Multi-Camera Timecode Sync for Blackmagic Pocket 4K & 6K (EASY & FREE)
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- Опубліковано 6 лют 2025
- FREE and simple method for jamming timecode and syncing Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera's for multicam shoots + How to quickly create & edit a multi-cam clip in DaVinci Resolve (or any editor).
The mac app used in this video is Horae: sononum.net/horae
#Blackmagic #Production #Multicam
Hope you find this video useful. If you want to skip my explanation as to why you should timecode sync your camera, jump to 1:07 for the start of the How-To.
Alex Pettitt thanks for sharing. This is a mind blower 🤯
Glad you found it useful!
How regularly do you need to do this? do they loose sync over time?
Man, these cameras pack a punch. Thanks for the video. I was hoping it was as easy as jam syncing a normal production camera.
Wow. I thought getting a timecode generator is the only way but I'm glad I found your video before buying the tentacle!
Glad I could help!
This is genius, had no idea you could do this! thanks for sharing
Hoorah! another damn good reason why I would be buying a mac. This is the only reason.
Amazing video! It was always a problem for us to sync short shots with little or no audio by audio sync method and we often got a mess and needed to sync manually. Your advice gives a huge relief! Thanks!
great tutorial! maybe make once one of how to practically sync timecode between external audiorecorders and multi cams. or does it also
work with audio recorders? do i always need to keep a battery inside the camera? because i use external batterys for bmpcc… and so on and so forth. i can help you to find the things that are important to a beginner…
How do you get out from behind that desk? :-)
Is this Mac only or is there a PC alternative?
Hi! Alex, thanks for video! I have a question how it works: will the timecode change when removing / changing the battery from the camera?
Love this feature. Happy to see you on UA-cam.
this might be a momently stupid question but onece the cameras internal timecodes are synced, you can stil use the mic input for audio recording right?
can you tell us how to sync the new black magic camera app with tentacle sync? which was a feature just added. The Rec app does it automatically over Bluetooth. thanks!!!
Can you also record on your iphone using this same TC generated by Horae master on the laptop? How did you get the TC on your phone in the video? There is nothing in the app store for IPhone for Horae.
hey, amazing video, any perspective for windows users?
thanks for the video, the part with multicam editing helped me a lot. :)
I must be doing something wrong, when I compare timecode recorded with the cable from my generator I get around a 3 frame diference, when I disconnect cable and the camera goes to internal , it switched to the internal clock on the camera and it is diferent to the timecode generator.
Is there alternative software for windows or android?
Hi @Alex. Great advice. Do you have maybe any suggestion for windows computers?
Is this MAC only? Any solution for PC?
Do we have to do this every time me turn on the cameras?
NICE! Do they have this app for the PC?
Thanks man! Really useful! Have been doing some multicam work lately and was thinking of an external time code but this should do the trick for my bmpccs
Great video man, this is pushing me ever more to get the 6K!!!
The bmpcc4k clock drifts after jam sync. If that's a problem you can connect an audio wireless TX to your mac and a wireless RX to each camera.
Great video.
Can you use this app on a Mac for a Sony A71V & Sony FX30?
The cameras will drift once you disconnect the timecode source because their internal clocks are not accurate. If you are doing long shots and many clips the timecode will not match. That’s why you WILL need an external TCXO timecode sync box if you are doing anything longer than a short clip.
Thanks for letting us know. This is good to know.
I use this method and keep my cams plugged into the LTC the whole shoot. Not always convenient but having properly jammed multicam footage is its own reward
this maybe a stupid question but do you need to leave the aux cord plugged in all the time to generate the timecode ?
Nice one but what if you have separate sound ? Tentacle sync all the way. Yes, expensive but with their new audio recorder 32bit floating with TC sync is a bulletproof solution.
