Tentacle Sync TimeCode Generator Sync Multiple Cameras and Audio Recorders FAST

Tentacle Sync: cheesycam.tv/tentaclesync
Read More: cheesycam.com/tentacle-sync-ti...
Timecode is a simple way to sync Multiple Cameras and or Audio Recorders quickly with frame accuracy. Cheaper consumer cameras may have an option to reset timecode within, but after a short period clocks begin to drift apart between your different cameras. This is because they don't have accurate internal clocks. And though they may have an option to send timecode out (over HDMI), they don't have a way of getting timecode in from an external accurate Timecode Generator.
Tentacle Sync Timecode Generators solves this problem by working as an external clock and embedding timecode into one channel of audio. This will essentially work for any type of camera with an audio input such as a Panasonic GH4 / GH5, Sony A6300 / 6500, and can even work with a GoPro. This can even be setup to work with tiny cheap audio recorders like a Zoom H1.
Once you have each of your equipment 'listening' to an external clock, it doesn't matter how often you start and stop video across multiple devices. The Tentacle Sync (clock) is continuously running for up to 40 hours, and every recording you begin will have accurate time embedded into the audio or video file (metadata). Depending where you want to send this timecode, they have a number of different adapter cables from XLR, BNC, USB, TA3, Lemo, cables for RED + Arri Alexa cameras, and even works when recording with iPhones - (all found here).
The first comment people have is 'Just use PluralEyes', which works great to sync files by analyzing each camera's recorded audio. But there are many situations where your cameras won't share the same audio. For instance, projects like reality shows where one camera may be inside a car and another across the street. Or when covering sporting events from different sides of a stadium where you're picking up random conversations (screaming + yelling) from a crowd.
A few years ago, I once helped to cover an event on a Golf Course. Believe me when I say there's not a lot of audio captured in each camera to use as scratch audio for sync. Often we had cameras set a distance away from the Golfer and cameras on the other end of the course (to watch the ball drop). Because there was always distance, wireless audio had too many drop outs and too much interference. So for talent audio we opted to use belt worn portable audio recorders. Needless to say, attempting to sync all of the audio and camera angles in post was not an easy task. This would have been much easier had we worked with timecode.
Keep in mind that Tentacle Sync can be used for Timecode Audio, but for many professional cameras like the Ursa Mini, Sony pro cams, or higher end audio recorders, Tentacle Sync can be used to embed timecode into the metadata of the files recorded. It can be used in different ways.
Tentacle Sync Timecode Generators are small, lightweight, affordable and very fast to setup. I really like how they have a built in microphone allowing you to still capture scratch audio, or to use a splitter cable and allow you to still input from an external microphone. Obviously using Timecode in your workflow will save you hours and hours in post editing when shooting multicam projects.
Tentacle Sync: cheesycam.tv/tentaclesync
Read More: Cheesycam.com

[@MrCheesyCam]

Tentacle Sync: cheesycam.tv/tentaclesync Read More: cheesycam.com/tentacle-sync-timecode-generators-align-multiple-audio-or-video-fast/

[@scottmason7346]

I am using Zoom H6 with Canon 5dMkIV editing in avid that has the ability to extract TC from and Audio Chan do you know if anyone has good experience with avid doing the TC extraction

[@RallenMan]

Excellent review and demo of these great little TC units. I have three of them and have used them on DSLRs, RED's, and URSA mini.

[@ChristianRobinson]

I got it to work, thanks.... I kinda knew how to do it but you helped me step by step and it worked very well... you may have used a time code generator. I used smpte audio code on one camera. Then I make each angle a separate group, unlike you made a group for multiple cameras... my trick was to treat my single camera as separate cameras or separate groups and it worked like a charm... imported to FCPX and it was perfectly in sync using the XML import which did it all automatically. But I love videos that are easy to follow and easy to understand... thanks again. I appreciate it. Ill post a video to show how I did mines too...

[@motionpixelfilms363]

Thanks for taking the time to make this. Very helpful.

[@grahamhobson2875]

Thanks for such an excellent explanatory video and for the time taken to create it; it is appreciated.

