Thanks — I’ll answer your question about Silero VAD. Short answer: No, Silero VAD is not mandatory. What you can use instead: • Realtime models (for example, an OpenAI Realtime API model) which include server-side turn detection. • STT endpointing that uses speech-to-text providers’ end-of-speech signals (for example AssemblyAI or Deepgram). • Manual turn control using session methods such as

commit_user_turn()

. When Silero VAD helps: • Silero VAD is recommended for improved performance, especially when used alongside other turn-detection models (for example the LiveKit turn detector). • If you don’t have a realtime model or STT endpointing available, VAD becomes the primary method to detect when a user has stopped speaking. How LiveKit chooses a mode: • Turn detection falls back automatically in this priority: realtime_llm → vad → stt → manual. If you tell me which setup you’re using (e.g., realtime model, STT provider, or manual control), I can suggest the best turn-detection configuration and show exact settings or code snippets. Sources: examples/voice_agents | livekit/livekit_composite | DeepWiki | Turns overview | LiveKit Documentation | AssemblyAI STT | LiveKit Documentation | Deepgram STT plugin guide | LiveKit Documentation | Silero VAD plugin | LiveKit Documentation