@@curtisjudd It's neat feature. I'm getting a 0.465 second delay from the actual real-time sound and that from the phone. This is not ideal, but for monitoring potential problems with mic placements etc it's fine. There's even an 'earpiece' setting, where by you can raise the phone to your ear, and it patches the audio through to there, handy if you don't have your wireless earbuds or headphones to hand (which is called the 'loudspeaker' setting, as if headphones are not connected it's patched through to the phone speaker).
@@juliansimmons7700 Thanks for sharing the results! I suspected that there would be a lot of latency and that's why most similar apps don't support this. That latency can be quite distracting if you're close enough to the talent to hear them in real live and the monitor at the same time. But I agree, helpful for at least knowing whether there's a clothing rustle or other issue. 👍
Curtis, Being a simple youtube creator, can i drop the 32bit recording from the recorder directly into Davinci Resolve and edit like other audio ? Or does the recording need reprocessing in some way for me to sync up with my camera video and audio ?
The Lectrosonics single channel recorder does not have a high quality time code clock, and when synced with a Tentacle Sync can drift ...but it is expensive. The new stereo Lectrosonics recorder from the specs looks like it has a high accuracy clock, so presumably no drift issues...but is very expensive. This new product from Tentacle based on your evaluation is a much more attractive product than the Lectrosonics for a reasonable price assuming it has the Tentacle Sync high accuracy time clock technology, especially considering the audio recording level features you describe. Thanks for posting your detailed review.
Hey, Curtis: sound quality compared to my Tascam dr 10? I love the freedom of not having to deal with interference and drop outs. I'm happy with my Tascam, just wondering about the sound quality. Thanks!
Gerald Undone evidently won. 😀 But we sometimes have different perspectives so I hope you'll still find my late review helpful. He is more of a camera guy and I'm more of an audio guy, after all. 😉
The Zoom F2 at $149.- or the F2-BT at $199.- will be very interesting competitors. No time code but less than half the price for the former for 32 bit float and a normal battery.
@@RChildVision The button on the right is quite tight, and has to be held in place for a couple of seconds for the recording to stop. So I think it serves roughly the same purpose. I have this Track-E and I am not concerned, at all, that it will turn off during recording. Also, you can monitor if it indeed does record via the app and also start/stop record from the app.
@@RChildVision sadly not, but you can see the waveform playing as if there was sound. So make sure the mic is placed properly on the talent so there is no rustling noises from clothes or hair physically touching it. If you make sure of that, then this recorder is foolproof. I've already used it on 5 paid videos and it works exactly as advertised.
Hi Curtis, I guess the inability to monitor is somewhat offset by the post processing capabilities provided by 32 bit floating? Does this ‘talk’ to the AtomX SYNC module on the Atomos NINJA V? I use these and love them!
Hi Doug. Yes, I agree, somewhat offset. It doesn't solve the problem of being able to know if you have problems like clothing rustle, but it does solve the issue of setting the gain incorrectly. This is a stand-alone system and does not talk with the AtomX sync module or any of the Timecode Systems gear.
May sound like a dumb question, but I’m unfamiliar with processing 32bit files, and most searches only pull up bouncing options at 32bit. To utilize the ability to reduce clipping, would you need to have your overall session set to 32bit float (whether in audition / pro tools / etc)? I’m assuming to recognize the extra 8 bits it would need to be set globally to that prior to importing, otherwise it would truncate?
