Tentacle Sync unveils pocket-sized audio recorder called Track E with synchronization over Bluetooth and 32 bit floating point technology. It records audio on SD cards and can be either synced with another Track E (or Sync E) device, or it can function as a standalone recorder. Tentacle Sync is a German-based company designing and producing timecode generators. Their products have become very popular among many camera operators and sound grips. They offer reliable timecode syncing in a very compact form factor. We did a quick review of their Sync E timecode generators back in 2014. It seems the creators at Tentacle didn’t leave the drawing boards as they are showing new product at this year’s IBC in Amsterdam. It is called Track E and it’s Tentacle’s first audio recorder with synchronization. What is it capable of? Tentacle Sync Track E This new audio recorder is nearly as small as the popular timecode generator Sync E, so it can easily fit in the pocket for recording on the go. It can function for example as a recorder for a clip-on microphone eliminating the need for a radio-link. It offers synchronization over Bluetooth based on the well established Tentacle Sync technology. Track E audio recorder. Source: Tentacle Sync After an initial syncing process the devices run independently with less drift than one frame within 24 hours. This means that the Track E will work in environments where regular wireless transmitter fail. It is controllable through an app for iOS or Android and it seamlessly integrates with other Sync E and Track E devices. The Track E audio recorder does not necessarily need a Sync E device to operate – it can easily function as a stand-alone device. As soon as the device is turned on, it will be recognized by the Tentacle Sync app and can be configured wirelessly. The Track E uses 32 bit floating point technology for recording the audio with a significantly enhanced dynamic range. This means that the gain of the recorded audio doesn’t matter. Audio that was recorded too quiet, can be raised in volume to the desired level without raising the noise floor. 32 bit floating point also means that no digital clipping will occur. This technology makes the Track E a versatile set-&-forget-device that will always deliver high quality audio. Track E audio recorder. Source: Tentacle Sync Tentacle Sync Track E records the audio on SD cards. An input limiter and a high-pass filter are included too. The mini-jack connector has a screw to offer maximum security for connected microphones. The Track E features adjustable plugin power for supporting a wide range of microphones. It also offers headphone jack for direct audio monitoring. Price and Availability Tentacle Sync Track E audio recorder will be available in Q1 2020. A free license of Tentacle Sync Studio is included with every Track E purchase. In addition to the regular Track E, there is going to be a bundled version with a cost-effective lavalier microphone as well. The exact retail price has not been announced yet. What do you think of the new Track E audio recorder? Do you use Tentacle Sync timecode generators for your work? How do you like them? Let us know in the comments underneath the article.

DISH is a zero-configuration timecode generator which gets a precise time-of-day timecode in UTC from public satellites. It can sync unlimited number of devices on set and it records the linear time code (LTC) to an audio track. When without satellite signal, it keeps track of accurate time thanks to internal TCXO clock. The DISH is now live on Kickstarter. DISH timecode generator Professional productions typically record sound and picture on separate devices and many times there are multiple cameras on set. Each camera and sound recorder produces its own files for each take. Timecode sync lines up these files on an editing timeline automatically. Some of the most widely used devices for audio timecode sync nowadays are from Ambient and Tentacle Sync. DISH creator Ari Krupnik is an engineer with background in Tesla and other startups in Silicon Valley. He created DISH Kickstarter campaign to bring a plug-and-play alternative to other timecode