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Please explain Audio Multitasking

Anthony Rizzo

September 13, 2014 22:36

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Can't get audio multitasking to work properly or at all really.

Here is my setup:

20s connected as phone 1 to garmin zumo 590LM.  My android phone is paired to the zumo 590LM.

I have audio multitasking enabled.  When I am in an intercom conversation and the GPS makes a sound, it forces the intercom connection to disconnect.  It doesn't actually mix the audio with the conversation.  The antenna is up on the 20s also.

Should the sena be able to play both at the same time?  If not, what can be multitasked?  Will there be an update in the future to allow audio to multitask with my setup?

I am running firmware version 1.2 on my 20s.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.  NOTE: I tried the same setup with a zumo 665 and had the same problems.

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64 comments

• 0
  
  Gbrockway October 08, 2014 23:53

  I have the same setup and the same problem.

• 0
  
  Gbrockway October 08, 2014 23:57

  I have the same setup and the same problem.

   

• 0
  
  Pablo Motta October 09, 2014 17:15

  Please make sure to follow these instructions very carefully if you want your GPS audio to mix during Intercom. This is also in the 20S user guide as section 5.4 Bluetooth GPS Navigation Pairing. 

  1. Turn on the headset and press the Jog Dial for 6 seconds until the
  red LED is rapidly flashing and you hear multiple beeps.
  2. Within 2 seconds, tap the Phone Button and hear the voice prompt,
  “Second mobile phone pairing”. Again within 2 seconds, tap
  the Phone Button and the LED turns to green flashing and the
  beeps turn to multiple mid-toned beeps. You will hear the voice
  prompt, “GPS pairing”.
  3. Search for Bluetooth devices on the GPS navigation screen.
  Select the Sena 20S in the list of the devices detected on the GPS.

   

  There is also a video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J8BkOgKchTw&list=UU8a7B31cP3zSv_ShzFYBTqg

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  Anthony Rizzo October 09, 2014 19:17

  Dean,

  If you pair it in HFP as a GPS then the sound is mono right?  You would lose stereo music from your phone if it went through the GPS.  I guess then it would be best to pair the phone directly to the 20s and use the GPS only as a GPS.  it is a shame since the garmin zumo 590lm has a media player and will let you control media on your phone.  

   

  Is there a way to pair the GPS to the sena in HFP to get GPS and phone and then pair to the GPS with a stereo bluetooth connection for media?  

• 0
  
  Zebra75 December 03, 2014 23:54

  I have a similar problem with my new 20S.   My setup is as follows:  Sena 20S paired to my iPhone 6, and paired to my Zumo 660 in accordance with the instructions by Dean on 9 Oct above.  (The Zumo 660 bluetooth settings screen has Phone box and a Audio box.  I added the Sena 20S via the Audio box.)

  I listen to music on my iPhone 6 via the Sena 20S.  When the Zumo GPS issues an instruction, there is no Audio Multi-tasking - the Zumo instructions simply interrupt the music, and the music resumes when the instruction is complete.  This is just what my SMH10 used to do.  So no benefit here from the Audio Multi-Tasking.

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  Ken December 04, 2014 23:09

  The manual plainly states in section 9 that this should work:

  9 GPS NAVIGATION
  If you pair a Bluetooth GPS to the 20S as described in section 5.4,
  “Bluetooth GPS Navigation Pairing”, you can hear the voice instruction
  of the GPS while having an intercom conversation. The GPS voice
  instruction does not interrupt intercom conversations.

  5.4 contains two different ways to pair one's GPS, 5.4.1 and 5.4.2.  

  If you pair as described in 5.4.2, the GPS will interrupt intercom and/or music from another source. 

  If you pair as described in 5.4.1, the GPS will not interrupt intercom or music and can be allowed to give driving instructions and alerts along with whatever else you're listening to.  