Very interesting. I am actually quite surprised you did not mention a direct competitor that these are meant to replace, the Tascam DR10L units. Would be great to see the sound quality difference between the two. Glad to know the battery is user replaceable, and knowing that, it would be nice, of course, having a bunch of rechargable AAA in the Tascam is far more convenient. Simply swap out the AAA battery before every session, and even if I am low, swap in a new one. Since I film outside, I wonder what that battery life would be in 40 degree weather. When it dies, for sure SOL. I do think the time stamp encoder could be AWESOME, especially for more than 1 unit such as doing interviews. How much is the one for the camera? Or available as kits? Also, does this one allow you to dual record? On the Tascam I can record at the level along with a backup track at -12 db. And btw, your hair is great. =)
@@curtisjudd Nobody needs to be perfect, your videos are good as they are. But I noticed that Gerald Undone avoided to mention The DR-10L also. Won't say you both are bought, but this is strange as the advantages of the Tascam are obvious, let the 32bit recording aside.
I just got a pair of these and agree with everything in your review. I would add that the included lav looks (and performs) suspiciously like a Sennheiser ME2. I guess that would be consistent with the "made with love in Germany" marketing. EDIT: The similarity is to the original ME2, not to the ME2-II that you showed with the Sennheiser wireless system late in the video. I would guess that Sennheiser still has the plastic case for the original, and maybe they made a "custom" part for Tentacle with that?
Thanks Patrick. No idea on the origin of the included mic, but it seems a bit less bright vs the original ME2 to my ears? On the other hand, it has been a few years since I used an original ME2.
Hi Curtis, love your show. Tell me, it's going to work with sony lavaliers from uwp? I in the market for those Sanken cos-11. All my wireless body packs are from sony. But I'm thinking a lot in a pair of track-e to go along with timecode. If I buy the Sanken for uwp would I be able to use on those track-e? Phisicaly they seems to fit.
Hi Lucas, unfortunately no. Sony is one of the few companies which use a different wiring scheme for their 3.5mm microphones. You would need to have the microphone re-terminated for Sennheiser 3.5mm to work with the Track E.
I have never used timecode before, but thanks to what I learned from these nice videos by Curtis I have just received this week one of the Tentacle recorders and two of their sync devices. I just completed my first test today running their sync devices into two Fuji cameras while recording also with their handy little lavalier recorder described in this video. Also, at the same time that I used a Tentacle Sync device in the X-T3, I could use a Deity V-Mic D3 Pro and override the Tentacle Sync's built-in mic; I did this with Tentacle's little Y-adapter cable. Everything synced up nicely and I was able to open the package in Premiere without issue. The quality of the audio is certainly fine for someone like me, but the main event for me was learning timecode and the Tentacle software, and I was very pleased not to lose the ability to plug a decent mic into the camera. This was a huge step - thanks so much for the lessons. - Dave
This is great for budget oriented youtubers/filmmakers. They can now BOOM their Video Mic Pro Plus mics straight into this recorder, and not worry about wireless transmission issues.
@@OnDirt No, if the microphone needs phantom power, this will not work. You'd need a separate power injector but those are usually pretty big and heavy, sort of defeating the purpose.
Nice corps jacket! 😎 It would be cool to have the ability to monitor/adjust via the app similar to Wingman. If it's not currently possible, I wouldn't mind the unit being a bit larger for that functionality.
Thanks Robert. You can adjust the gain and watch the meter on the app, just cannot monitor with headphones. I didn't know that Wingman sends an audio feed for monitoring?
@@robchado I believe it is the same - sends meter data in real-time but no audio, at least last I checked. That'd sure be a nice feature though I'm sure there'd be a bit of latency.
Any word friends? It’s been almost a year. You mentioned it in your video Curtis. Still no audio monitoring via app? Was it brought in with a firmware update?
Show us how to do the moleskin or gaffer-tape hacks when it comes to lav noise isolation! Also, I am blown away you let the ladies go freestyle instead of reading from my man Arthur Doyle... (Curtis, you must be going rogue or continuing the No-Effort November... Oh, and I hope your holidays were great!)
Have a question. This sync app syncs video and audio only at the beginning of file? I mean, what this app will do if my camera has very bad clock? I have for example 3 hour of record. My files will be synced by the beginning but after 3 hours in will loose sync because my camera has bad clock. Or this app can sync the files not only by the begining but correct sync during all file duration? How? In this case it should add or remove some frames from video.