syncing solutions on the market. Especially for cameras that typically don’t offer timecode in/out, like DSLRs and mirrorless. DISH timecode generator The device takes public radio signals from atomic clocks and embeds precise timecode in cameras and audio recorders. All DISHes everywhere in the world report the same time-of-day timecode, in UTC (more specifically, in International Atomic Time). You don’t need to jam-sync all the devices like in a typical timecode workflow. GPS is one of the multiple satellite systems DISH receives signal from, so it is redundant for increased availability. DISH also has a built-in temperature compensated crystal oscilator (TCXO) clock, so it can keep track of the accurate time even when temporarily out of reach of a satellite. For instance when shooting in a basement, underground, or tunnel, etc. If you stay out of reach of a satellite for a long time, the DISH will tell if the time drifts enough to need a resync with a satellite signal. DISH timecode generator in use. DISH locks down the frame rate and output level – it runs internally on 24 fps. To aviod confusion, DISH puts the timecode on an audio track. Audio streams are inherently continuous, and can take timecode at a different rate than the video in the same file. That means you can still shoot whatever framerate you prefer. The design is simple – DISH only has a locking 3.5mm jack output and a status LED. The device does not even have an on/off switch – it turns on as soon as the output cable is plugged in. It is a plug-and-play device, so it does not need any configuration whatsoever. It works with any camera/sound recorder that has a microphone input. Right now it is only in white, but its creator tries to find a suitable black material for the chassis which will not weaken the satellite signal. Many DSLRs disconnect onboard microphones if you plug in an external input. That’s why there is a microphone in the device. If you plug a DISH into the DSLR, you get timecode on the left audio channel and scratch audio on the right. For one-man crews there is a Y-adapter to plug the DISH in the camera and in the audio recorder to get timecode on both devices. DISH timecode generator DISH outputs LTC (Linear Time Code), which is an international standard. Many NLEs support LTC natively (e.g., Avid, DaVinci). For NLEs that don’t support it natively, there is a number of stand-alone software utilities that extract timestamps from LTC files. Additionally, Ari has created a free, open-source application – LTCsync – which runs on Windows, Mac and Linux. You can download a pre-release version from GitHub. The device itself is quite bulky in my opinion. It is partly because of the 2 AA batteries the DISH uses. The manufacturer claims that a pair of high quality AAs will keep the DISH operational for over 40 hours. Removable batteries might be bigger than a built-in lithium battery solution would have been (like in the Tentacle Sync devices), but they also have their advantage. When drained, they can be easily replaced with fresh ones within seconds. Most filmmakers usually carry spare fully charged AA baterries on a set. The campaign‘s $10,000 US financing goal is about to be met as this post goes live. It runs till July 12, so there is still time to pledge. The rewards range from $169 to $1,299 US depending on the number of DISHes you want to get. Estimated delivery time is September 2019. Interestingly enough – as one of the award – DISH creator offers three pieces of the v0.3 prototype to Kickstarter backers for $449 US each. They should be fully functional and are supposed to be shipped immediately after the successful end of the campaign in July. We say this at the end of every crowdfunding-related article: Please be aware of the risks when backing a project on crowdfunding platform. Please read Kickstarter’s terms of use – especially Section 5 “How funding works”. Keep in mind that there can be significant delays when delivering the product. Some projects even don’t get delivered at all. What do you think of DISH? Which solution do you currently use to sync timecode on set? Let us know in the comments underneath the article.

