How do I output the navigation and notification audio to bluetooth and music to AUX?

Now we're on to something. Good, because I realized I can't change permissions without root (Task for another day).

SoundAbout can't touch that file as it is in another apps folder.

Oh I know that.. I was talking about changing the permissions to read only so Google can't repopulate it.   But it seems that the only route.. Even though recreated an empty folder with the same name, it repopulated it was all the voice files. I'll probely will root it tomorrow and see if i can get a work-around.

There is a folder generated under: \Android\data\com.google.android.apps.maps\testdata\voice.

In that folder there are a bunch of .ogg sound files and a .zip file.

All folders are regenerated if I delete them.

Okay well I found a work around without root. \Android\data\com.google.android.apps.maps\testdata\voice\en_blah blah. there is a zip called voice_instructions_imperial.com. Decompress it. Now delete all the text in the file messages.xml. Zip the folder. Restart phone, all is good.

I don't get it... how come I never have any problem when I use AUX as the audio output for Google Nav, but problem when redirect sound to bluetooth using soundAbout?

You probably want to back up that file first, so that if you ever want to use the regular TTS engine again. I guess it will probably just regenerate it if you delete the file, so many backing up is necessary , but it's better to be safe.

SoundAbout wrote:What phone and version of Android do you have?  My old Moto Droid won't allow media to Bluetooth mono no matter what I do.

To get music to play through AUX 3.5mm and navigation through Bluetooth headset I have settings:

1) SoundAbout "Media Audio" set to "Wired headphones".  Car stereo is on AUX.  Instead, I could have the "Media Audio" set to "let app decide", and have the "headset toggle" widget set to ON.
2) Play must and see if it comes out of car stereo.  Is the 3.5mm cable able to connect properly with your case on?  Some get in the way so you have to buy a thin 3.5mm cable or take off the case (PITA).
3) Go into Text-To-Speech behavior" settings:
"Audio Output" - Bluetooth mono
"Max utterance" - 1 or 2 (this is because Google Nav will request all audio at the beginning of the trip.  This won't work for what we are doing)
"Delay utterance" - 1.5 seconds should give the phone time to switch to Bluetooth mono and avoid losing any directions.
4) Click on "Android TTS settings".  Change the TTS Engine to "SoundAbout TTS".  SoundAbout TTS will have its own settings icon to update Language or change the "real" TTS engine used in the background.  Click on "Listen to example" to see if a message plays over Bluetooth.

I've followed your instruction above with setting the "Media Audio" to "Let app decide".

2. Works (Play music and audio come out to my car's AUX)
3. Works (Google Nav's audio and the "Listen to example" come out to my bluetooth headset)
4. Does NOT work
I've changed the TTS setting to "SoundAbout TTS" and checked the "Allow background audio". However, when I play music and launch Google Nav this morning. The music stop when Google Nav prompts.
i.e.

The music is playing thru the AUX
Then, when Google Nav wants to say something, the music stop, Google Nav prompt goes to my bluetooth.
After the Google Nav's prompt, the music resume and I can hear that from AUX.

I do not want the music to be interrupted while Google Nav's prompt, otherwise, I can just use AUX for all...

Which music player are you using? Is this app related? Need help please.

My spec:
Nexus 4, Android 4.3, Music Player: Winamp

The issue is WinAmp. WinAmp detects the TTS usage and is pausing the music on its own. If I use Google Play, this doesn't happen.

Thanks for your input.. I will try to use Play Music later

Here is my updated status. Unfortunately, it still doesn't work even I use Google Play Music.

I set up the TTS as instructed before, and I've no problem hear navigation voice from Google Nav from my bluetooth headset (and the example test)
Then I keep all the default setting (i.e. Let App Design) and plugged my car's AUX cable into my phone.

Then the music (I use Google Play Music) play fine on my car's audio UNTIL the navigation voice prompt.
When the navigation voice prompt to my bluetooth headset, the music sound switch from AUX to my bluetooth headset, and after the prompt is finished, the music is back to the AUX.

After that, I tried to set the "Media" to "Headphone" instead of "Let App Design", then the app crash.. I kill the SoundAbout app and try again (sometimes it allow me to change, sometimes, it crash again), when I play the music, nothing is played (I tried both AUX and headphone). Then I switch back to "Let app design", but then the sound comes out from the phone speaker instead of AUX.. (Yes, I am getting very annoying)...

I need to force kill the app and restart my phone in order to get my phone to act back normal.

I did send quite a number of the crash report. I hope it'll help.

Also, I've tasker installed and I've "say" command when I perform some tasks. However, since I installed SoundAbout, the say command doesn't always work...

Again, I need to uninstall + clear all the SoundAbout data and restart my phone and everything act back normal.

The SoundAbout is now uninstalled. I've paid for the app, and this is the only feature that I need (at this moment)... I really hope you can figure out what went wrong.

Would it be something related to Android 4.3?

Android 4.3 could be an issue as some Bluetooth drivers have changed. I just uploaded 2.5.5.6 which may help the crashing issue as I found an issue when the setting screen was resuming.