[@Filmcollaboration]

Hey! this is a great video explaining the Tentacle Sync - lovin´ it :-)

[@edownie]

Great lesson on jam synking cameras as a old timer I would use cameras with time code in and out and use Tentacle for accuracy between camera on a long day shoot.

[@dawsonboyle99]

Ugh this is amazing! Time code made simple and affordable!

[@JoseMarioLagos]

I use two of this for a movie, great little device!

[@bn_media]

Out of interest, what were you using to display the multicam view on the Swit Fm17 monitor. Thanks, great video.

[@krishnansrinivasan830]

Thank you so much Sir :) Very helpful video :)

[@AbstrakMedia]

Been using these for about 2-3 months on two Ursa Mini Pros, a original 4.6K and the zoom F8 total time saver.

[@MrCheesyCam]

Damn you got 3 Ursa Mini cameras too? Sweet!

[@AbstrakMedia]

Yea I been team blackmagic since the original cinema camera that came out in what 2012? I had the Original big ursa and two 4.6Ks. I got the half off price for the customer Loyalty for my first UMP, sold my Original Ursa and one of my 4.6Ks to get the second UMP. Then I still have one original 4.6K we use for BTS mostly or C cam when necessary. I dont really post to much on youtube typically vimeo, the website etc etc

[@MrCheesyCam]

Yeah the UMP 4.6K sensor is really nice so long as you don't underexpose, and that built in ND filter was just game changing for that camera.

[@AbstrakMedia]

I've come to find out if you expose for the skin more often than not everything else falls in place. So with false color I typically expose the skin between Green and Pink which is a small area of gray around 40-50% IRE based on BMs false color chart. Love the internal NDs and swappable mounts. EF glass for small jobs, PL for bigger gigs. To me the UMP has the best price to performance ratio on the market right now hands down.

[@MrCheesyCam]

+AbstrakMedia I agree. Maybe not the best camera in the world, but 'the best camera for the price'! And you can buy several of them as opposed to just one RED. I think people often give it a bad rap because they only tried the 4K sensor, not realizing the 4.6K sensor is a totally different animal. BM should stop selling the 4K...

[@alexanderaudio8383]

Just for clarity, this is or isn't the Tentacle E Syncs, just the original Tentacle's Synce? Also, in order to jamsync you only need 1? But if you want to maintain sync TC on all devices, you have to keep them plugged into each device?

[@robertoalex4527]

Hi. Love your video. Can you please tell which is the best way/software when you are filming with different cameras and the audio is coming from each camera to line them up and editing? I like to film with multiple cameras and angles and is a nightmare when I have to take every each one separately for editing and make sure the audio is not left behind. Thank you.

[@MrCheesyCam]

Most apps have a built in feature to sync audio. FCPX and Premiere have this already built in. Another one is Plural Eyes. But trust me, audio sync is not always reliable. It’s an investment, but once you start using something like the Tentacle Sync for multicam edits you won’t want to shoot multicam without it.

[@robertoalex4527]

MrCheesyCam so you are saying that the best tool for put your sound together is Tentacle Synk? And also can you please tell how to adjust the video from one of the cameras which didn't have sound to be in line with the other ones that had sound? For example, I filmed with 4 cameras from 4 different angles and one camera didn't have sound. How to line that video from the camera with no sound to match the other ones? Thank again.

[@neostormOCREMIX]

Great video Mr. CheesyCam! Would you happen to know of a device that sync's audio with video in real-time for LIVE streaming? Has to be portable if possible. I can use a behringer mixer, but its huge and not portable :( Thank you in advance!!

[@MrCheesyCam]

Audio comes in faster than video, so audio typically has to be delayed. I suggest looking into OBS software on a laptop where you can add delay, and also use different cameras and different audio inputs. You can even use a zoom h6 as a small mixer for audio input with its USB interface.

[@orionsbelt0]

Awesome. Added to my long list of things to buy.... I wish the sync software ran on Windows also, I have a mac laptop I can use but my main edit station is a windows tower.

[@MrCheesyCam]

Once you generate the XML it should work when you open the project in Windows to edit.