The French engineer, inventor, architect, and founder of Aaton, Jean-Pierre Beauviala died 8 April 2019 at age 81. In memory of the revolutionary Aaton cameras or Cantar audio recorders, here is our tribute to a one-of-his-kind motion picture genius. Image credit: Telerama Birth of Aaton Digital Born and raised in Alès (south of France) in 1937, Jean-Pierre Beauviala’s mother wanted him to be an architect. Instead, he decided to study electronics in Grenoble, France, a city that he’ll never leave. Around 1970, he bought an Arriflex camera and created in his attic the quartz motor, that enabled him to synchronize picture and sound. He showed his invention to the French company Éclair which immediately patented the quartz motor and hired him as the R&D lead engineer. Jean-Pierre would work there for about a year and leave in 1971 to create Aaton. At first, he didn’t have a lot of money, but he had a lot of ideas and friends. One of the main goals of Aaton was to create cameras based on the actual needs of filmmakers and documentarists, like Jean Rouch, Donn Alan Pennebaker, Louis Malle, Jean-Luc Godard…etc. Two years later, in 1973, the first 16mm camera with Timecode by Aaton called the LTR or “cat-on-the-shoulder” was released. The Aaton LTR and the Ergocine rig. Image credit: A Cinematographer’s Journal The Aaton Revolution The Aaton LTR was a real revolution. At that time, other cameras like the Caméflex were very loud, clumsy, and not very “operator-friendly” for documentarists. Jean-Pierre Beauviala’s idea was to put all of the film mags and motors on the back of the camera and put the viewfinder on the side. The camera was silent and sat like a cat on your shoulder. The other feature that made the LTR a genuinely different camera – other than the fact that it could sync the image with the sound – was the fact that you were able to put a small camera inside (a video tap to be precise.) Indeed, you didn’t need to wait for days or months to review your footage anymore. The legend of Aaton was born. Jean-Pierre Beauviala and Aaton released many other cameras like the XTR, the A-Minima, the Aaton 8/35, and the first digital camera by Aaton in 2012, the Pénélope Delta. The Pénélope Delta was an 8K RAW capable camera, with a unique sensor shifting technology to recreate that “film look.” I remember seeing a working prototype in person, and it was a beautiful looking piece of technology. Unfortunately, the Pénélope Delta would eventually never see the light of day due to manufacturing issues. The Aaton Pénélope Delta. Image credit: Film and Digital Times The Cantar Audio Recorders Following Stefan Kudelski, the inventor of the Nagra recorders, Jean-Pierre Beauviala created the Cantar X1 in 2002, the first digital audio recorder which the best audio engineers in the world would use. Several versions of the Cantar were be released, the X2 and now the X3 along with the CantarMini. These audio recorders are considered the best you can buy if you have pockets deep enough. In the last months of his life, he worked on a new ultra-light camera, the Libellule. Unfortunately, Jean-Pierre Beauviala passed away on April 8th of 2019 in his apartment in Paris. Sources: Cinematheque and Aaton

The wait is over. Panasonic just announced their new flagship video-orientated mirrorless photo camera, the GH5S. Watch our GH5S Video Hands-on above! (And the Mini Documentary I’ve shot with that new camera) Promising to perform (much) better than its predecessor in low-light, the new camera was also designed to compete with Sony’s a7S series. Is it up to the task? In our opinion: YES!  Before we get started: Stay tuned to our continuous coverage of the new Panasonic GH5S. A short review and original footage is coming up today too. Tomorrow, please look out for Nino’s lowlight test/review video and on top, our exclusive interview with Yamane-san – head of Panasonic imaging division – where we ask the questions that deserve answers. Only on cinema5D.com!   GH5S – Why another version of the GH5? No doubt that the original GH5 is a good, versatile hybrid camera, but Panasonic decided to take a step forward and treat us – the video enthusiastic crowd – by introducing a wolf in a sheep’s clothing. The GH5S was actually designed from the ground up as a proper video camera housed in a GH5 body. The results are mostly impressive. New and improved: New functions of GH5S compared to GH5: You might think this is a bit noisy, but this is where you literally couldn’t see anything with your bare eyes – this is a video still from the GH5S in low light – at 25,600 ISO (Cinelike-D). See the low light comparison of GH5 vs. GH5S tomorrow right here! New Sensor and much improved lowlight performance: The new 10.2 mega pixel sensor is capable of doing a great job in delivering absolutely usable video footage in high ISO values. Stay tuned for tomorrow’s review video, where my partner Nino will present his lowlight camera test – a side-by-side