The way SMPTE timecode works is that it simply encodes the timecode stamp either as an audio signal along with the video encoded file or as a metadata timestamp at the start of the file (audio or video file). Then the sync process is merely a matter of lining up the first frame with the same timecode timestamp on both files. That's all. It doesn't do any sort of compensation for drifting clocks. If you're doing long form video, I'd recommend feeding audio to the camera so that it doesn't drift out of sync over time.
@@ZhurbaV The timecode generator needs to stay attached to the camera, ideally. Technically, you could probably remove it after the recording starts, but I wouldn't chance it.
Damn...more than twice the cost of the zoom f2 without Bluetooth. And even with Bluetooth the savings is still 150.00?! I’ll wait for your review to see if all this extra money is justified
The Bluetooth timecode on the F2 only works with the Timecode Systems Ultrasync Blue with only works with some phone apps. It doesn’t work with dedicated cameras.
Is there a max db that 32 bit recorders can record before clipping? Like if you wanted to capture the sound of a rocket launch that's 180db or something. Would it still clip or could you bring that down too?
Short answer: 770dB. In 99.9999999999999% of cases, the microphone's ability to capture a loud sound will be compromised long before the 32-bit float recorder: www.sounddevices.com/32-bit-float-files-explained/
Thank you very much, Mr. Judd, for Your fantastic Production Sound tutorials! Currently, I own a pair of Tentacle Timecode boxes. Therefore, I am seriously considering purchasing these Tentacle recording boxes as well. However, I already own a set of Sennheiser G4 wireless packs, yet as you mentioned in the video, working as a "ONE MAN BAND" can be exhausting, and usually, sometimes, technically, always gets sacrificed.
Sooo, it's like a Tascam DR-10L but at 32 bits and with timecode and BlueTooth syncing. You pay $150 more for the extra 8 bits plus the generator. -Which actually seems fairly reasonable. Though, I'd miss the Tascam's LCD readout. I can see the value of being able to sync to external devices, but I'm not a fan of BlueTooth; it's prone to being sketchy and unreliable.
Thanks Curtis, I’ll be getting this one or the Zoom F2 in the Future. I’ve bought the F1 and it might be the worst piece of equipment I’ve ever had. The F2 looks like it fixes most of the handling issues but I’ll be waiting for your review to buy anything in this space. So I’m hoping there will be an F2 video in the near future.
Thanks Spiel und Zeug. I have an F2BT on pre-order and plan to make a video covering it after it arrives. Lead times have been pretty long lately so I'm guessing it will not ship until January or February.
Change the lavalier included with the F1. The noise floor of the f1 recorder is lower than the track e visibly. With a good lavalier the f1 seems better to me.
Hi Chris, audio dork chiming in again. I would recommend purchasing lavaliere mics that terminate to the MicroDot connector, then buying a MicroDot-to-xxx adapter. "Why?" well, if you buy an expensive lav and want to resale it, you are not bound to a specific brand of wireless. I own 8 DPA 6060's...they are around $600 each ($750 w/ the Lectro MicroDot-to-TA5 adapter). If I ever want to sell them, I have a massive latitude to who I can sell to.
Thanks for great review. Included mic sounds a bit muffled, but its still OK as being included mic. I'd definitely use DPA with it, which I wouldn't be able to use with Zoom F2 because It doesnt have 4,5V phantom power for the mic. Second thing its much better choice for me then F2 is compatibility with TS Timecode devices which I use. F2 cant sync with Tentacle Sync.
@@thornne I thought that by the sentence you might’ve known that but wanted to clarify in case anybody else read it. Having gone through looking for information on the subject it’s really annoying when the wrong word is used and then gets propagated throughout the entire document or form posts.
