Setup guideReal-time voice translator for Windows: how to set it up
chasqui is a free, open-source Windows app that translates speech as it happens. The app costs nothing: you pay OpenAI by the minute with your own API key. This page covers what to install and what to do when something does not work.
What each mode needs
| Mode | For | Besides the OpenAI key | Per min |
|---|---|---|---|
| Media | YouTube, streams, anything playing | VB-Audio Cable | $0.051 |
| Headset | Two-way calls, any app | VB-Audio Cable, plus Stereo Mix or Hi-Fi Cable, plus headphones | $0.102 |
| Meet | Two-way calls, wired by hand | VB-Audio Cable, plus a second cable, plus headphones | $0.102 |
Install it
- Download the installer (27 MB, Windows 10/11, 64-bit). It needs no Python and no admin rights.
- It is new and not code-signed yet, so you will see two warnings, which mean "Microsoft has not seen this file much", not "this file is harmful". In the browser, choose Keep. In "Windows protected your PC", choose More info, then Run anyway. The installer is built from the public source by GitHub Actions.
- Install VB-Audio Cable if your mode needs it.
With Python 3.11 or newer, you can use pip install chasqui-translate and then chasqui ui instead.
The first run
A setup window checks three things and tells you whether each is ready:
- Your OpenAI key. Paste it and press VERIFY. chasqui asks OpenAI whether the key can use the model.
- VB-Audio Cable. You get a link if it is missing.
- The device switcher, which moves your Windows audio devices in Headset and Media modes. The installer brings it along.
DONE · PING closes the window and runs a test translation. SETUP, under START, opens it again.
Turn on Stereo Mix for calls
Headset mode needs a way to capture the other person's voice. If your sound card has Stereo Mix: open the Windows sound settings, go to the Recording tab, right-click and choose Show Disabled Devices, then enable Stereo Mix. Many PCs do not have it, and then the alternative is Hi-Fi Cable.
When something does not work
- The light says GLITCH: open BUFFER. The reason is in the log.
- It picked the wrong device: open BUFFER, then AUDIO DEVICES, and pick by name. Press RESCAN after plugging something in.
- The other person hears nothing: lower the noise suppression in the call app.
- Windows sound seems stuck on the cable: always stop with STOP or by closing the window, which hands your devices back. If the process was killed, set them back in the Windows sound settings.
- Still stuck: open an issue with what the log says.
Mac and Linux
Not for audio yet: calls and video translation need Windows, because chasqui switches Windows audio devices for you. The text mode works on both with pip install chasqui-translate.
Free and open source. You pay OpenAI by the minute, with your own key.