Cool thanks!! (p.s. I think its named by the latin plural of hora = the hour)
is there TC OUT too?
you're really the best. thank you very much
would this be saved on the internal clock even if i take the battery out, like can i jame both cameras before i leave for a job?
Can you do this with the Blackmagic Ursa Mini Pro 4.6K, Blackmagic URSA (original 10” flip it monitor) the same way? I own all 3 that’s why I am asking.
is there a app for PC you know of that works the same way?
I would love to know as well
Hi, what was your audio input setting on the bmc before you connected the ext TC? I tried setting it to both 3.5mm mono line and mono mic, for both left and right channels and it still wouldn’t detect the external TC of my ambient lockit
Thank you for the information, I know most of the time code generators make a push to get you to use one on each camera, is it possible with your method to just buy one let’s say a tentacle sync and just use that one to jam time code to my other 3 pocket 4K’s
Super useful...now If I could only integrate this workflow with external audio (with timecode)
do you have to jam the time code every time you restart the camera?
This is good information. Very useful to me thank you.
Great tutorial. Thanks for putting this together.
How regularly do you need to do this? do they loose sync over time?
After you use the audio jack port to jam the time code, can you now use the same port to record audio from a mic ?
yes
Wow, great video, did you ever thought how to get the time code into a BMD ATEM with iso so you can match this files also? Would be also interesting how to get a external sound recorder time synced...probably we can save the money for the tentacles. With tentacle I would feed in the time code from a tentacle in to a separated track an let them run in each take...
How long do you think will the Timecodes be in sync until I have to redo the process?
Great video as always Alex!
If you allow me the question please. Does this method work if you use for example a mix of BMPCC4K and Studio Camera 4K Pro?
Thanks in advance
Have a Productive and Healthy Day! :)
Alex, love the videos! Quick question, do you know if the BMMCC (Blackmagic Micro Cinema Camera) can use the Tentacle E either via the microphone input or the expansion cable like the BMPCC 6k?
can something like this be used to set the timecode of a GH5 also? (I need sync GH5 and Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Cameras)
Thanks for this - this is much appreciated!
if your camera turn off do u need to resync the code or it last until you changed it again..
Hi!! I am also interested in this answer! Did you figure this out yet ?
@Alex Pettitt Same doubt here.
Anyone got the answer?
@@OliGudbjartsson12 I think a resync is needed
This is amazing! I will try that out :) - Thanks!!
I have a question about that although all cameras use the same external timecode and I can set the same fps and shutter speed. But we still can't confirm that all cameras will be triggered at the same time for each frame. There will be still milliseconds level error for each frame of different cameras.How do you think about it?
What if was 5 cams shoot, is there a way I can use a keypad and cut to the corresponding number
Yes, you can, in Resolve.
If I turn off the camera the time code it's continues to the same or not?
Hi thank's for sharing your tip ! is it possible to sync bmpcc4K and bmpcc ? (first generation of blackmagic pocket camera). Best regards. Lionel
Hello. Your application is brilliant, you will not need to buy external LTC synchronizers now. But there is a drawback. Couldn't write this application for iPad, iPhone. Walking from camera to camera with a laptop is not very comfortable. Syncing with your phone would be faster and more convenient.
What do you think? Regards Chris
Absolutely it would work with iPhone / iPad too. In fact you wouldn’t even need an app, just a recording of the LTC Timecode audio for around 5-10mins (enough for you to sync all cams) that you then play out from you phone. That would work too
@@AlexPettitt Hmmm, actually. I will check this solution and let it pass. Nevertheless, if it works, it's great ... but. Since i generate audio with a given timecode, every time if synchronize the camera (e.g. after changing the battery, etc.) I will lose the synchro. If sync from an earlier audio file again, timecode will start from the same place. Well this is not a good solution. Unfortunately, i need a continuous timecode that would be generated based on WORLD TIME from the phone. This solution is partial, in the long run it will not work but ... I'll check if it works at all.
Regards Chris
Extremely helpful
Does the pocket lose sync after turning off?