The international version (non-US) version allows for live monitoring via the headphone jack. If you have a family or friend from a country with a Tentacle dealer outside of the USA, have them order for you and ship to their address. Then they ship the device to your USA address. Some dealers from outside the USA will also ship to your USA address. This is due to the Zaxcom patent in the USA.
I think the biggest deal breaker is the headphone jack not working during recording, if I bought a dedicated audio recorder without a headphone jack or with a jack that's disabled during recording.... Was also hoping you would mention the hack that you can do with the non us model for all of those out there who aren't in the US, of feeding it into a wireless pack that way you get both remote monitoring and a backup recording. We're only now just starting to hit the Cliffs of the bad patent system, it's one thing to protect your idea it's another thing to hoard your idea. Especially when it's something every recorder has done for decades. I like the idea of this unit, but if I were to buy one it would be on holiday..... somewhere outside of the US. Unless somebody figures out how to hack it?
I, too, am not a fan of Zaxcom's abuse of the patent system or the patent office's complicity by granting patents for the combining of two mature technologies.
Thanks again for nice and wisely neutral notes on a new product. Zoom came out with one too I saw. These dont do miracles but help in situations you cannot concentrate on audio controlling AND you need to do things in postproduction, so no help for streaming audio. The distortion issue I guess comes in hands when the mic cannot handle higher audio pressure right? Nice review! PS. You could use a "normal" 16/24 bit recording with a good lavalier and record to a phone or small dig.recorder too...? (Those we have around🤣)
With multi mic wireless systems you also run into managing all the receivers - both for physical space in your bag and cables and batteries! With the Track E, all that goes away. :)
@@curtisjudd Just want to say thank you so much for all of your videos over these years. I went from not knowing how to use a shotgun microphone or why I even needed a separate recorder, to last month hitting 300k subscribers on my main channel. I still have so much to learn from your videos
How do monitor audio while recording? If clothing rubs, wind noise, etc. can you hear it while shooting?Not being able to do this is a bad trade off...unfixable.
You cannot. That's the big downside. You trade off all the challenges of wireless for not being able to monitor (on the US version - on the non-US version, the headphone jack works while recording so. you could plausibly send a wireless signal for monitoring). This has to do with Zaxcom patents in the US.
Quick question. I think it wasn't covered but please forgive me if it was. Is it possible to monitor the audio in the app by connecting headphones to the iPhone?
Thank you for this and all of your great videos. As other's have also said, I love your little summary section in the beginning of your videos. I also think it's also something that could be potentially improved to really shine.
@@curtisjudd The summary is perfect. The last thing it needs is graphics, music, introductions, animations or any other sort of popular "improvements".
Hey Curtis, is there a strong argument to be made that the A>D could still be far superior on a Zaxcom or Lectrosonics small recorder so that the final sound quality is still superior even though those are recording at 24/48khz vs. a Track E at 32bit float? I'd imagine so, but curious to know your thoughts... I love 32bit float on our MixPre3iis; I hate wireless; I love on body recorders; I hate bit/sample rate conversion...mulling over options-I may pick one of these up and put an Mke2 on both it and my ZFR400 and do a comparison video. Is the release of the Track E going to change the whole industry like when FCP and Resolve both moved down to a $300 price tag or is this just a cheaper-Chinese-plastic way of recording 32 bit-float? Also, do you think there is any chance Zaxcom and Lectro will update their firmware to support 32bit float anytime soon? Thanks so much for being on top of all this! Happy Holidays! - Alec
Yes, but I'd guess that the analogue stage is the part that makes the biggest difference on the higher-end gear like Zax or Lectro. Also, Zaxcom has had their neverclip technology for years. It is not technically writing a 32-bit float file, but it accomplishes the same thing via other clever means, using dual A/D converters as I understand it. My main wireless is Audio Ltd A10. I have no issues with it. The limiter works great, the preamps are clean. Some people scoff at the fact that it converts to 44.1kHz, but I have found its audio quality to be superb.