comparison between the GH5S and GH5 low-light performance. The downside of the lower-resolution sensor (apart from lower resolutions in photo mode, of course – the GH5 has over 20 megapixels for that): no more 6K anamorphic mode. There is now only a 4K anamorphic mode in the GH5S. This is something to consider if you plan on shooting a lot with anamorphic lenses. Dual Native ISO: A valuable function borrowed from Panasonic’s professional line. The dual native ISO feature will surely be welcomed by users, as shooting in both ISO 400 or 2500 will bring the best possible low noise results. By the way, this function is achieved by providing two dedicated circuits to each pixel. As the sensitivity is set prior to the gain amplifier the high sensitivity noise is being reduced. C4K 50p/60p: Broadcasters, smooth and fluid movement lovers, and modest slow-motion shooters, rejoice. The Panasonic GH5S adds new DCI 4K frame rates. Shooting in 25p, 30p, 50p and 60 frames per second is now possible. V-Log Pre-Installed: On the GH5, one had to separately buy and install the V-Log flat picture profile function – this time with the GH5S, it’s included and pre-installed on the new camera. When bought separately on the GH5, this add-on cost $97. Now, as the GH5S is going to be $500 more expensive than the GH5, consider it “only” $400 more expensive, in case you were about to get that update on your GH5 anyway. V-Log preinstalled Timecode IN/OUT is now supported: Timecode in/out connectivity is now fully supported via the dedicated Flash sync terminal and bundled BNC conversion cable. This allows timecode synchronisation for shooting with multiple cameras. Once all cameras are synchronised, the resulting footage can be brought into the editing platform and the editing software will detect the timecode and sync it on the timeline automatically.   New added higher frame rates: Panasonic added a bunch of new frame rates in different resolutions to the already capable GH5. The highest figure now stands for 240 frames per second in Full HD mode. Mind you that the image is cropped and the results leave space for improvement.   Multi aspect ratio function for photo and video: Multi aspect ratio is back. (If I’m not mistaken, it could be found in the GH1 & GH2). In practice, it will allow for an image that is slightly less cropped and has a wider field of view, with the same lens installed compared to the GH5. Also, as the sensor is a multi-aspect type it has a sufficient margin for recording the same angle of view at the same focal length in C4K, 4K, Anamorphic and 4:3. GH5S Multi-Aspect Ratio Autofocus: According to Panasonic, autofocus was also adjusted in favour of delivering better results in video mode. We are currently testing the different autofocus modes and have yet to determine if the performance was improved compared to the one found in the GH5. Stay tuned! 14bit RAW burst shooting: If your are into shooting time-lapse videos, the 14bit RAW burst mode might satisfy your needs. The new burst mode offers up to 11fps in AFS/MF settings.   Audio enhancements: On the audio front, a “LINE” input option was added to the menu, so external audio devices requiring this option can be now connected to the camera (via the 3.5mm mic jack). Another improvement is the addition of a dedicated microphone to monitor and cancel the noise caused by mechanical movements inside the camera and lens. According to Panasonic, the result is a reduction of mechanical noise by -10dB, achieving clear, high-quality sound recording.     Removal of the internal in-body stabilisation system: On the downside, the camera body stabilisation system has been removed from the new GH5S. Panasonic hopes that by using stabilised lenses, tripods, or gimbals, one will stay satisfied with the results, but with all honesty, this is a true bummer. Especially if you are – like me – doing a lot of run-and-gun shooting. In summary: When it comes to video shooting, in my opinion, the new Panasonic GH5S is a superior product compared to the original GH5. Hence, the price difference is justified. (Please refer to the above enhancement list). As a documentary filmmaker the improved lowlight performance is a great benefit, as more often than not, I find myself in poorly lit and unpredictable situations. I can only wish that in the next model the body IS will be brought back. Together with future camera enhancements, this will allow Panasonic to present an even more valuable option for the independent filmmaker. The Panasonic GH5S will be available from the end of January priced at €2,500/$2,499 Music for the above video is taken from https://artlist.io/ Theme: Lupita by Conor Spicer I’m very curious to find out if current owners of the original GH5 are planning to update and replace their capable camera with the newer model. Please share with us your thoughts in the comment section below.    Find the full tech specs here: 10.2MP multi-aspect ratio sensor, Dual Native ISO Improved low light performance Improved AF in low-light conditions V-LOG pre-installed No recording time limit (not limited by 29:59 – same as GH5!) 400mbit/s ALL-I 10bit 4:2:2 4K codec Additional codec options to GH5 Hybrid LOG Gamma for 4K HDR displays, and view assist Weather & dust proof Dual SD card slots – both of them are UHS-II (high speed)

