orpheus

Install and Run Orpheus 3B TTS on macOS: A Complete Guide

Anas Mohammad

Mar 21, 2025 • 3 min read

Orpheus 3B TTS, developed by Canopy Labs, is an advanced open-source text-to-speech (TTS) model based on the Llama architecture. It is designed to synthesize high-quality, expressive speech, accurately replicating human intonation and emotion.

With its capabilities, the model is well-suited for applications such as virtual assistants, audiobook narration, and AI-driven content creation.

Features of Orpheus 3B TTS

Human-Like Speech: Produces natural intonation and rhythm to enhance speech authenticity.
Zero-Shot Voice Cloning: Can replicate voices without requiring fine-tuning on specific speakers.
Real-Time Synthesis: Enables low-latency speech generation, making it viable for interactive applications.
Local Execution: Operates on a local machine, ensuring privacy and complete user control over the generated audio.

System Requirements

Before installing Orpheus 3B TTS, ensure your system meets the following specifications:

Operating System: macOS (latest version recommended)
RAM: At least 8 GB (16 GB or more for optimal performance)
GPU: A dedicated GPU is recommended for accelerated processing, though the model can run on a CPU with reduced performance.
Python: Version 3.8 or higher
Pip: Python package manager

Installation Steps

1. Install Homebrew

Homebrew is a package manager that simplifies software installation. Open a terminal and run:

/bin/bash -c "$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Homebrew/install/HEAD/install.sh)"

2. Install Python and Pip

If Python is not installed, use:

brew install python

3. Install Git

Git is required to clone the model repository:

brew install git

4. Clone the Orpheus TTS Repository

Navigate to the desired directory and run:

git clone https://github.com/canopyai/Orpheus-TTS.git
cd Orpheus-TTS

5. Install Required Dependencies

Inside the cloned repository, install the necessary Python packages:

pip install -r requirements.txt

6. Authenticate with Hugging Face

Create an account on Hugging Face.
Generate an access token from your account settings.
Log in via terminal:

huggingface-cli login

Enter your access token when prompted.

7. Download the Orpheus Model

To retrieve the model files, use:

git lfs install
git lfs pull

Running Orpheus 3B TTS

1. Create a Speech Generation Script

Write a Python script to generate speech from text:

import torch
from transformers import pipeline

# Load the Orpheus TTS model
tts = pipeline("text-to-speech", model="canopylabs/orpheus-3b-0.1-pretrained")

# Define input text
input_text = "Hello! This is a test of the Orpheus 3B TTS system."

# Generate speech output
audio = tts(input_text)

# Save the output as a WAV file
with open("output.wav", "wb") as f:
    f.write(audio["audio"])

2. Execute the Script

Run the script with:

python your_script.py

Replace your_script.py with the actual filename.

3. Play the Generated Speech

After execution, the output file output.wav will be available in your directory. Play it using any audio player.

Troubleshooting Common Issues

Memory Constraints: If experiencing memory errors, reduce batch sizes or optimize GPU settings.
Authentication Problems: Ensure you are logged into Hugging Face with a valid token.
Dependency Conflicts: Verify your Python version and consider using a virtual environment to isolate dependencies.

Advanced Usage and Customization

1. Voice Cloning

Orpheus 3B TTS supports zero-shot voice cloning, allowing you to generate speech in a specific voice without retraining. Provide an audio sample as input and fine-tune synthesis parameters accordingly.

2. Emotional Speech Control

Adjusting emotion parameters enables the generation of expressive speech, making the output more engaging and realistic.

3. Application Integration

Orpheus 3B TTS can be embedded into various applications, such as AI-driven voice assistants, chatbots, and accessibility tools, by utilizing its API and integration options.

Conclusion

Installing and running Orpheus 3B TTS on a Mac provides an effective method for generating realistic synthetic speech. This guide outlines the essential steps for installation, configuration, and usage, enabling users to fully leverage the model’s capabilities for advanced speech synthesis applications.