  BUT, if paired as in 5.4.1, you will not have stereo sound from the GPS or phone via the GPS.    This is a problem as I use my GPS as the source for XM Radio, MP3, Audio Books, etc; as well as for driving instructions and alerts.  

  I keep hoping that Sena will address this issue because pairing my Zumo GPS as in 5.4.2 (for stereo sound) makes the 20S mostly unusable for intercom or MP3 stereo music.   The ability to have audio multi-tasking was indeed one of the super features of the 20S that prompted my purchase.  

  Ken 

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  Zebra75 December 05, 2014 02:57

  I have a different experience of 5.4.1 pairing, Ken.

  My iPhone 6 and Garmin Zumo 660 GPS are both paired to the Sena 20S using method 5.4.1, i.e. using the 20S as the 'hub', and only using the Zumo for navigation instructions.  This is "GPS Pairing" as announced by the headset.  I have great stereo music from my iPhone and the phone function works very well.  But, and it is a big BUT, the Zumo 660 does interrupt the music with its voice commands, just the same as it did in my SMH10 so no Audio Multi-tasking.

  George Spence

   

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  Zebra75 December 05, 2014 03:07

  Further to above, I haven't tested it yet, but perhaps it's only the intercom function that initiates the Audio Multi-tasking function, so when you are talking on intercom both the music and GPS instruction volumes are reduced.  It's not clear from the manual whether or not this is the case. 

  Perhaps a Sena technician would care to comment.

  George Spence

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  Ken December 05, 2014 15:36

  Zebra, I think that's  the way it is intended to work.  

  I think that's the way it's intended to work.

  It's just as if you had a stand-alone Zumo running a route and you have music playing from it's internal MP3 at the same time.  The driving instructions will stop the music; and then the driving instructions will resume when the Zumo lady is finished telling you where to go.  Same with XM radio . . . it's also interrupted by the Zumo lady. 

  Audio Multi-tasking only refers to Intercom with other music or sound sources:

  20.2 Enabling/Disabling Audio Multitasking

  Audio Multitasking allows you to have an intercom conversation while
  simultaneously listening to music, FM radio, or GPS instructions. The
  overlaid audio is played in the background with reduced volume
  whenever there is an intercom conversation and will return to normal
  volume once the conversation is finished. If this feature is disabled,
  any incoming or outgoing intercom will interrupt your audio channel.

   

• 0
  
  Zebra75 December 05, 2014 21:08

  Thanks, Ken.  I suppose I'll just have to accept that.  Pity - I was expecting a more comprehensive Audio Multi-tasking function.

• 0
  
  Marc Telkamp February 10, 2015 21:42

  Well...no, let's not just accept that. The 20S is supposed to be top of the line bluetooth-do-it-all-thingy. It's not the cheapest you can get, but I'm not complaining about the price. I'm complaining about the functionality. Doesn't Sena recognize that most satnavs nowadays acually are more than JUST a satnav ?  Like Ken says: MP3-player, XM radio, Phone bridge... All those functions are useless if you pair the Zumo as a GPS with the 20S. If you want to use all functions of yuor satnav, you'll have to pair it as a mobile phone. But then, the 20S's intercom is useless !! OMG !

  It's like buying a car, but you can either start the engine or sit in it. Not both.

• 0
  
  Lbarbee March 16, 2015 17:35

  I can't get audio multitasking to work at all with the 20s and the zumo 660.  It works with inbound phone calls, which is probably the most annoying idea anyone ever had.  Phone rings, I pick up, the caller is in the background, while my riding buddies are in the foreground talking over the phone.  Painful.

  I have tried these four pairing combinations:

  1) Phone to 20s using mobile phone pairing, followed by gps to 20s using second mobile phone pairing.
  2) Phone to GPS using mobile phone pairing, followed by gps to 20s using mobile phone pairing (not second).
  3) GPS to 20s using mobile phone pairing, followed by phone to 20s using second mobile phone pairing.
  4) Phone to 20s using mobile phone pairing, followed by gps to 20s using mobile phone pairing.