[@LeoMahoney70]

There is a Windows version, but it's nothing like the Mac version. I do hope they change that.

[@apaarjain]

if i get to shoot something else on another camera by chance in a wedding that is not being recorded via the external audio setup, is there a way to make the scratch audio usable for an edit?? or do i need to have separate audio recorders (with individual tenacles) with each camera to accomplish that?

[@LeoMahoney70]

You can only use the scratch track for a manual sync. You need a box for each camera and one for the sound recorder.

[@SmoothbassmanStudios]

Where did you purchase that splitter cable. I need one of those!

[@MrCheesyCam]

Tentacle Sync sells the splitter. You can find on B&H.

[@MalachiBryant]

Would this work over a world clock connection?

[@Designguidetv]

thanks for the review, I was looking into this myself. I don't have any sound inputs right now but I can have TC-in on my camera. So I was thinking of having a 4 track audio recorder using either one of the sound inputs for the tentacle, or a similar priced recorder with dedicated TC-in. Are there any recorders you'd recommend for this?

[@MrCheesyCam]

+Designguide.tv Zoom F4 is 4 track and supports timecode in. The timecode will be embedded in metadata of the files recorded. You won't hear anything but the apps will be able to read timecode from the recorded audio files and line them up perfectly.

[@Designguidetv]

unfortunately it's a little too big to hang on my camera I think, also pricey.

[@Designguidetv]

What about something like a zoom H5?

[@StefanHofmannCommunication]

I use it with Zoom H4n and H6. Works perfect when submixing.

[@StefanHofmannCommunication]

Finding a smaller and cheaper TC solution might be a nice challenge. Tell us once you find one.

[@AllThingsKen]

THank u for this

[@stevenswancoat1150]

Can you sync using H6 zoom and Gh4 alone? I am trying to do that but its not working and seeing if anyone has done it.

[@ExploreUSAMade]

I'm also trying to use Zoom H6 with tentacle sync E and latest v2 firmware. It appears it did not work when I plugged into the "line out" I think it needs to be put into an input, but then I'll have to get a 3.5mm to xlr adapter I guess? Trying to find the best way, thanks!

[@tcrproductions7508]

If you're jam-syncing on an Ursa Mini (or any device really), what happens when you turn the device off? I assume you have to reset the sync or does it retain that clock info somehow?

[@MrCheesyCam]

Yes if you restart a device then you will need to jam sync it again. If you plan on restarting then it will be beat to just leave a Tentacle Sync attached to every device.

[@studioquicklock7173]

Did you made your own minijack to BNC cable? How is it wired? Ive plenty of cable lying around so i can make my own!

[@MrCheesyCam]

You can make your own, but I also bought some from Amazon for cheap.

[@LeoMahoney70]

The Tentacle website has all the pin-outs listed. I made my own.

[@daniels.9271]

MrCheesyCam, have you ever had a problem switching out of the synced frame rate for, say, some 60p slow motion, and then switching back to the synced frame rate? Would it fall back into sync?

[@MrCheesyCam]

I typically don’t change framerates if i’m doing multicam work. But I only shoot 60fps for slow motion, and if I need it, I tend to use VFR, S&Q, (a.k.a off speed) where it captures 60 fps but is conformed to 24p.

[@daniels.9271]

Thank you. Going to be using them for syncing to UMPs and possibly a Sound Devices, so it seems like these things will work very well.

[@anonymous_friend]

who makes those dslr camera cages?

[@dannygo4230]

Nice video, need to review more ... but, what happen to the audio recorders, when you are injecting an audio signal into it? When I do a concert, I would place many recorders at various places .... choral section (men are usually low and need boost in post), back stage, left/right of backstage, soloist(s), main audience etc. I need these audio tracks to be as pristine as possible. These are fairly cheap, and very portable recording devices, from Zoom h4, h2, h1 as well some Sony's (really for general recording, but pretty decent to get "spacial" blend). I am using plural eyes right now.

[@MrCheesyCam]

When you inject timecode into a tiny recording device, one side will be timecode audio, and the other is the audio recording. So you will not get stereo recording.