How it is possible that there is no app for smartphone that can do the same thing?
I haven’t found one yet. A work around could be to record Horae’s output for a couple of minutes and send it to your phone as an audio file. The limitation with that is that you couldn’t do time of day...but at least you could still sync up all your cams :)
I found one for Android called LTC Timecode generator.
play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.AaronBernstein.ltctimecodegeneratorpro
Nice work! Just the information I needed. Do you know if the BNC timecode output from a Zoom F4 can be used as the input for the BMPCC 4K (with a BNC to 3.5 mm stereo cable)? I also use a Sony A6500, so same question for that. Unfortunately you can't set the A6500 timecode from an external source, AFAIK, but I think if the timecode is recorded as audio that Davinci Resolve can treat it as timecode.
I’m in the same situation as you. Have you found out a solution? Do you need to have the Zoom F4 connected all the time for the timecode to work? Is there any drift?
@@OliGudbjartsson12 with the BMPCC jamming timecode works great, but with the. A6500, I had to keep the Zoom connected all the time. No drift with the BMPCCs as far as I can tell.
that's work to me bmpcc bmsc
I thought you said FREE, FREE after you buy the app. I use th same computer with the cam update running and connect the laptop to the camera via USB-c, when the software sees the cam it will lock the cam's internal clock to the laptop. Software is free from BMD.
Thank you!
Would it work with a LUMIX GH5 Alex? I have a BMPCC4K and a GH5.
I don’t know the GH5 too well..but if it can accept an LTC Timecode, then yes, I see no reason why it wouldn’t. If you try it, let us know how you get on :)
Alex Pettitt will check it out
Alex Pettitt If you’re running the time sync software on a Mac, could you connect your none BM cams to the timesync audio with one of these www.amazon.com/dp/B0719LFLKG/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_z3RoFbWBA05H6 ...it be kind a mess of cables, but it’d work, right? I have a GH4 & a GH5, I don’t really need another $1500 cam. I use an old iPhone 8 as a webcam, seems like audio timesync is camera independent, correct?
Tiny pet peeve of mine: This is not an "Aux" chord. Aux is a _function_ not a type of cable. I have seen Aux in and outputs with the following connectors: TRS 3.5mm (the one you had there), TRS 6.3mm, TS 6.3mm, XLR, BNC, Mini XLR, RCA, TS 3.5mm, TT-Phone, ...
100% correct. Will remember this for next time :)
Does anybody know if the internal timecode on the Pocket 4k/6k will survive turning the camera off? I've got tentacle sync E modules and I have used them to sync the cameras, but I'm doing an event in a few weeks where I have more cameras than Tentacle modules. If the camera timecodes are all synced, do they need to stay on or can the camera operator turn them off to cool down at intermissions? The length of the event is about 3 hours.
Have you found an answer?
@@OliGudbjartsson12 If you turn it off for more than a minute or so it loses sync with the eternal source. Bummer!
@@robwebb2052 can’t you re-sync?
@@bboymac84 I didn't want to have to pass the sync E modules around after intermission again. This problem was mostly solved by using ATEM extreme connected directly to the 4k/6k with HDMI so the cameras and ATEM had a common time code. The 4k/6k DOES lose the time code from the tentacle Sync E if you turn it off for more than a few seconds.
@@robwebb2052 so ATEM is better even if I turn off the cam and audio recorder
I don't suppose anyone has explored this technique with Canon DSLR's? Obviously they have internal clocks so this could be possible?
Hey - not sure if you still need this info... but no. My understanding is DSLRs cannot receive TC. What I plan on doing is reading TC from the DSLR to Horae and then syncing my other cameras and audio recorder to that TC. Not sure if it will work though.
I always just get lucky lol
Way too expensive for what it is. Shame.
If i turn off my Cams, did the all stay in sync after power on again or do I have to do the procedure again on all my divices?