Do I need two Tentacle Sync units?

Yes, at minimum. Timecode is only useful when two or more devices share it, so a single unit does nothing on its own beyond stamping one camera. Price the pair when you are deciding whether this is worth it against a clapperboard.

Will timecode work with a camera that has no timecode input?

Yes, by feeding timecode into one audio channel, which the Tentacle app and most editing software can read. The cost is one audio channel, which on a two-channel camera means giving up stereo or your second microphone.

Camera clocks drift, and timecode boxes jam sync them to a shared reference. On a long day you should rejam, which takes seconds. Owners who skipped that step are the ones who report drift, so build it into your routine at lunch.

What frame rate should I set the timecode to?

Match the project's frame rate, and be careful with the drop frame and non-drop distinction at 29.97 and 59.94. Our timecode frame rate calculator explains which combinations line up and which quietly do not, which is where most sync problems actually originate.

Timecode box or clapperboard: which do I need?

If you shoot multi-camera every week, timecode pays for itself quickly in editing time. If you shoot two cameras occasionally, clap at the top of the take and align the waveforms; it works, it is free, and it has been standard practice for a century. Our timecode box versus clapperboard comparison covers the crossover point.

Tentacle Sync E MKII Review: Is Timecode Worth $219 a Box?

Short answer

A compact Bluetooth timecode generator with an adjustable frame rate output and a built-in microphone for scratch audio, which together make multi-camera and dual-system sync a drag and drop job instead of an afternoon. Buy it if you shoot multi-camera or dual-system regularly. Skip it if you shoot single camera with in-camera audio, where a clap and waveform alignment costs nothing and works.

Best time saver in post

Tentacle Sync Sync E MKII Timecode Generator, Single Set

~$219

A compact Bluetooth timecode generator with adjustable frame rate timecode output, a built-in microphone for reference audio and clamps for mounting.

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Specifications

Function	Bluetooth video camera timecode generator
Frame rate	Adjustable timecode output frame rate
Microphone	Built in, for reference audio
Mounting	Tentacle clamps included
Set	Single unit

Specifications above come from Tentacle Sync's published product description. Treat pricing as approximate, since Amazon pricing moves.

What it does well

Timecode turns syncing from a manual task into an automatic one, and on a two-camera interview that is the difference between five minutes and an hour.
The built-in microphone gives every device a reference audio track, so waveform sync remains available as a fallback when something goes wrong with timecode.
Bluetooth configuration from a phone, so frame rate and start time can be set without a laptop on set.
Small and light enough to live on a camera permanently, which matters because a sync device you have to remember to fit is a sync device you will forget.
Adjustable frame rate output, so a mixed frame rate shoot does not force everything to one setting.

Where it falls short

This is a single unit, and timecode requires at least two devices to be worth anything. The real purchase is a pair, which doubles the cost, and that is the number to weigh against a clapperboard.
It does not fix drift caused by cameras with poor internal clocks; it jam syncs them, and long recordings on some bodies will still drift. Rejamming during the day is a habit you have to build.
Some cameras have no timecode input at all, in which case the box feeds the audio track instead, which costs you a channel.
It is another device to charge, mount and account for, and a flat sync box on a shoot is worse than no sync box because you stopped clapping.
For a single-camera shoot with audio recorded in camera, it solves a problem you do not have.

What owners report

The consistent report from owners is about post-production time rather than the device itself. People describe multi-camera edits that used to take an hour of manual alignment now taking a couple of minutes, and that is the entire value proposition working as advertised.

The recurring caution in published reports is about jam sync discipline: units need rejamming periodically on long days, and people who treated the boxes as fit and forget report drift. The built-in reference microphone is repeatedly described as the feature that saved a shoot when something else went wrong.

Who it suits

Multi-camera interview and event shooters.
Anyone recording dual system audio to a separate recorder.
Editors who do their own posting and can price an hour of their own time.

Who should skip it

Single-camera shooters recording audio in camera.
Anyone shooting occasional two-camera work, where a clap at the top of each take is genuinely sufficient. Our timecode box versus clapperboard comparison makes the case honestly.
Buyers who cannot stretch to two units, since one unit syncs nothing to anything.

Alternatives worth considering

Budget Pick

Snnisttek Film Slate Clapper Board, acrylic

~$17

A clap gives a sharp waveform spike that any editor can align in seconds, and it costs one percent of a pair of timecode boxes. For occasional two-camera work it genuinely is enough, and it never runs out of battery.

Check price on Amazon

Buy This With It

Zoom F3 Professional Field Recorder

~$300

Timecode exists because audio is recorded somewhere other than the camera. If you are buying sync boxes, the reason is usually a separate recorder, and 32-bit float removes the other way a dual-system shoot goes wrong.

Check price on Amazon

Keep reading

This review draws on published specifications, manufacturer figures and the consensus of verified owner reviews. We have not tested this product ourselves, and we say so rather than implying otherwise. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.

Common questions

Do I need two Tentacle Sync units?: Yes, at minimum. Timecode is only useful when two or more devices share it, so a single unit does nothing on its own beyond stamping one camera. Price the pair when you are deciding whether this is worth it against a clapperboard.
Will timecode work with a camera that has no timecode input?: Yes, by feeding timecode into one audio channel, which the Tentacle app and most editing software can read. The cost is one audio channel, which on a two-channel camera means giving up stereo or your second microphone.
Does timecode drift?: Camera clocks drift, and timecode boxes jam sync them to a shared reference. On a long day you should rejam, which takes seconds. Owners who skipped that step are the ones who report drift, so build it into your routine at lunch.
What frame rate should I set the timecode to?: Match the project's frame rate, and be careful with the drop frame and non-drop distinction at 29.97 and 59.94. Our timecode frame rate calculator explains which combinations line up and which quietly do not, which is where most sync problems actually originate.
Timecode box or clapperboard: which do I need?: If you shoot multi-camera every week, timecode pays for itself quickly in editing time. If you shoot two cameras occasionally, clap at the top of the take and align the waveforms; it works, it is free, and it has been standard practice for a century. Our timecode box versus clapperboard comparison covers the crossover point.

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