[@dannygo4230]

@@MrCheesyCam Thanks so much. I have a Zoom h2 (as well as H4 with external mics) which will record in 4 channel, which I can use for the main "stereo" feed. For others, mono should be fine.

[@HiHaiNgo]

Is there a way to remove tentacle sync studio from the workflow? I.e. can Premiere align all of it for me?

[@commercialand]

do you have to keep the sync box connected to the audio device at all times, or only when you jam timecode? and then disconnect it from audio device?

[@MrCheesyCam]

It will continue the timecode without a generator plugged in, but will reset if you power off the device. Same with many cameras, so sometimes its best to keep it plugged in. Also depending on the device, the timecode can drift, but the Tentacle sync has a really good clock to keep from drifting even after several hours.

[@commercialand]

@@MrCheesyCam so if I turn off my mic pre 3 and back on , I would have to just connect the source box and it will automatically sync back up??

[@Notmy00000]

so a classic film hit is not necessary? , for sync audio. that is very nice and what about phantom power microphone

[@MrCheesyCam]

All of these cameras have phantom power, but you can also use the tentacle sync on a recorder like the zoom h4n, H6, etc..

[@lauddp1150]

Hypothetically speaking, if I had two mirrorless cameras with an Ursa mini pro and a sumo recorder, could I jam sync the Ursa and the recorder and have the two mirrorless ones plugged into the 3.5mm Jack's and essentially have all 4 items genlocked? Can I mixed up syncing like that so I don't have to buy 4 tentacles and just function with 3? Also if I were recording a program out from the sumo to an inferno (for example), would I also need to jam sync the inferno as well in that situation? Appreciate any help! I'm trying to put together a one man band, three camera setup for the work I do.

[@MrCheesyCam]

Yes you can do that. BTW, the word ‘genlock’ is different than ‘timecode’. That has more to do with live switching. The one thing to note is that if you have to power off the Ursa camera, the timecode needs to jammed again.

[@MrCheesyCam]

Timecode is more for post production, and genlock would use a different device. If you are recording the ‘Program Out’ from a three cam setup, I don’t see why you need timecode. The program out is already edited in a sense.

[@lauddp1150]

@@MrCheesyCam ok thanks! I had to ask because as of right now, the atomos sumo requires all camera's to be genlocked in order to use the live switching function. An update is supposed to be released that won't require that anymore, but that hasn't been released yet, so I was looking for a temporary solution. Either way, the tentacle sync is great to have in any multicam situation regardless.

[@MrCheesyCam]

Sorry to say but timecode will not fix the issue with the Atomos Sumo. You'll need a different device for that. Blackmagic sells one, and also AJA sells a device for genlock. The problem you will run into is that the cameras you have do not accept REF IN, which is needed for genlock. Basically you cannot GENLOCK your mirrorless cameras. There may be a way if you use a converter that can accepts REF IN as it converts the signal, but then you'll get into latency, etc. Bottom line, the Atomos SUMO is not worth using it as a switcher without professional cameras until they release the firmware.

[@lauddp1150]

@@MrCheesyCam interesting. Big thanks for all the info. One more question, even if I had a shogun connected to my Gh5, it still can't be genlocked? Appreciate all the responses and help!

[@wierdpocket]

Yo, at around 7:00 you mentioned that in order to maintain sync you would need a tentacle plugged into each camera all day... but couldn't you just jam the cameras every couple of hours or so?

[@MrCheesyCam]

Depends on the device. Some caneras will drift after a while, some won’t. But for most cameras (and audio recorders), once you power them off the timecode resets. So by having a tentacle sync attached, the camera will restart with synced timecode.

[@victorfilm_]

I'm still not clear on how many tentacle devices I would need. I have not been able to find a clear answer about this. So for example: I have the Sound Devices MixPre 10T that already has timecode and want to sync up sound for one camera: Ursa. Is one device enough? Or would I need two Tentacle devices say one device attached to SD mixer and one on camera? Is it always better to set the Tentacle as the master clock? What about the timecode generated by the MixPre 10T? Also, what specific cables would I need to sync up the Ursa w/ Tentacle? Thanks in advanced.

