Tentacles can be used with nearly any recording device: Cameras, audio recorders, monitors and more. All they need in order to work with a Tentacle is either a dedicated timecode input or at least one audio channel. There are basically two groups of equipment:
Dedicated TC-IN:
Equipment that has a dedicated timecode/sync input or even a built-in timecode generator of its own. This equipment includes most of the professional cameras and audio records offering a TC IN over BNC or special LEMO connectors.
Here, the timecode is processed inside the device and written into the media file as metadata.
Microphone-IN:
Any other equipment that doesn’t have the possibility of receiving and processing timecode directly as a file timecode via a TC-IN.
This category usually consists of DSLR cameras or small audio recorders.
To use timecode on these devices, you have to record the timecode signal onto a free audio track. To make use of this recorded timecode later in editing, you either need an editing system that has support for so-called 'audio timecode' or you can use our included software to translate audio timecode to standard metadata timecode.
Because timecode is recorded as an audio signal, you have to set the output volume of your tentacle to a proper value (MIC-level) so that the mic input of the camera/recorder will not distort the signal. Also check the audio menu settings of your recording device to make sure the signal is recorded properly.
