
In my years as a sound recordist, there are plenty of pieces of equipment that come and go, but a few have stuck with me thanks to their quality and ability to improve my workflow. Tentacle’s Sync E Timecode boxes are one such piece of equipment that I believe any sound recordist or media professional should know about and keep in their toolkit. The Sync E is an ingenious little device that provides a unique time stamp/timecode to each device it is connected to, so that when it is time to edit in post-production, you can effortlessly keep track of which files belong together and to what part of the sequence they belong.
Today I would love to explore just five of the reasons why I never do a job without the amazing little timecode boxes Tentacle cooked up all those years ago.
1. Compact and Lightweight Design
Carrying audio and video equipment isn’t easy; you have to be stronger than you’d imagine to carry around heavy electronics with you to each job, to say nothing of transporting it there in the first place. So when a device comes along that does everything you need in a tiny package that weighs next to nothing, you have to applaud it for making your life easier.
Tentacle Timecode boxes are slim enough to fit into your pocket, and when the Sync E is connected to your equipment, it is small enough and lightweight enough to remain discreet and unencumbering. Whether working with handheld equipment or larger rigs, these timecode boxes provide seamless integration without getting in your way. Coming in between 30-60g depending on the device, even camera operators love them due to their small size and lightweight, as their cameras aren’t weighed down or hindered with extra equipment, so you know in using them you won’t be burdening other team members with bulky gear.
2. Affordability
For a piece of equipment that does its job as well as the Sync E timecode boxes do, its price is extremely affordable, making them a great choice for students, indie filmmakers, and freelancers.

Getting into sound recording is such a huge investment, but much of it is necessary to produce the highest quality work that you can. So when a piece of equipment comes along that can allow you to do a professional quality job at a reasonable and affordable price, it can’t help but win a place in my essentials.
What’s more is that even as you grow and your equipment collection gets larger, the Tentacle Timecode boxes are able to sync across multiple devices and continue to do that same stellar job they have always done, so I can guarantee they’ll be a part of my toolbox for years to come.
3. Bluetooth Capabilities
One of the reasons that Tentacle's Sync E timecode boxes are so easy to use is thanks to their Bluetooth functionality. The latest devices come with Bluetooth 5.0, which is able to transmit stable signals over 240m and send data at up to 2 Mbps, which is four times farther and twice as fast as the previous models.
Signal management can be a tedious and frustrating part of my job, so when the tech helps me not have to battle with every environment, I have to applaud it for improving my quality of life. Having such a strong signal over such a large range means you can set up more complex shoots over larger distances and still keep the audio and video synced across multiple devices without hindrance.
Everything is controlled via their easy-to-use app, which makes managing the timecodes across the different devices really simple, which helps me keep organised and focused when out on a job and really just gives me one less thing to worry about. Another massive plus for the Sync E Timecode Boxes!
4. Versatility and Compatibility
As we’ve already mentioned, Tentacle’s timecode boxes are extremely versatile, able to connect to a wide range of audio and video equipment from DSLRs to Digital Cinema Cameras and portable audio recorders to high-end field recorders.

Sound recording is a multidisciplinary affair; not only am I managing the audio through my own feeds, but I am often setting up the audio for everyone else as well, including the camera operators, as it’s my job to ensure the shoot comes away with the best quality audio. To this end, I need to be able to sync what is taking place across the equipment of other team members with the audio I am capturing to remain cohesive throughout the shoot.
The Sync E timecode boxes have a variety of adapters and cables, ensuring that no matter what equipment you are using or your colleagues on the job are using, you will be able to keep your recordings in sync and working together so that you can simply focus on the job at hand.
5. Simplicity
This one sort of works its way into several of the reasons, but I think it’s really important that when we work in a creative professional field, our minds can be freed up to focus on capturing what matters. Especially as a sound recordist, knowing just how much interference there can be and how difficult it is to get that perfect clean audio in so many demanding environments. If any of my equipment can free up my mind to focus on what I am good at and have trained to do, then it makes my job easier, which means I can produce higher quality work that both me and my clients can be proud of.
Tentacle timecode boxes have no screen, just a power and timecode button. The rest is connected and sorted through the app, which is simple to use once everything has been connected. So after the initial set-up and synchronisation, if anything needs adjusting, I can simply reach into my pocket and adjust it through my smartphone. Further to this, if equipment needs to be swapped out and synced into the loop, then simply detaching one box, and attaching it to the new equipment is all that’s required to keep the work flowing.
And finally, the Tentacle Sync Studio makes post-production editing simpler than ever by syncing and organising the sound clips or footage for you, so there’s no need to spend hours trying to find the clips and soundbites you want to use and fine-tuning them until they’re synced correctly—it has already been done for you!
Conclusion

What all of this boils down to is simplicity. Tentacle’s Timecode boxes are simple to use, very intuitive and straightforward, and I have to commend Tentacle on the job they have done. You can tell they understood what sound recordists and videographers needed, and they understood what struggles we had before and worked so diligently to address these issues that they created a product that everyone in the industry knows about and that everyone loves.
To check out more detailed information on Tentacle’s Sync E timecode box, plus the other wonderful products they sell, you can check out Tentacle’s official website.
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