trnscrb

Introduction to trnscrb

trnscrb is a macOS application designed for local meeting transcription, offering a private and secure way to capture audio from meetings without relying on cloud services. It runs in the menu bar and automatically detects popular meeting platforms such as Zoom, Google Meet, Microsoft Teams, Slack, and FaceTime. Using the Whisper model on Apple Silicon, it performs on-device transcription, ensuring that no data is sent to external servers. Transcripts are saved as plain text files with speaker diarization, making them easy to review and manage.

The integration with Claude Desktop enhances the user experience by enabling search, summarization, and extraction of action items from past meetings. This makes trnscrb an ideal tool for professionals who value privacy, control over their data, and seamless workflow integration. With no need for an account or subscription, trnscrb provides a straightforward solution for meeting transcription on macOS.

Takeaways

Local, on-device transcription using Whisper on Apple Silicon
No cloud, no account, no subscription required
Supports Zoom, Google Meet, Microsoft Teams, Slack, and FaceTime
Transcripts saved as plain .txt files with speaker labels
Integration with Claude Desktop for advanced analysis
Works offline except for enrich command
Automatically detects meeting apps via mic activity and process presence

How trnscrb Works

Auto-detects your meeting: Detects when a meeting starts based on mic activity and running meeting apps.
Records locally: Captures either just your microphone or both mic and system audio via BlackHole virtual driver.
Transcribes on-device: Uses the Whisper small model on Apple Silicon Metal for fast, offline transcription.
Saved to Claude Desktop: Transcripts are stored in ~/meeting-notes/ and can be searched and analyzed through MCP tools.

Core Benefits and Applications

Ideal for users who prioritize data privacy and security
Useful for teams that want to quickly extract key insights from meetings
Enhances productivity by allowing search and summary of past meetings
Suitable for remote work environments where internet access may be limited
Offers flexibility with audio recording options (mic only or system audio)

MCP Tools

Tool	Description
start_recording	Start capturing audio
stop_recording	Stop and transcribe in background
recording_status	Check if recording or transcribing
get_last_transcript	Fetch the most recent transcript
list_transcripts	List all saved meetings
get_transcript	Read a specific transcript
get_calendar_context	Current or upcoming calendar event
enrich_transcript	Add summary + action items via Claude API