  In every case, I am dropped from the audio conference on announcements from the GPS.  It will never connect back unless I call the other rider (or they call me).

  All components are at the latest firmware levels (1.3).

   

• 0
  
  Lbarbee March 16, 2015 18:11

  One thing I noticed that I never noticed before.  Sena is saying to hit the phone button twice (first time is goes to second phone pairing, second time goes to gps pairing).

  We shall see.

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  Sena March 17, 2015 22:39

  As Ken mentioned, Audio Multitasking on the 20S is combining intercom communication with 1 other audio source (intercom & music, intercom & FM radio, and intercom & GPS directions). Music from a Bluetooth device (or a GPS app on a smartphone) is using the A2DP (Advance Audio Distribution Profile) Bluetooth profile. GPS directions from devices such as a Zumo 660 is using the HFP (Hands Free Profile) Bluetooth profile. The 20S is able to combine the intercom and an A2DP signal together through Mobile Phone Pairing. The 20S is also able to combine the intercom and a HFP signal from a GPS device together through GPS Pairing. In addition, GPS Pairing is only for GPS devices like a Zumo 660 and not mobile phones.

   

  Currently the 20S is not designed to combine intercom communication, an A2DP signal, and a HFP signal at the same time. The 20S is only able to handle the Bluetooth profile from 1 device at a time and can't switch between a A2DP signal and a HFP signal during an intercom conversation. However, due to customer feedback we have passed along this request to our developers.

   

  @Lbarbee: Audio Multitasking is not meant for phones as talking to someone over the phone and someone else through the intercom is in all Sena headsets. Please refer to section 16 Three-Way Conference Phone Call with Intercom Participant.

  http://www.sena.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/UsersGuide_Sena_20S_v1.3_en_20141121.pdf

   

  For all Sena headsets, a phone call has higher priority over the intercom and will mute the intercom conversation during a phone call. With that said, how did you have your 20S paired to where the person you were talking to over the phone was in the background compared to the people you were talking to over the intercom?

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  Lbarbee March 17, 2015 23:22

  I can't say with 100% certainty.  I had either my iPhone paired as phone and gps paired as second phone, or vice versa.  Without a doubt it happened.  My son was talking to me, then the phone rang, I answered and the person was talking on the phone and my son was talking.  My son could not hear my talking back to him, telling him to shut up, i'm on the phone.

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  Lbarbee March 17, 2015 23:41

  Sena,

  Let me check my understanding of your post.  If I pair with one device (either my phone with phone pairing, or my gps with gps pairing) I will get audio multitasking?

  However, I can not do all 3?  Not even if I only want to multitask with the GPS and just use the phone as normal?  Section 9 in the manual seems to say I can.

  If this is true, please update the manual section 23 to indicate that the usage in cases studies do not support audio multitasking.

  Please add a case for multitasking with the GPS, clearly showing that how multitasking works with a GPS.  It is in section 9, but not in any case study.

• 0
  
  Lbarbee March 17, 2015 23:58

  Another check on the exact procedure.  If I hear Sena correctly, deans post above is incorrect.  To accomplish what Sena said above, and what section 9 in the manual says, I have to pair my phone HFP, and my GPS with gps pairing also HFP as stated by Sena above.

  So section 9 is:

  1) jog dial 6 secs until beeps, phone button once "second phone pairing", phone button again, "gps pairing", select on gps and "headset paired"

  2) HFP for mobile phone is phone button for 5 secs, beeps, then phone button again, beeps again, "Phone selective pairing", select on phone, "paired"

  So no A2DP and no stereo music in this case?  HFP can't do stereo right?

  Deans post above seems to indicate I can do phone pairing (H2DP) and GPS pairing (HFP).  Which one is right, Dean, Sena or the manual?

