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Getting great results from your AI assistant comes down to picking the right engine settings. Use this guide when configuring a new assistant or troubleshooting an existing one.

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1. Pick a mode

Experiment with all three modes. Record the same scenario in each and compare response time and caller satisfaction before committing to one.
See assistant modes for a full comparison.

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2. Choose a transcriber (Pipeline only)

Different languages, accents, and background noise affect each transcriber differently. Run a quick A/B test and keep the better performer.

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3. Select an LLM model

If speed is critical, use GPT-5 Realtime (great for speech-to-speech) or Gemini Flash 2.0/2.5 (great with Dualplex). For richer reasoning, use GPT-4o or GPT-5 Mini and offset the higher latency with filler audio.

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4. Noise cancellation

  • Turn ON when callers are on speakerphone or in noisy environments for cleaner transcription.
  • Turn OFF if words are being clipped or the assistant is missing parts of what callers say.
If your assistant isn’t hearing callers clearly, try disabling noise cancellation first.

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5. Conversation timers

Test with real calls — too low can interrupt callers, too high leaves awkward gaps.

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6. Initial message

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7. Ambient sound

Ambient sound adds subtle background noise under the assistant’s voice to mask processing delays and create a more natural audio experience. It is enabled by default.
If your assistant isn’t hearing callers well, try turning off ambient sound or lowering its volume.

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8. Endpointing sensitivity

Control when your assistant starts talking after a caller finishes speaking.
If your assistant cuts off callers mid-sentence, increase sensitivity. If responses feel sluggish, decrease it.

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9. Debug with the call transcript

If something isn’t working as expected:
1

Go to Call history

Navigate to the Call history page in your dashboard.
2

Open the last test call

Click on the most recent call you tested.
3

Review the transcript

The call transcript includes all function calls and their parameters, making it easy to spot where the assistant went off-track.
For a complete list of every toggle and slider, see the general settings reference.