@@curtisjudd That's right, I forgot you were an Audio Ltd guy. Love to compare with that someday. The ZFR400 + MKE2 is impressive for it's size so far. Little bright on the mic side. Need to try that Sanken you are always mentioning. Anyway, figured that would be your answer. I just smile at anyone who'd scoff at any sample/data rate 16/44.1 or above. I spent the last four years of my life in a private fully analogue hifi recording studio where we tested practically every studio A>D and sample/data conversion technology from the past 30 years only to conclude that the most important factors are 1) the initial capture (the A>D), 2) using zero sample or bit conversion after the initial capture, and 3) the quality of the mix/material you've got coming in. If you REALLY know what you are doing up to the point of mixdown, 16/44 vs.32/192 mostly becomes a matter of preference since different bit/sample rates present your materially, well, differently. 16/44.1 necessitates dither but dither has its own sound. I've heard many mixes that I preferred the crunch and closeness of a 16/44.1 capture, over the 24/96 capture, but I still loved the added 3Dimensionality of the latter. I love everything 16/44.1 and above-the differences are like CD vs. Vinyl (even vs. hifi cassettes that my friends and I make for each other these days); each one is just another chance to experience a favorite record in a slightly different light, from a slightly altered perspective. Anyway, thanks for the confirmation! As much experience as I have in high-end music studio audio, I am still very much learning how things work in the field. Thanks for all of your help! -Alec
''IMPORTANT NOTE: All TRACK E units that are going to an US address, will be an US version. This US version will have the headphone output deactivated during recording.''
@@curtisjudd I've just noticed it on their website and your review immediately jumped to mind. Such a simple way they went around it. Glad to help and thanks for everything you do for the community.
If you can feed audio in to a device, you can attach a Sync E to it and then also record with the Track E. So yes, sort of, but you need the additional Sync E.
A little note here is needed to prevent the misconception that you can now record with 32 bit resolution - THIS IS NOT POSSIBLE !!!!. They call it "32 bit float" - what it really is, is 24bit (ADC) recording with an 8 bit programable gain amplifier on front of it. In reality it is a digital controlled compresor (or fader) in front of your sampling 24bit ADC where you get the digital control value added to the 24bit sample value. In that way you are able to reconstruct the original relative level between weak and strong pasages in your soundtrack - BUT the nois floor will NEVER be more than (theoretical) 144dB below the peak level. Meaning - the THD+N will never be better than (practical) ca. 125dB, whitch for all (but a very few) microphones is all they need !. I am sure that some would have googled for 32 bit ADC's and found 2 - TWO - one from Linear Technology and one from Texas Instruments. But before you get too excited - both of them is rated at maximum 10 samples per second if they should deliver 32 bits with less than 4-12 least significant bits(counts) noise flicker - that is a bandwidth of less than 5 Hz or just about 4000 times less than you would expect to get from an audio ADConverter. For comparison, the best DMM's from HP/Agilent/keythley and others are 8½ digit whitch equates to 28 bits resolution. All of them have sample rates between 0.1 and 1 sample per second !! Yes, that's right - from 1 second to 10 seconds per sample !!!! Zoom makes a recorder too that is claimed to record in 32bit float - if you read their documentation you will see that they admit that the resolution is Only 24 bit. I doubt that ZOOM and Tentacle has significanly different technologies hiding under the lable "32 bit Float" recording ;-)
@@curtisjudd No, unfortunately, and I am very curious to see how they have made the delay-line that will be needed between the input stage and the ADconverter. Zoom does revel that they us a 1mS delay before the 24 bit converter - just how ?, without quality lose !? As I can't find an integrated solution for 32bit-float AD conversion, I am very curious to see how they have solved the problem. My best guess is that they have placed a Log VCA or more likely an 8 bit Log DAC in front to att. the incoming signal :-) A picture could very well show witch of the two it is ;-) Sound Devices have a nice article explaining the 32bit float format place "32-bit-float-files-explained/" in front of "www.sounddevices.com/" to read that. They also have the decency to admit that their products has a dynamic range of 142 db - just shy of the 24 bit resolution. As one would learn from that article is that the format is one sign bit, 8 exp. bits and 23 mantissa bits - or in reality plus and minus 23 bit resolution (as in 24 bit audio ADC/DAC). Btw. thanks for some very serious and often educating videos :o)
Have you had the chance to use the DPA 6060, I'm in between the countryman B6 and the DPA 6060 but haven't been able to find any great samples of the two microphones for a fair comparison. Any thoughts? Best, Robbie
Sound is high the mountain for a modest budget films, and I am no exemption. Sony PCM D10 is good enough to use with boom mics for indie filmmakers? or Tentacle Track E will do the job!! (I have none from both of it. So you can suggest which will do the job including dialogue, environment and foley ;). Also looking forward to enroll in your sound courses after Xmas.
