With a newly designed body that looks better than the previous model, the new Tentacle Sync E enables professional and semiprofessional users to easily synchronize audio and video.

Synchronization of audio and video has been a tedious and expensive task, not always accessible to small productions. Timecode generators are bulky, expensive and awkward to program, and with some of them you almost need to read a 300 page manual to understand how they work. Synchronization with a clapperboard/slate – especially in multicam setups – is known for being cumbersome at both the set and the cutting room. Silent movies are no longer an option, so a solution is needed.

The solution has a name: Tentacle Sync E. The newest offer from Tentacle Sync is a one stop solution for this problem, built around a pocket sized timecode generator and an easy to use software. The small unit is perfect for applications where equipment without integrated timecode generators are used, such as DSLR cameras or budget audio recorders.

The Sync E was presented at Photokina 2018 by its creators, the Cologne (Germany) based company Tentacle Sync. Founded in 2015, by the two CEOs Maximilian Kaiser and Uli Esser as a crowdfunding project, Tentacle Sync has a mission since its very beginning: to simplify the world of audio and video syncing.

Following the original model, the Tentacle Sync E is the next step on that path. Tentacles are basically timecode generators completely stripped-down to what you really need. They are accurate, small, lightweight, smart and easy to use devices. The versatile timecode output of Tentacle will allow you to connect Tentacles to nearly every kind of camera or recorder. From a DSLR to an ARRI Alexa, Tentacle works with them all, says the company. Once connected, the Sync E timecode generator offers a frame accuracy of 24 hours and provides a battery capacity of up to 35 hours, fast charging via USB-C.

The Tentacle Sync E has no built-in display and uses Bluetooth for two good reasons: this allows the unit to be small and Bluetooth is the most common and widely-used wireless technology used in smartphones. Yes, the user interface is the smartphone, from which you can monitor and setup your Tentacle Sync E with a frame-accurate timecode display, without the need for any additional equipment. You already have cable independence in the palm of your hands. To connect, just hold your smartphone close to your Tentacle Sync E to link it with your app.

“From experience as cameramen, we know how important it is at the set that every step of the workflow is as quick and easy as possible. Our main goal for Sync E is a combination of hard- and software that allows for easy setup and monitoring of each connected device and the entire sync network. Bluetooth plays a vital role in this application”, says Uli Esser, co-founder and CEO of Tentacle Sync. “Especially in multicam setups you’ll quickly realize the advantage to have the status of all generators at your fingertips via your mobile phone. This enables you to concentrate on the important tasks of your shoot – a feature that is more than welcome in hectic wedding or YouTube shoots. We are presented our solution at renowned broadcast trade shows, but we are particularly excited to present Sync E to the Photokina audience.”

Connecting timecode equipment to the mic input of a DSLR-type camera cuts off the internal audio. Tentacle Sync E is the only solution on the market which comes with a high-quality built-in ‘scratch’ mic. This lets you record both timecode and ambient sound simultaneously with one device. Included in the Sync E solution is a dedicated synchronization software for macOS, Tentacle Sync Studio, that allows easy synchronization of audio and video with a single mouse click, so that the files can be directly used in an editing software.

With an integrated hook surface for easy mounting, and a lockable connector with the included “Tentacle Clamp” to keep cables in place, the Tentacle Sync E is super small (38 x 50 x 15 mm) and lightweight (30 g / 1 oz). The standard set, complete with 2 Tentacle Sync E – Timecode Generators and all cables and accessories needed costs $525.