[@MrCheesyCam]

It is always better to have (1) per device. So if you have one sound recorder, and one Ursa, then you would use (2). BUT, because your devices have support for timecode, you could just use (1) to set the clock in your recorder, and then set the clock on the Ursa. BUT, the problem is when you turn the Devices off. If you have to power off your Ursa, the timecode will reset. So before you start recording, you would need to set the clocks again. When i’m lazy and doing a quick shoot I sometimes do this. I keep one TS running all day, set the clocks on my cameras, and leave them running. One battery for me can last several hours so I just leave them running. This works for those simple interviews. If you kept the TS attached to your devices, you could power off your device, or swap batteries. And when you power them back on they will automatically pick up from the external timecode generator (the TS), and you never have to remember to set the clocks. So better to have one attached to each device.

[@victorfilm_]

MrCheesyCam Thank you for answering all my questions 👍

[@LeoMahoney70]

You need 2 boxes. Every device needs a box. One is the master the others are clock slaves. ($289 each).

[@exceptionalnotary9529]

Can you provide a link for the 2 male to 1 female 3.5mm mic splitter?

[@MrCheesyCam]

+Wil Ussery www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1327602-REG/tentacle_sync_c15_cable_tentacle_microphone.html

[@exceptionalnotary9529]

Thanks for the link.

[@chabbb]

It is true that on a shoot, the use of the Tentacle Set is very easy and efficient. On the other hand, it is extremely common that the synchronization of video and audio rushes is carried out by an image editor or within a production company. As a sound engineer I never recover the video rushes, and so it's never me, the sound engineer, who does this synchronization. The fact that the Tentacle Sync Studio software requires a limited license (or the presence of a tentacle set plugged into a USB port) to function, no image editor or production acquires this license because they do not need the Tentacle Set in their workflow. Thus, in a professional workflow, nobody takes advantage of this synchronization software, video editors use the functions built into Avid, FCPX or Premiere to synchronize. I say it very clearly, the Tentacle sync Studio licensing policy is ineffective, unnecessary, stupid. How is their commercial policy to give this software away for free? This would not at all preclude the need for sound engineers or freelance videographers to purchase Tentacle sets. For example, Sound Device provides free Wave Agent software to manage metadata of sounds recorded with their recorder. It's smart and it doesn't prevent having to buy their recorders. They have already replied that no one else has found fault with this policy, but I repeat it clearly and with a solid experience now, few actors of the pro video sector use Tentacle Sync Studio because of this restriction, so few production companies know the Tentacle brand and benefit from the advantages it offers. Thank you

[@MrCheesyCam]

I think you’re confused. When used as a timecode generator with a camera that supports timecode (or jam sync) all software supports timecode. And when used with cameras that don’t accept Jam Sync then you can use Timecode Audio ( Those Weird sounds). Still you fo not need Tentacle sync software as Free software like Resolve supports Timecode Audio. So in summary these are just basic timecode device that even free software can sync to whether it be Embedded Timecode or Timecode Audio. You do not need to use the TS software, that is strictly optional.

[@DaftRebel]

is this available for Windows users?

[@LeoMahoney70]

Yes, works fine. Not as good as the Mac version.

[@fuglbird]

We never see timecode synchronization working in these KZbin demonstrations. Always an excuse: The computer is so slow in 4k, it synchronized 36 hours later, it would have worked if we used proxy files, if we exported to format 4.2.2 version yzx, it would certainly synchronize - maybe. I will save my money until I see something working.

[@SteveBethers]

It's a shame they don't make a Windows version of their software.

[@LeoMahoney70]

There is a Windows version, but it's nothing like the Mac version. I do hope they change that.

[@svadobnevideo]

Kup si normalnu kameru nie fotak a toto nemusis riesit

[@commercialand]

I need a camera with 4k, TIMECODE and preferably IS and flip monitor for just over 1k.....is there such a camera??!! Lol

[@MrCheesyCam]

Put tentacle sync on a Panasonic MFT camera and you get what you’re asking for..