⚡ Deepgram Aura: Ultra-Fast TTS
Industry-leading speed with ~75ms latency. Purpose-built for real-time phone calls, live chat, and interactive applications where every millisecond matters.
Quick Setup
1
Get API Key
- Visit Deepgram Console and create an account
- Navigate to API Keys in the dashboard
- Create a new API key with TTS permissions
- Copy your API key
2
Configure in Burki
- Go to AI Configuration → TTS tab
- Select Deepgram as provider
- Paste your API key in the TTS API Key field
3
Select Aura Model
Choose Aura-2 for best quality or Aura for proven stability
Available Models
🚀 Aura-2
~75ms latencyNext-generation model with improved qualityBest for: Production phone calls, live applications
Status: Latest and recommended
⚖️ Aura
~85ms latencyProven stable model with consistent qualityBest for: Stable production environments
Status: Battle-tested, reliable
Available Voices
Deepgram Aura Voices
Female Voices
Female Voices
Asteria
Warm and expressivePerfect for customer service and support
Voice ID: aura-asteria-en
Luna
Soft and melodicGreat for gentle, calming interactions
Voice ID: aura-luna-en
Stella
Bright and clearExcellent for announcements and alerts
Voice ID: aura-stella-en
Athena
Intelligent and clearProfessional and articulate
Voice ID: aura-athena-en
Male Voices
Male Voices
Orion
Deep and authoritativePerfect for business and professional use
Voice ID: aura-orion-en
Helios
Bright and energeticGreat for upbeat, engaging content
Voice ID: aura-helios-en
Perseus
Strong and heroic (Aura-2 only)Commanding presence for leadership content
Voice ID: aura-2-perseus-en
Apollo
Musical and expressive (Aura-2 only)Rich, versatile voice for varied content
Voice ID: aura-2-apollo-en
Complete Voice List
Complete Voice List
Voice | Gender | Model | Voice ID | Best For |
---|---|---|---|---|
Asteria | Female | Aura/Aura-2 | aura-asteria-en | Customer service |
Thalia | Female | Aura-2 | aura-2-thalia-en | Professional calls |
Luna | Female | Aura/Aura-2 | aura-luna-en | Gentle interactions |
Stella | Female | Aura/Aura-2 | aura-stella-en | Clear announcements |
Athena | Female | Aura/Aura-2 | aura-athena-en | Business calls |
Hera | Female | Aura/Aura-2 | aura-hera-en | Authoritative voice |
Orion | Male | Aura/Aura-2 | aura-orion-en | Professional use |
Helios | Male | Aura/Aura-2 | aura-helios-en | Energetic content |
Perseus | Male | Aura-2 | aura-2-perseus-en | Leadership content |
Apollo | Male | Aura-2 | aura-2-apollo-en | Versatile applications |
Phone Call Optimization
📞 Twilio Integration
Deepgram Aura is specifically optimized for phone systems with built-in Twilio compatibility.
Audio Format Settings
Recommended for Twilio
- Format: G.711 µ-law
- Sample Rate: 8kHz
- Best for: Phone calls, VoIP systems
- Quality: Optimized for voice clarity over networks
Performance Metrics
⚡ Latency
~75ms end-to-endFrom text input to first audio chunk3x faster than most competitors
🎯 Accuracy
99.9% uptimeEnterprise-grade reliabilityProduction-ready stability
📊 Throughput
High concurrencyScales automatically with demandNo rate limit bottlenecks
API Integration
Configuration Examples
Optimal Settings for Phone Systems
- Ultra-low latency for real-time conversation
- Phone-compatible audio format
- Clear, professional voice
Best Practices
🚀 Optimization Tips
Maximize Deepgram’s Speed Advantage
Text Chunking
Text Chunking
Send text in optimal chunks for best latency
- Ideal chunk size: 20-50 words
- Avoid: Sending entire paragraphs at once
- Benefit: Faster time to first audio
Connection Reuse
Connection Reuse
Keep WebSocket connections alive for multiple requests
- Pattern: One connection per conversation
- Benefit: Eliminates connection overhead
- Implementation: Reuse WebSocket for entire call session
Error Handling
Error Handling
Implement robust error handling for production
Pricing
💰 Simple, Predictable Pricing
Pay-per-character with volume discounts. No hidden fees or subscription tiers.
Usage Tier | Price per Character | Best For |
---|---|---|
First 10M chars/month | $0.0135 | Small to medium businesses |
Next 90M chars/month | $0.0108 | Growing applications |
Next 400M chars/month | $0.0081 | Enterprise usage |
500M+ chars/month | Custom pricing | Large-scale deployments |
Language Support
🇺🇸 English Optimizations
Specialized for English-language applications
- Native English training data
- Optimized for American English pronunciation
- Best-in-class quality for English content
- Perfect for US-based business applications
Troubleshooting
High Latency Issues
High Latency Issues
Problem: Response time slower than expectedSolutions:
- Verify you’re using Aura-2 model
- Check network connection quality
- Ensure µ-law encoding for phone calls
- Monitor concurrent connection limits
Audio Quality Problems
Audio Quality Problems
Problem: Distorted or unclear audioSolutions:
- Use correct encoding (µ-law for phones, linear16 for high quality)
- Verify sample rate matches your playback system
- Check API key permissions include TTS
- Test with shorter text chunks
Connection Drops
Connection Drops
Problem: WebSocket connection terminates unexpectedlySolutions:
- Implement connection keepalive pings
- Add automatic reconnection logic
- Monitor connection health
- Use exponential backoff for retries
Migration from Other Providers
Key Differences:
- 3x faster latency (75ms vs 250ms)
- English-only vs multilingual
- WebSocket-only vs REST+WebSocket
- Different voice ID format
- Map ElevenLabs voices to Deepgram equivalents
- Update API calls to WebSocket format
- Adjust audio encoding for your use case
⚡ Ready for Ultra-Fast TTS?
Configure Deepgram Aura in your assistant settings and experience the speed difference in your phone calls!