Let's see if that fixes the crashing and messing up of the settings.

Google play music switching from AUX to Bluetooth during navigation is normal if you go into the Text To Speech behavior and have the ""Allow background audio" checked.

SoundAbout wrote:Google play music switching from AUX to Bluetooth during navigation is normal if you go into the Text To Speech behavior and have the ""Allow background audio" checked.

So, do you mean I should "check" or "uncheck" the "Allow background audio"?

This is my current SoundAbout setup

https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B3CMLQ--NS6zd1NteC12dXhlMzA/edit?usp=sharing

With that setting. Google Play music will still be heard in the background while the directions are being played over the Bluetooth mono connection.

If you un-check the "Allow background audio", then Google play will decide to stop it's audio. You will have to press play in Google Play music to resume the audio.

Thanks for your quick reply.

This is the setting that I have.

Good news and bad news.

Good news: Your new fix fixed the crash issue.

Bad news: Google Play music stop on AUX and then go to my bluetooth headset while plugged in my car's AUX when Google give me direction prompts. After the direction prompts, the music goes back to AUX, but sometimes, it has weird sounds for couple seconds.

I understand this is hard for you as it seems you don't have this problem at all. If there is anything that I can provide to you to help you to resolve this problem, let me know...

Which problem?

Google Play audio going from AUX to Bluetooth is a choice that Google Play Music makes. I sent a request to gain audio focus. I can send that request so that any other apps playing audio can reduce their volume in the background. What the other apps actually do is beyond my control. They may decide to pause, stop, or anything they want.

The other issue, is the weird sounds. What are these weird sounds? Does it seem like they come from Navigation or Google Play Music? Are they voice or some other noise?

Oh... wait.. so I can't set to have Google navigation voice to my bluetooth headset and Google Music playing in AUX at the same time? I am a little bit lost here...

About the noise, it's somekind of "frequency" voice "encrypted" voice.. sorry as I don't have a good word to describe it.

If the SoundAbout "Media audio" setting is on "let app decide" and the phone can detect a headset being plugged in, then the Google Play music will go to AUX.

If you set the "Text-To-Speech behavior" as you have it the Google Navigation should go to the Bluetooth device.

The problem is what to do with the music while navigation is playing. If you set the "Allow background audio" to ON, then SoundAbout TTS gets audio focus and tells other apps it is OK to keep playing in the background . The other apps usually decide to keep playing with lower volume, but may decide to react differently. If SoundAbout TTS gets audio focus and tells other apps not to continue playing in the background, then they can decide to pause or stop, or even shut down. That choice is up to the other apps and can't be controlled by SoundAbout. It can be annoying as I would want Google Play music to pause and then continue.

I can try to detect if a media player is playing audio and send a request to any media player to pause during TTS playback. Then I can send another request resume after the directions are complete. The problem is that the media player has to be listening to normal media player requests and sometimes other media is playing so that SoundAbout "thinks" media was playing (when it might not have been), and then after the navigation directions are done, SoundAbout will send a request to continue the media player. This can start the media player (Google play music) to run when it was not playing before. This can get annoying and has happened in the past.

Also, that extra voice may come from Google Navigation. I've seen it play a pre-defined instruction, like "Head west" before the TTS instructions start playing. Does that sound like what you hear? I can listen to it better if I set the "Delay utterance" setting to a bigger number. If that is the case then it is a Google play issue with interacting with other TTS engines.

If have found away around it with these instructions:
https://soundabout.forumotion.com/t201-get-rid-of-double-voice-when-using-google-navigation-and-soundabout-tts

Thanks for your input.

My point is I don't want my Google Music stop playing while navigation is playing.

SoundAbout wrote:
If the SoundAbout "Media audio" setting is on "let app decide" and the phone can detect a headset being plugged in, then the Google Play music will go to AUX.

If you set the "Text-To-Speech behavior" as you have it the Google Navigation should go to the Bluetooth device.

I have these 2 working if doing it alone.

Ideally, I want the navigation prompts to my bluetooth headset and Google music ALWAYS play in my car's AUX without any interruption
i.e. the Google music should keep playing thru my car's AUX regardless there is navigation prompts or not..

Oh, I see. Android won't allow simultaneous audio to different outputs. If I direct media audio to use a certain output, then ALL media output will use that same output. What happens is that the music playing from the AUX will be heard in the background of the Bluetooth device while directions are playing. When the directions are complete, then the music will be heard back on the AUX. There are other audio channels for Notifications and alarms that can play on different audio outputs (unless those outputs are shut off), but Google Play music and Navigation both use the media channel. It would be cool if they allow you to switch what channel they play on, but they don't.

okay, thanks for the answer... Sorry if I didn't specific my question at first

Did you check out the thread on the "double voice" issue. Is that the other issue you are having?

well, yes.. this is one of the issue that sometimes I get double voice.. but since the "play at the same time" is the only things that I want, and it seems there is no way to work this way, I think I am fine with it...

Thanks for the great support.

If you already have the AUX plugged in, would it be better just to use the AUX for navigation as well as the music? It seems to work better as no delay setting is needed.