Affordable Pro Time Code Sync

O

OldCorpse

Rockin the Boat
Tentacle Sync - Indiegogo

Eu 380 ($475)

"If you buy this package you have everything you need for all kind of standard productions: two cute little Tentacles, Tentacle Sync software and cables. Just take it and be happy! 2 x Tentacles 1 x Minijack Sync Cable 2 x USB Charging Cable 1 x Tentacle Sync software license (for now OSX only) Please note: adapter cables not included. Just purchase the specific one(s) you need from the other perks. (And don't forget to add the shipping costs)"

Avail: Feb. 2015

Anyone in? Or excited? Worthwhile?
 
It is probably OK for syncing up the andio and video start points, but it does nothing for different clock rates in your camera and audio recorder.
That would take GENLOCK which is not available in most of the gear we use (except for high-end cameras, etc.)
I suppose there are some productions where it would be better than using a purely software solution like PluralEyes.
You will have to decide for yourself whether it is worth several hundred Euro and charging and syncing and connecting just to line up your audio and video clips.
 
It appears one would need a NLE the can read LTC (from an audio track) as well, unless I'm missing something. W/o Genlock, drift would still be an issue as RC stated. Other than that, it could be useful.
 
Rick, they include software that will sync, marry the clips and then export them. It's kind of like Pluraleyes with TC.

I'm not a big TC advocate (anymore) but I can see the usefulness of this. A big part of that would be for the ease of use IF the software actually works as well as they imply.

The two things that could be an issue is that they are basically going very old school with what is essentially a modern version of LTC and a synchronizer. The problem as pointed out is that even though they are laying down continuous TC, in the digital world that doesn't help with drift so you only get a start sync point. The other catch is that TC is traditionally set in specific ways. The hour is usually the reel and there often was info stashed in the user bits. Unless you have your laptop handy you can't set the TC to anything but TOD and they don't seem to include user bits.

An other hitch is it takes a track on each device to record the TC. With a DSLR that probably means that you are not recording a scratch track.
On analog systems there was a bleed issue with TC, since most recorders record paired tracks as interleaved stereo this might also be an issue with digital? If so you may have to go with a recorder that has at least two stereo pairs.

The upside is that unlike a file stamp you do have a continuous TC stream so clips ought to be able to be cut or different lengths etc and still sync with out a problem.

The various TC formats are kind of a wank since it's LTC and not tied to the frames at all and not used for speed so it really doesn't mater what the TC rate is.

If you can also sync multiple video clips and export so they all start in sync making multi clips a breeze, I can see this being very popular for some people.

I know of at least three shoots I have been on that would have used this (if you can also sync mult vid.). But only one that could have afforded it.
 
Thanks Scott,
I will re-evaluate pros / minus when I replace my current (expensive) lock-box system.
 
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