• 0
  
  Sena March 26, 2015 17:53

  After further discussion with our developers on Audio Multitasking, this feature was designed for reducing the audio of a lower priority function such as music, GPS navigation from a smartphone app (with the Navigation App Support setting disabled), or the FM radio during an intercom conversation. With that said, a GPS device that is paired using GPS Pairing is not considered to be using the Audio Multitasking feature as the GPS directions are being combined with the intercom at a fixed volume level.

  With a GPS paired to a 20S using Mobile Phone Pairing (5.4.2 GPS Pairing as Mobile Phone), you will only get Audio Multitasking from listening to the stereo music from the GPS and it being reduced in the background while having an intercom conversation at the same time. The navigation directions you hear from the GPS is using HFP, which has the highest priority, and will interrupt the music and the intercom.

   

  @Lbarbee:

  "Let me check my understanding of your post.  If I pair with one device (either my phone with phone pairing, or my gps with gps pairing) I will get audio multitasking?

  However, I can not do all 3?  Not even if I only want to multitask with the GPS and just use the phone as normal?  Section 9 in the manual seems to say I can."

  Yes, can have your phone, gps, and 20 all paired that way. With your phone paired to the 20S you will use HFP for phone calls and A2DP for music and with your GPS paired to the 20S using GPS Pairing you will use HFP. Your phone is using 1 of 2 available HFP profiles and the A2DP profile while your GPS is using the 2nd available HFP profile on the 20S.

  Furthermore, Dean's post is correct as it is just the instructions for putting the 20S into "GPS Pairing" mode so that you can hear the navigation directions from a GPS while having an intercom conversation.

   

  "So no A2DP and no stereo music in this case?  HFP can't do stereo right?"

  That is correct. HFP cannot output audio in stereo, audio is only heard in mono.

• 0
  
  Lbarbee March 26, 2015 19:03

  Thanks for your response. I am so confused. After several reads of the response above, i think you confirmed that audio multitasking does not work under any scenario with a GPS. Correct? However, if I use the procedure described by dean, "GPS pairing", I will hear both and intercom will not be interrupted. Is this correct? Where is Deans procedure in the manual? It is not the same as 5.4.1 (in my manual) as deans procedure has two (2) taps on phone button. 5.4 1 only has one (1).
• 0
  
  Sena March 27, 2015 17:07

  Audio Multitasking will work on a GPS for for audio like the music that is stored on the GPS but not for listening to the navigation. The navigation will either interrupt the intercom if the GPS is paired as a mobile phone or if Audio Multitasking is disable but it will not interrupt the intercom if the GPS is paired using GPS Pairing.

  Here is a current version of the User's Guide http://www.sena.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/UsersGuide_Sena_20S_v1.3_en_20141121.pdf. The User's Guide on our website is always the most current one and will reflect any of the changes/additional features that are made to the 20S when a firmware update is available.

• 0
  
  Andy Goris April 01, 2015 11:32

  Yesterday I went riding with the 20S dual setup paired to my mobile phone and to the Zumo 660 (as GPS pairing)

  GPS and intercom were OK, but when I played music from my phone this was interrupted by the GPS. Was this because the intercom was also on?

  And if I disabled the intercom, would the GPS and music be able to audio multitask?

• 0
  
  Alex May 14, 2015 21:38

  Dear Sena,

  I am using the Sena 20s with a Garmin Zumo 590LM. I tried every single way of pairing Sena, Zumo and my Phone (Samsung Galaxy S3) but am not happy with the result. The Zumo is not only a simple GPS but also connects to my Phone and has it's own MP3 player integrated. I would like to use these features of the Zumo together with the Sena 20S. However, it looks like this is currently not possible. If I pair the Zumo as a phone the GPS instructions are interrupting intercom. Very annoying. If I pair the Zumo as a GPS I cannot use the MP3 or Phone features of the Zumo. Pairing the Zumo as a "Second mobile phone" also does not seem to make any difference.
  
  Can you confirm that it is not possible to use Garmin Zumo 590LM with Media-Player and Phone together with Sena 20s? Did I miss something? Will there be a firmware update to make the Sena work with the Zumo 590lm?
  
