voice.answer()

The answer() method is used in real-time voice providers to trigger the AI to generate a response. This method is particularly useful in speech-to-speech conversations where you need to explicitly signal the AI to respond after receiving user input.

Usage example

import { OpenAIRealtimeVoice } from '@mastra/voice-openai-realtime'
import { getMicrophoneStream } from '@mastra/node-audio'
import Speaker from '@mastra/node-speaker'

const speaker = new Speaker({
  sampleRate: 24100, // Audio sample rate in Hz - standard for high-quality audio on MacBook Pro
  channels: 1, // Mono audio output (as opposed to stereo which would be 2)
  bitDepth: 16, // Bit depth for audio quality - CD quality standard (16-bit resolution)
})

// Initialize a real-time voice provider
const voice = new OpenAIRealtimeVoice({
  realtimeConfig: {
    model: 'gpt-5.1',
    apiKey: process.env.OPENAI_API_KEY,
  },
  speaker: 'alloy', // Default voice
})
// Connect to the real-time service
await voice.connect()
// Register event listener for responses
voice.on('speaker', stream => {
  // Handle audio response
  stream.pipe(speaker)
})
// Send user audio input
const microphoneStream = getMicrophoneStream()
await voice.send(microphoneStream)
// Trigger the AI to respond
await voice.answer()

Parameters

<PropertiesTable content={[ { name: 'options', type: 'Record<string, unknown>', description: 'Provider-specific options for the response', isOptional: true, }, ]} />

Return value

Returns a Promise<void> that resolves when the response has been triggered.

Notes

• This method is only implemented by real-time voice providers that support speech-to-speech capabilities
• If called on a voice provider that doesn't support this functionality, it will log a warning and resolve immediately
• The response audio will typically be emitted through the 'speaking' event rather than returned directly
• For providers that support it, you can use this method to send a specific response instead of having the AI generate one
• This method is commonly used in conjunction with send() to create a conversational flow