Answered

ARC (when playing TV via ARC) goes quiet for ~15 seconds after Alexa command.

  • 10 December 2022
  • 30 replies
  • 505 views

Badge

My setup: ARC + 2 x oneSL (surround.)  My ARC is defined as a Speaker in Alexa.  It is not in the same group as the Echo.

When watching TV, if I say ‘Alexa turn on lights’ - it does - and provides audio feedback via Echo speaker.  BUT, then the sound coming from ARC goes and stays very low for ~15 seconds before returning to normal.  If I say ‘Alexa stop’ during this period, the volume pops right back up.  This seems to happen if the music is coming from the Echo as well (though, in this case, saying ‘echo stop’ actually stops the music too.)

My Echo is located behind my head, close to me, and it is the one that answers - not the Sonos speaker, when I talk to it.  Alexa audio playback happens, as desired, on the Sonos.

Thanks for any and all assistance in fixing this uniquely annoying issue.

icon

Best answer by yossie 12 December 2022, 20:29

View original

This topic has been closed for further comments. You can use the search bar to find a similar topic, or create a new one by clicking Create Topic at the top of the page.

30 replies

So my Arc is called ‘Living Room’ and in the animation it’s shown with a green arrow in the Alexa device list.

Meaning that you have Alexa voice assistant installed on the ARC.  I don’t.  I am trying to use it as a speaker only.  I will keep on trying..

You ‘might’ have to disable the speaker in the Alexa App to achieve the non-ducking outcome in that case, but anyhow hope you manage to sort it.👍

Badge

So my Arc is called ‘Living Room’ and in the animation it’s shown with a green arrow in the Alexa device list.

Meaning that you have Alexa voice assistant installed on the ARC.  I don’t.  I am trying to use it as a speaker only.  I will keep on trying..

@yossie,
You can perhaps refer back to my much earlier post to see where ‘Living Room’ (Arc) is placed in the controlling area of the Alexa Group (screenshot).

In my use-case, the Arc just ‘ducks’ the playing audio the same as the echo device, to hear the user voice instruction and then the TV audio returns immediately with little, or no, delay - there’s no 15s delay and it certainly does not stay ducked any longer than the echo dot in my setup.

So my Arc is called ‘Living Room’ and in the animation it’s shown with a green arrow in the Alexa device list - if I select it, it then shows the Alexa component (embedded) called ‘Sonos Living Room Alexa’ (the name I assigned to it) so that’s where you will see the follow-up mode as ‘off’ for that device, but it needs the assistant in place to put the Arc - Living Room - into the controlling section of the Alexa ‘enabled’ Group. Hope that makes sense and that the ‘rough & ready’ animation attached is self explanatory.

I have disabled followup on my Echo (Devices->Echo and Alexa->Living Room Echo->GEAR->Follow-up Mode - OFF.

Where is “Arc Alexa component” to be found?  My ARC has no voice assistant defined at this time so the ARC shows up in Alexa as a Speaker connected Via Sonos with no GEAR.

Ah yes, didn’t you uninstall that component?

Whilst it’s not installed you cannot add it to the first section controlling area of the Alexa enabled group - it’s a component that is usually embedded inside the speaker room name in the device list - give me a minute and I will see if I can create an animation to post here to show you precisely what you should see… i may need to edit things though to hide my address etc. 

Badge

I have disabled followup on my Echo (Devices->Echo and Alexa->Living Room Echo->GEAR->Follow-up Mode - OFF.

Where is “Arc Alexa component” to be found?  My ARC has no voice assistant defined at this time so the ARC shows up in Alexa as a Speaker connected Via Sonos with no GEAR.

Maybe post a screenshot of your relevant Alexa ‘enabled’ group too so I can take a glance and see if I can see anything else that maybe the cause.

I DO have brief mode selected.  I didn’t have whisper mode, but I will turn it on, though I can’t imagine how it might impact this issue.

No I doubt Whisper mode would have any bearing - I take it you have checked the properties of both the Arc Alexa component and the echo device to ensure ‘follow-up’ mode is disabled on both those devices?

Badge

I DO have brief mode selected.  I didn’t have whisper mode, but I will turn it on, though I can’t imagine how it might impact this issue.

Do you have ‘brief mode’ enabled in the voice responses area of the Alexa app?

Maybe try the setup I’m using above with both (Echo/Sonos) products in the same group as that works just fine for me and also ensure that an echo device elsewhere in the home is not picking up the wake word (if you perhaps internal doors open etc.)

EXCEPT that introduces the ~15 second “ducking” after an Echo command finishes executing.  Apparently can’t win this one for trying..  I am back to square one.

I don’t have the 15 second ‘ducking’ that you mention, so you must have another issue/setting elsewhere in the Alexa App that’s causing that. As soon as I finish the instruction, the audio level of the Arc returns almost immediately.

Badge

Maybe try the setup I’m using above with both (Echo/Sonos) products in the same group as that works just fine for me and also ensure that an echo device elsewhere in the home is not picking up the wake word (if you perhaps internal doors open etc.)