  Best regards,Alex

• 0
  
  Marc Telkamp May 15, 2015 08:46

  Hey Alex, I guess you missed this topic: http://support.sena.com/entries/49944180 where we thouroughly describe this problem.

  In this thread we suggested a solution: http://support.sena.com/entries/21596675-Priority-Selection

  I too use the Zumo 590 in the same way you do. Me and a few others explained the problem over and over to Sena, but they have stopped to respond to this issue. Their famous last words were that they "dropped it at their R&D-department"....lol. Well, they dropped it allright.

  So yeah, you can either use the 20s as an intercom (with a dodgy radio), OR use it to listen to your satnav/mp3-player. Not both. Sorry.

• 0
  
  Marc Telkamp May 15, 2015 09:06

  When you ride in a group, just mute your Zumo (keyclicks as well as the nav-instructions). The screen will have to suffice.

  This is the way it has to be I'm afraid.

• 0
  
  Alex May 15, 2015 09:29

  Thanks Marc!

  Dear Sena, is there any update on that issue? Are you working on it or will this not be fixed at all? Please let us know!

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  Lbarbee May 15, 2015 14:45

  Alex,  You are not alone.  Based on hours and hours of testing, reading posts and discussions with Sena.  I believe your answer is in this thread above from Sena.   The only way to get the 20s to NOT drop your intercom during announcements is to us "GPS Pairing" as described above (jog to pair + phone tap +phone tap to "GPS Pairing").  However, when you use this the MP3 player and GPS phone integration features are lost from your Garmin.  I have tested this and it works.  I get announcements mixed over the intercom traffic (NOTE THIS IS NOT MULTITASKING, it is mixed in at equal volume, but usable).  So for me, iphone for music and phone calls paired to Sena.  GPS for directions paired to SENA (GPS Pairing).

  The usability design phase of the 20s project was clearly not well thought out, not tested properly.  Unfortunately SENA appears to have  moved on to camera integration, etc.  I am now advising everyone I know to avoid the 20s, which is really sad.  I was a RAVING SENA FAN before this debacle.

• 0
  
  Marc Telkamp May 16, 2015 06:55

  Anyone tried the 10C yet ?  Could it be that Sena recognized our complaints about priorities and intercom-suppression, and decided to fix it in a new gadget, rather than to break up the 20S ?

• 0
  
  Kathy Brojakowski May 25, 2015 23:46

  "Jog to pair +phone tap+phone tap to GPS Pairing" did nothing different than "Jog to pair +phone tap". The GPS navigation on the Zumo 660 cuts off the music from my phone- no matter how I pair these things up. 

  The music from my Zumo sounds awful if I try to use it so I went to using the phone. Unfortunately the Zumo cuts the music off on directions. I haven't seen how it works when paired  to another rider with a 20s.

• 0
  
  Lbarbee May 26, 2015 00:11

  GPS pairing will have mono music. Yes bad. I have tried GPS pairing on 2 different 20s with 660s. 660 does not interrupt audio. Just blasts over top of it.
• 0
  
  Roger Justus August 14, 2015 16:28

  Hello everyone.

  I have two 20S units..... mine and my pillion's.  I have firmware v.1.3 and have paired according to the method in 4.5.1 because I want GPS voice to not cut off our pilot to pillion intercom.  I followed the 5.4.1 procedure with my pilot's headset (only).  The pairing method via 5.4.1 seems to be working accordingly on an initial bench test.  I hear my intercom with pillon, and, at the same time the GPS voice commands.

  My pillion, however, does not hear the GPS voice commands.  She hears only voice intercom.  The question is....is it possible for my pillion to also hear the GPS commands when I do?  I did the pairing according to 5.4.1 with my headset only.  Do I need to do the same procedure with her 20S headset as well?  Or something else?  Planning a long tour soon and would like very much to get this sorted out.  All constructive advice much appreciated. :-)