Garmin unveiled the GMA350-series digital audio panel last month with two unique new features for aviation: voice-recognition controls and 3-D audio. The new GMA350 series fits in a box that is pin-compatible with Garmin’s GMA340 series and audio panels made by other manufacturers. The GMA350, said to be the first all-digital general aviation audio panel, comes in fixed-wing and helicopter versions and retails for $2,395 and $2,695, respectively. Both have the same features, but the helicopter unit includes support for a third com, NVG-compatible green annunciation and new split-com modes.
The new features, said Garmin engineer and test pilot Sean Doyle, “are all about reducing pilot workload and improving safety.” The 3-D audio function mimics the way humans process audio, delivering a more natural-sounding result to stereo headphones. Based on research done at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 3-D audio spatially separates two different audio inputs. With current audio panels, if a pilot is listening to ATC on one radio and ATIS or weather on another, it is difficult to separate the two audio streams. With 3-D audio, each channel is separated and piped toward opposite sides of the headphones.
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