayanti (Enhanced)"</code></td> </tr> <tr> <td>Dariush (Enhanced)</td> <td>Persian</td> <td>Maryam Mirzakhani</td> <td>اعداد می رقصند در فضای بی پایان حقیقت می روید Numbers dance with grace In endless space they traverse Truth springs forth anew</td> <td><code>-v "Dariush (Enhanced)"</code></td> </tr> <tr> <td>Rocko (Italian)</td> <td>Italian</td> <td>Astro Boy (Tetsuwan Atomu) Italian dub</td> <td>Robot di metallo Cuore umano batte forte Pace nel futuro Metal robot form Human heart beats strong within Peace in future dawns</td> <td><code>-v "Rocko (Italian (Italy))"</code></td> </tr> <tr> <td>Rocko (Italian)</td> <td>Italian</td> <td>Jeeg Robot d'Acciaio (Kōtetsu Jeeg)</td> <td>Acciaio lucente Protettore dei deboli Vola nel cielo Shining steel warrior Protector of the helpless Soars through the heavens</td> <td><code>-v "Rocko (Italian (Italy))"</code></td> </tr> <tr> <td>Rocko (Italian)</td> <td>Italian</td> <td>Numero 5 (Short Circuit)</td> <td>Input infinito La coscienza si risveglia Vita artificiale Infinite input Consciousness awakening Artificial life</td> <td><code>-v "Rocko (Italian (Italy))"</code></td> </tr> <tr> <td>Binbin (Enhanced)</td> <td>Chinese (Mainland)</td> <td>Li Shanlan</td> <td>算术之道流 数理演绎真理 智慧绽放 Arithmetic flows Logic unfolds truth's pattern Wisdom blossoms bright</td> <td><code>-v "Binbin (Enhanced)"</code></td> </tr> <tr> <td>Han (Premium)</td> <td>Chinese (Mainland)</td> <td>Chen Jingrun</td> <td>素数之舞动 哥德巴赫猜想 真理永恒 Prime numbers dancing Goldbach's conjecture whispers Truth eternal flows</td> <td><code>-v "Han (Premium)"</code></td> </tr> <tr> <td>Lilian (Premium)</td> <td>Chinese (Mainland)</td> <td>Hua Luogeng</td> <td>数论之光芒 解析延续美 智慧升华 Number theory shines Analysis extends grace Wisdom ascends pure</td> <td><code>-v "Lilian (Premium)"</code></td> </tr> <tr> <td>Meijia</td> <td>Chinese (Taiwan)</td> <td>Sun-Yung Alice Chang</td> <td>幾何之美現 曲率流動不息 空間展開 Geometry shows Curvature flows endlessly Space unfolds anew</td> <td><code>-v "Meijia"</code></td> </tr> <tr> <td>Sinji (Premium)</td> <td>Chinese (Hong Kong)</td> <td>Shing-Tung Yau</td> <td>流形之奧秘 卡拉比空間動 維度交織 Manifolds reveal Calabi spaces in flow Dimensions weave truth</td> <td><code>-v "Sinji (Premium)"</code></td> </tr> <tr> <td>Tingting</td> <td>Chinese (Mainland)</td> <td>Wang Zhenyi</td> <td>星辰轨迹明 天文数学融 智慧闪耀 Starlit paths shine bright Astronomy meets numbers Wisdom radiates</td> <td><code>-v "Tingting"</code></td> </tr> <tr> <td>Yue (Premium)</td> <td>Chinese (Mainland)</td> <td>Chern Shiing-shen</td> <td>微分几何 纤维丛中寻真 本质显现 Differential forms In fiber bundles seek truth Essence emerges</td> <td><code>-v "Yue (Premium)"</code></td> </tr> </table>

Configuration

Add the following to your MCP settings configuration file:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "say": {
      "command": "node",
      "args": ["/path/to/say-mcp-server/build/index.js"]
    }
  }
}

Requirements

macOS (uses the built-in say command)
Node.js >= 14.0.0

Contributors

Barton Rhodes (@bmorphism) - barton@vibes.lol

License

MIT