Are you looking for a smart solution to sync your camera with a sound recorder? The Tentacle Sync E is the latest model from the German company of the same name, and it might be the solution to your problems. These days the market is full of very accessible, very capable small cameras to choose from. While these cameras deliver beautiful cinematic images, many of these cameras offer very limited audio capabilities: the built-in preamps are noisy, the A/D conversion chips aren’t that good and adjusting the settings is somewhat rudimentary. Manufacturers concentrate all their efforts on delivering the best possible image quality, while audio is degraded to a necessary but annoying side note. External Audio The best solution to this dilemma lies in the separate recording of image and sound. This means that, in addition to the camera, a dedicated external audio recorder enters the equation. These devices offer far better audio quality, but this setup causes another problem altogether: syncronization. For everything to match up, you have to sync your devices – whether that’s a camera with an external audio recorder, two or more cameras, or even all of it. It’s always a matter of perfect timing and frame accuracy between devices when you avoid problems in post-production. Unfortunately, only higher-end audio recorders come with a dedicated timecode generator built in. The solution? Another device to manage the syncing for us. Meet the new Tentacle Sync E, an upgraded and improved version of the original Tentacle Sync device. Tentacle Sync E This new version sports an updated design but is still very lightweight and tiny. It measures just 38 x 50 x 15 mm and weights only 30 g (1 oz). While the old version needed to be set up with a computer, this new Tentacle Sync E has Bluetooth built-in, meaning you now can set up, control and monitor your whole wireless timecode system via a smartphone app for iOS or Android. The Tentacle Sync E plugs into your camera’s microphone input, thus disabling your camera’s built-in microphone. The device itself has its own on-board microphone for recording scratch audio, which will be recorded to one of the two channels of the stereo signal. For this purpose, the audio quality has improved considerably from the original Tentacle. The remaining audio channel will carry the timecode signal for syncronization. Very neat! The built-in battery is replaceable, will power the device for up to 35 hours of continuous use and is rechargeable via USB-C. (UPDATE: The company will soon be offering a replacement battery kit for both the original and Sync E models. However, you will need to work with these Tentacles for a few years before you need to replace the battery.) The device features a locking “tentacle clamp” to firmly secure jacks in the 3.5mm output socket. How it Works Once you have connected all your the Tentacle units via Bluetooth,  you can name each device from within the app. In addition, you can use the included rubber straps to color code all of your Tentacles on set. Each Tentacle Sync E can act as a master clock for all the other Tentacles, or you can jam-sync them to any external timecode source. Once everything is set up, you can use your phone to check battery levels, timecode accuracy and settings. Tentacle clamps, rubber straps and velcro pads for mounting. Once your shooting day wraps, all you need is to do is load all the recorded files to the supplied Tentacle Sync Studio software. All clips will be synced automatically and you can export a XML or AAF file for further editing in your favorite NLE. Unfortunately, the software is only available for MacOS, although Windows users can resort to an included Tentacle Sync app that reads and converts audio timecode to a file. You can then use your NLE to sync all the recorded clips. Features The Tentacle Sync E is pretty feature-rich for such a tiny device. It’s good to see that the guys behind it are working hard in order to push the limits and improve their already very popular original Tentacle. Inaccuracy less than 1 frame within 24 hours Improved high-quality built-in Microphone Switchable Mic/Line output Uses LTC timecode according to SMPTE-12M standard SMPTE timecode rates: 23.98, 24, 25, 29.97, 29.97DF and 30 FPS Integrated hook surface on back for easy mounting Super small (38 x 50 x 15 mm) and lightweight (30 g / 1 oz) The Tentacle Sync E can be purchased as a single unit or as a set of two. Each device comes bundled with Tentacle Sync Studio. link: tentaclesync.com Are you using timecode generators in your workflow? Share your thoughts in the comments below!