EXCEPT that introduces the ~15 second “ducking” after an Echo command finishes executing.  Apparently can’t win this one for trying..  I am back to square one.

After my last change yesterday, the problem was FIXED.  For a few hours, anyway.  This morning it came back with a vengeance.  Now, despite the speaker being selected in the Alexa app, the echo, when voice instructed, only plays on internal speaker.  When I use the app, I can make it play on the ARC, but the ~15 second ducking is back, even though the Sonos is not in the Alexa group.  The whole thing is kinda weird and frustrating.  And, yes, I do get that Amazon and Sonos are separate companies talking over an API, but it can’t be that hard to get it to work, can it?

Instructions on this specific use case, that have been checked and proven would be very much appreciated.

The case being HOW to use an ARC as the music speaker for an Echo but retain the Echo as the listener, processor, and responder to voice commands.  Oh, and no ducking after a command is processed.

Maybe try the setup I’m using above with both (Echo/Sonos) products in the same group as that works just fine for me and also ensure that an echo device elsewhere in the home is not picking up the wake word (if you perhaps internal doors open etc.)

Badge

After my last change yesterday, the problem was FIXED.  For a few hours, anyway.  This morning it came back with a vengeance.  Now, despite the speaker being selected in the Alexa app, the echo, when voice instructed, only plays on internal speaker.  When I use the app, I can make it play on the ARC, but the ~15 second ducking is back, even though the Sonos is not in the Alexa group.  The whole thing is kinda weird and frustrating.  And, yes, I do get that Amazon and Sonos are separate companies talking over an API, but it can’t be that hard to get it to work, can it?

Instructions on this specific use case, that have been checked and proven would be very much appreciated.

The case being HOW to use an ARC as the music speaker for an Echo but retain the Echo as the listener, processor, and responder to voice commands.  Oh, and no ducking after a command is processed.

Well done for sorting out that last step. I do recall now that the speakers listed as members of a group will duck tor the command, while speakers listed as speakers are the ones that play the sound

 

 

Badge

I removed the Alexa voice assistant from my ARC altogether (shows no voice assistant.)

I deleted the Sonos Device and Speaker from my Echo .  I left the Sonos skill installed.

On my echo I added a “speaker” - re-discovered the ARC, and verified that the ARC is now a speaker in my Echo Group.

I validated the follow-up is disabled on the Echo.

I reset (unplugged) both devices.

I still get the ~15 second “ducking” on my ARC after my Echo answers a question:

  • me: echo, play radio station
  • echo: playing radio station on sonos
  • sonos: starts playing
  • me: echo what time is it
  • echo: it is XX:XX
  • sonos: volume drops very low ~15 seconds before returning to normal

Followup:  Once I removed the Sonos from the Echo Group, but left it as the default speaker, things appear to work right now.

Actually I have an almost identical setup with an Arc (‘Living Room’) and echo Dot (‘Amazon Lounge Alexa) but both use the Alexa wake word and I have both mics enabled. Both devices are set as controlling/enabling devices in the same Amazon Alexa Group (photo of group attached) and that works well for me for ducking purposes etc. FWIW

@yossie 
Can’t you just tap the mic on the Arc and switch it off? Then remove the Arc and its Alexa component from all groups in the Amazon App? 
 

OP said that he generally keeps mic switched off anyway.  But on the face of it I agree with you.

 

@yossie 
Can’t you just tap the mic on the Arc and switch it off? Then remove the Arc and its Alexa component from all groups in the Amazon App? 
 

Note too there is an option in the Amazon App to make the Arc the default output speaker for the echo device (even with the Arc mic switched off)  - so that’s another option, but you need them in the same Alexa Group to do that.

I know, but I don't want the ARC listening at all.  I want to use my Alexa (wake word Echo) for all listening purposes.  I want the ARC to be a speaker only.

Please see my post that crossed with yours.  And please stop referring to your Echo as your Alexa.

Badge

I know, but I don't want the ARC listening at all.  I want to use my Alexa (wake word Echo) for all listening purposes.  I want the ARC to be a speaker only.

I am not entirely sure this would work, but could you:

  1. Uninstall Alexa voice control from the Arc
  2. In the Alexa app, group your echo (as the Alexa device), the Arc (as speaker) and your lights

I would expect the Arc to duck as you give the command “Echo, turn on lights”.  But that is what I would want.

My Alexa wake word is “echo”.

No, your wake word on the Arc is “Alexa” and your wake word on your Echo is “Echo”.

Maybe a better thing for me to do is explain what I am trying to do. I am using my ARC as an output only device for Alexa and for my TV.  I don’t want the ARC listening (and generally keep the microphone disabled.)  Please explain how to do this.  I do want the Alexa handling all listening tasks and feedback for commands should be on the Alexa, no ARC.  ARC should only be used to playback sound.

I assume when you say ‘I want the Alexa handling…. “ you mean the Echo.

Badge

My Alexa wake word is “echo”.