Replaced the 3-step sequential pipeline (Whisper STT → DeepSeek LLM
→ OpenAI TTS) with a single OpenAI Realtime API WebSocket using
gpt-4o-mini-realtime-preview.
- ~300-800ms latency vs 1-3s
- Server VAD for automatic turn detection
- Streaming audio chunks during playback
- Interruptions: user can speak over Kira mid-response
- Honcho memory still injected into session instructions
- Frontend captures PCM16 mono 24kHz via AudioContext
- Backend relays client ↔ OpenAI Realtime API
- Supports both voice (PCM16) and text input