Hi Jayesh, I would think that the Sony PCM D10 would be more versatile because it has XLR inputs and in-built stereo microphones for recording ambient sound. I haven't used it so I don't have a review on it, but between this and the D10, I'd think the D10 is the more versatile filmmaking tool.
Hi Curtis, thanks for another professional and informative video review. I shoout with a Blackmagic Pocket 6K camera. If I wanted to use this and have timecode sync with my camera am I right in thinking I would need a Tentacle Sync E attached to my camera. The Track E would then be jammed to that device's timecode before being attached to my talent (either by wire or Bluetooth). Thanks for your help :-)
Well that was not something mentioned I think it was kind of grazed over. I'm assuming that's what these sync over the mic Jack function is for if I understand the original version doesn't support anything else.
There is this new function in Track E where the TC output via headphone jack, Now there are two settings Left TC(0db) and Left TC(-18db) what the difference?
Not a way that I see in the current version of the app in March 2021. But they should be able to add that feature. Might be worth contacting them with a feature request.
Do you have to use the tentacle sync as a mic to do timecode with cameras?Can you use just the timecode function? Are two better than one? for the recorder and camera?
No, you can use it just as a timecode generator as I recall. Two better than one? Ideally, you should use a TC generator for each recording device otherwise you'll end up having to fine-tune the sync in post anyway.
Hi Curtis. Great video, but could you tell me how this might work in a wedding film environment with four track e devices on talent but also four cameras running. Would you need four sync e devices with one of this track e devices seeding a master track e device? Confused!
@@skymakai The last one I did in 2019 or 2020 is still pretty much a reflection of my experience. I haven't added a lot of new options to my kit since then.
Hi, Curtis, Can you jam the timecode on TrackE by using a Deity TC-1 as a master timecode generator? Edit: Seriously, whenever I have any wonder about audio I pull out your video, your channel is literally a Audio oriented university, all the educational piece can be easily found on your channel.
@@curtisjudd But I am able to unplug the TC-1 from track E after jamming, correct? Or, in the other scenario, let's say I use Mixpre 3 II as a timecode master generator, Jam a Track E via Stereo Out on Mixpre II, then Jam Deity TC-1s, then plug the TC-1s on cameras. They suppose to sync together with the timecode on Mixpre ii, won't they?
Hi Curtis, I have a question: If the unit shuts down while recording is the audio file saved? I have heard the same question asked of the Zoom F2 and the rep said it was not guaranteed the file will be there on that device. This is an important point of failure for some use cases.
If I have a camera that is able to generate Timecode (Lumix S1 after the upcoming TC update), then I can pair it with Tentacle Track only and I don't have to buy Sync E?
