# Tempo — VoiceNet dimension guide

*Category:* Rhythm & Timing · *code:* `vn_TEMP` · *slot:* 40

This dimension measures the mechanical speed of word and syllable production. Merge the `__high` / `__low` LoRA from `laion/moss-voicenet-dimension-loras` at 25/50/75/100/125%. Costs are shifts vs. the 24-sample neutral baseline.

**TL;DR.** **Tempo** controls the mechanical speed of word and syllable production. The **__high** LoRA shifts it +0.54 at 125% (worst cost: burst-blend -0.33); the **__low** LoRA shifts it -0.07 at 75% (worst cost: burst-blend -0.14). The **__high** direction is the stronger, more reliable knob here.

## ▲ HIGH — Tempo __high

| dose | target | Δtarget | Δgenu | Δblend | Δqual |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| baseline (0%) | 0.129 | — | — | — | — |
| 25% | 0.123 | -0.01 | -0.05 | +0.03 | +0.03 |
| 50% | 0.223 | +0.09 | -0.05 | -0.11 | +0.07 |
| 75% | 0.395 | +0.27 | -0.13 | -0.30 | +0.06 |
| 100% | 0.480 | +0.35 | -0.09 | -0.19 | +0.00 |
| 125% ★ | 0.669 | +0.54 | -0.11 | -0.33 | +0.00 |

- **EmoNet emotion** — ↑ Impatience and Irritability (+0.66), Anger (+0.57), Disgust (+0.52); ↓ Contemplation (-0.67), Awe (-0.60), Relief (-0.54)
- **VoiceNet dimension** — ↑ Attack (+0.92), Metallic Character (+0.92), Arousal (+0.91); ↓ Monologue Style (-0.71), Warmth (-0.69), Vulnerability (-0.69)

Merging **Tempo __high** ramps the dimension: at the recommended **125%** dose the measured Tempo score moves from a 0.13 baseline to 0.67 (a +0.54 shift). The dose-response is clean and monotonic — each step pushes the dimension further. That reach is a steep cost — the biggest hit is to **burst-blend** (-0.33); across the board genuineness -0.11, burst-blend -0.33, speech quality +0.00. Emotionally it reads as Impatience and Irritability (r 0.66), Anger (0.57) and Disgust (0.52), and it moves away from Contemplation, Awe and Relief. On other voice dimensions it co-moves most with Attack (0.92), Metallic Character (0.92) and Arousal (0.91), while pulling down Monologue Style, Warmth and Vulnerability. Practical call: merge __high at **100–125%**; expect Impatience and Irritability and Attack to rise and burst-blend to fall. If you don’t want Impatience and Irritability bleeding in, offset it with a prompt cue toward Contemplation to keep the tempo shift without the side-effect.

## ▼ LOW — Tempo __low

| dose | target | Δtarget | Δgenu | Δblend | Δqual |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| baseline (0%) | 0.129 | — | — | — | — |
| 25% | 0.088 | -0.04 | +0.03 | -0.04 | -0.09 |
| 50% | 0.069 | -0.06 | -0.03 | -0.02 | +0.03 |
| 75% ★ | 0.057 | -0.07 | -0.04 | -0.14 | -0.08 |
| 100% | 0.201 | +0.07 | -0.08 | -0.26 | +0.07 |
| 125% | 0.154 | +0.03 | -0.04 | -0.16 | -0.04 |

- **EmoNet emotion** — ↑ Malevolence/Malice (+0.42), Jealousy & Envy (+0.40), Triumph (+0.34); ↓ Contentment (-0.40), Contemplation (-0.35), Relief (-0.28)
- **VoiceNet dimension** — ↑ Dramatic Style (+0.83), Tension (+0.81), Stance (+0.81); ↓ Vulnerability (-0.56), Teacher/Didactic Style (-0.45), ASMR Style (-0.45)

Merging **Tempo __low** damps the dimension: at the recommended **75%** dose the measured Tempo score moves from a 0.13 baseline to 0.06 (a -0.07 shift). The dose-response is monotonic but it saturates early, so higher doses add little. That reach is a modest cost — the biggest hit is to **burst-blend** (-0.14); across the board genuineness -0.04, burst-blend -0.14, speech quality -0.08. Emotionally it reads as Malevolence/Malice (r 0.42), Jealousy & Envy (0.40) and Triumph (0.34), and it moves away from Contentment, Contemplation and Relief. On other voice dimensions it co-moves most with Dramatic Style (0.83), Tension (0.81) and Stance (0.81), while pulling down Vulnerability, Teacher/Didactic Style and ASMR Style. Practical call: merge __low at **50–100%**; expect Malevolence/Malice and Dramatic Style to rise and burst-blend to fall. If you don’t want Malevolence/Malice bleeding in, offset it with a prompt cue toward Contentment to keep the tempo shift without the side-effect.

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