Choose the processing path
Dictation is transcribed on your Mac by the speech engine you select. On-device enhancement and assistant profiles use downloaded models, or a model server you run yourself such as Ollama or LM Studio. None of them needs Cloud Voice.
Cloud profiles send the relevant prompt, selected context and results to the provider you set up for them. Check the provider and profile before attaching sensitive context. A model server running on another computer has that computer’s network and data boundary.
Built-in models
Two model profiles are built in. You cannot edit or delete them, and both run on your Mac:
- Clabrate (built-in) — Llama 3.2 1B, a small on-device model.
- Clabrate Smart (built-in) — Gemma 4 E4B, a larger on-device model (about a 6 GB download). It can also read images you attach.
Setup asks how you want your words tidied: download Clabrate Smart, bring your own key for a cloud model, or keep raw text with no model. You can change this in Settings → Models, where you can also add your own profiles.
Providers
| Provider | Where it runs | What it needs |
|---|---|---|
| Ollama, LM Studio | A model server you run yourself | The server running; no key |
| Gemini (Google) | Cloud | Your own API key |
| Claude (Anthropic) | Cloud | Your own API key |
| OpenAI | Cloud | Your own API key |
| Claude Code, Codex, Grok, Antigravity | Command-line tools installed on your Mac | Each tool’s own login |
API keys are stored in the macOS Keychain. Each cloud provider or command-line tool receives data only when you set up and use a feature with it; the Privacy Policy lists what each one receives.
Cloud Voice
Cloud Voice is speech-to-speech conversation. It is a feature you turn on; its provider is Google (Gemini Live). It runs on your Clabrate account: sign in and select Cloud Voice. It does not need a Gemini API key, and a key you have added is not used for it. While Cloud Voice is on, Google receives your audio, the assistant’s instructions, your recent conversation, the results of the tools you have enabled and anything you attach. Your audio and the conversation go from your Mac straight to Google; the Privacy Policy says what reaches the Clabrate account service.
Cloud Voice uses credits. An account is given 30,000 free starting credits, once per email address and once per installation of the app. Your balance and usage show in Settings → Assistant and on the Account page of this site. Top-ups cannot be bought yet; you can register interest in either place.
Enabled tools can let the conversation work with Herdr coding agents, settings or your workspace. Tool access remains permission-controlled; turning on Cloud Voice is not permission to enable every tool.
What your account includes
A verified email address unlocks the app on that Mac. It comes with the free starting credits for Cloud Voice described above. It does not include an API key or a subscription, and Clabrate does not sell either. The other cloud AI features use your own key or login with their provider. Session expiry does not lock the on-device features.
See the assistant, privacy and the Privacy Policy, which lists each provider and what it receives.