The S1 (or any other camera of which I am aware) does not have a dedicated, quality timecode clock. What it will have is the ability to take a timecode signal and set its realtime clock to the external timecode generator. The problem is that it will drift quite quickly. My Panasonic GH5S, for example, allows me to jam sync the camera to an external TC generator like the Sync E, but right out of the gate, it is off by several frames. I don't know how Panasonic plans to implement the timecode input on the S1, but if they make it so that it can continuously sync, you'll want to have a Sync E and leave it connected through the entire shoot. Otherwise, you'll have imperfect sync and will have to nudge every clip a few frames to get them in sync. May was well just use the waveform sync feature of your video editing app...
@@PavlaVankova The most reliable would be a Sync E and a Track E. Wireless works, you just need to know your game with wireless and be able to quickly adapt WHEN you run into issues. You will eventually run into interference and dropout issues with wireless.
Wanting to move away from radio mics because I can't be bothered with licencing. I was excited until he got to the part that you can't monitor. That just killed it for me. Why can't they send a 2.4GHz signal to a receiver for monitoring?
Nice! It does both 24 and 32-bit float. Looks like I accidentally removed the 32-bit float reference in the first line. So you win a prize! Now I'll need to find a prize....
@@curtisjudd Hmmm, well, as a long-time super-fan, it should be something pretty valuable. Perhaps an official Curtis Judd autographed headshot with a personal message addressed to me? Make that 2 of them. One I keep; the other I can sell on eBay and make an easy $5,000 or so. Them I can finally buy a pro-level shotgun mic and mirrorless camera! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Gotta agree with others here. I am super excited to see a comparison between this and the Zoom F2/F2-BT. Bonus points if you can get the blue ultrasync to test with the F2-BT!
F2BT is on order. That Ultrasync Blue is sort of a very niche thing - it only works with mobile device cameras. It doesn't really fit my workflow but probably does for those who regularly shoot with mobile phones.
@@curtisjudd as i understand it, it transmits to the sync attachment of the atomos ninja V as well. So there is growing use case for it. But beyond that, it transmits a radio frequency as well, that you can pair with other ultrasync devices to feed timecode. This would be great, but then once you get all of that, you have extra stuff to worry about and you've spent just as much as you would have had you done twp track e's and a sync e! If that makes sense. It's silly. And I'm not sure why zoom likes the ultrasync blue. If you sync your f2-bt to your f6, and then use your f6 to tc-out into your camera (provided your cam has that function), then it makes sense. But it feels like extra steps you shouldn't have to go through for functionality they could have integrated in easier.
No monitoring through headphones while I shoot? That's a serious downside indeed. You spelled it out quite well at 9:17. As you said, that 32-bit float is amazing, but there's a lot more that can go wrong than just level settings, like jostling/handling of the mic against fabric. Variable breeze outdoors might be another. Oh, and here's one for you: Just two weeks ago I had a subject talking and his smartphone started vibrating in an adjacent pocket. He just kept talking, thinking it didn't matter, and the other two people on set didn't hear it, of course. If I hadn't been headphone monitoring, much of that shoot would have been ruined. I think I'll pass on Tentacle until that patent issue is resolved. (Even then, I wouldn't want to connect my headphones to the recorder. I'd want to connect via bluetooth to my smartphone. That would be slick!)
Hello Curtis. I'd like to ask something that confuses me: As long as we use the same microphone, will there be a quality difference in recordings made to Tentacle E and Zoom (or Sound Devices) devices? The reason I ask this is because we know the preamp and AD converter quality of the Zoom or Sound Devices devices, but not the Tentacle E device. Lastly, in a serious production scenario where the quality lav. mic+Tentacle E device is used as the lavalier and a quality boom mic+Zoom F3 (or similar device) is used as the boom, will the sound quality change between cut together? I hope I didn't take too long. Thank you.
Really enjoy your videos. I am heading to Mexico soon and I am taking a Nikon Z6 and a Mixpre3 and have 2 tentacle sync E units. I am using Rode II wireless mics. The Rode receiver is plugged into the Mic 1 port on the Mixpre3. The tentacle sync are synced with each other using the app on my phone. I also have an atomos Ninja V on top of my camera. The first tentacle sync E is plugged into the aux 1 output on the Mixpre3. The second tentacle sync E is plugged into the Mic port on the Nikon Z6 The HDMI port is conected from the Z6 to the Atomos Ninja V. After I put the Audio and video into Resolve Media I then tell the video to sync to the Audio and then I place the files on the time line and tell resolve to sync by time code. This workflow works. I tried to plug the second tecnacle sync E into the Atomos mic connection and followed the same process and it's not synced it's off. Could it be because of a delay between the Camera HDMI and the Atomos? Also played with making the Mixpre3 the master but still delays. Just trying to figure out why using the MixPre3 as the master or feeding timecode into the Atomos are not synced ?
@@curtisjudd There were at least 2 version of ME-2, one of them had an insane boost at around 8 (?) kHz. Anyway, what I mean is the Track E mic is OK for a lot of tasks.
Does anyone know if I can jam my zoom f6's time code to the time code of the tentacle track e (then I can use line out to my camera's audio input)? Or is the tentacle and the zoom incompatible? I've never used timecode but I want to be able to run the audio and synch occasional clips to the audio
I have a couple of noob questions; I’m looking at this as a backup for when I’m working alone operating camera and my mixpre 6 II. I have a sync E. Seems like I can jam sync both this and my sync E to the mixpre II, am I right? And in the event I want to record using only the track E would I jam sync it to the sync E to put timecode into my camera? My Blackmagic pocket 6k has timecode but it seems like it won’t be used. Anyway great review and your course on the mixpre 6 II is excellent.
Hi Glen, yes, I'd jam sync to the Two Tentacle devices, then jam the MixPre to the Sync E, then attach the Sync E to the Pocket 6K for the duration of the shoot for best sync results.
@@curtisjudd too bad, a little device like that for artists/DJs to record there live sets in 32bFloat would be cool...and why not make everything usbc audio compliant...
I've got an E on order now for use at the shooting range. Should work great for that application up to the SPL limit of the mic. And I might add time code some time. Plus I can continue to use the Tascam DR-10L as a backup or at a different location. I also have a Hollyland wireless setup coming to replace the Rode Wireless Go. I lost a transmitter a few weeks ago and this looks like a good replacement plus two channel.
Awesome! Never understood what 32-bit float is, but now because of you I do. This is amazing. For how long has this been around? I would think everyone should record in 32-bit float, as long as your equipment can? I need to look more into this. Thank you! Subscribed.
@@curtisjudd Thanks for your reply! I shoot with a GH5 and I have the DMW-XLR1E module. I don't use timecode yet, it's not fundamental to my work. I'm looking for something discreet with good sound quality to record discussions. I'm also considering the Deity Theos but I'm afraid it lacks discretion.
@@DigitalNinja3 I was thinking you still use the recording and sync on the track E. You’re only using the wireless go to monitor so that you can hear if there is any clothes noise or things like that.
The headphone out does not work when you start recording. For the US version. For the non-us version it is possible to pass it through a wireless transmitter for remote monitoring, or even remote recording.
You can jam sync it to other tentacle sync E's but I don't remember the ability to use this as a dedicated timecode generator attached to your camera throughout a shoot. But you might check with Tentacle support to see if maybe they've added that since I did this review.
@@curtisjudd I also contacted Tentacle but not word yet. Sync E are back ordered at the moment. Thanks for always getting back so fast. You're a good egg Curtis!
@@curtisjudd Can you jam sync w SYNC E into a mixer at 60pfs? my sound/boom guy said he can only set it to 30fps but the Tentacle Studio software will recognize it at 60fps? I would be using 3 SYNC E units, not the Track E. TY
@@NewYorkerPEACE the current SMPTE timecode spec only supports up to 30 fps though I believe they're looking to update the spec for higher frame rates. Most devices only support up to 30.
