How do you deal with all the wire onstage?

Billy K · #1 08-30-2011, 06:50 AM

you got effects board 1 power cable effect out and in 2 cables mic 1 cable. so 4 cables per guitarist.I dont count the guitar cable because it is always moving with the player. so do you tape all together on the stage floor? (I find I trip some times on cables) do you have long enough cable to go front of stage and around to back of amp / power supply? I know a nice big rug rolled out would cover everything.What do some of you bands do?

Tigger Bangdang · #2 08-30-2011, 06:53 AM

Gaffer's Tape is your best friend.

Bardley · #3 08-30-2011, 06:56 AM

It's all about cable routing. Leave the area where you are standing open. Use long enough cables to route them around where you stand. As a soundman, when I am wiring a stage I try to leave the area the performers are standing in as open as possible. Route all mic cables and monitor cables across the front of the stage and to the back (if needed) in one location out of the way. With effects cables, just run them to the side of where you stand and all together. If you need to tape them use gaffers tape, NOT duct tape. Gaffers tape does not leave sticky residue on your cables or the floor.

Billy K · #4 08-30-2011, 06:58 AM

that has been a problem some times I was trying to figure a way to cover those cables so I dont trip.thanks for the quick reply

BassMonstrum · #5 08-30-2011, 06:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tigger Bangdang

Gaffer's Tape is your best friend.

I heeeeard dat!

Mic-cable: use the clip-on pins on the mic-stand and try to place it in a path so that noone trips on it. Eventually, tape it across the floor.

Wireless to pedalboard to eliminate one instrument-cable.

Powerchord and instrument-cable from pedalboard in one path on the far side of the stage. Also taped.

Bardley · #6 08-30-2011, 07:18 AM

Also, gaffers tape tip: when pulling it up, pull the tape up first. Do use the cable to pull the tape up. It will wrap around the cable and stick to itself and will be hard as hell to get off.

I've wanted to beat some people for doing that here at work.

viper4000 · #7 08-30-2011, 07:20 AM

We run our own full PA, so we have all the monitors, mics and DI's back to the mixer, as well as a light rig, pedal boards and such. We run as much as we can out of the way (behind the drums, around monitors). The cables that have to run across the stage get taped and then put a rug over the bulk of it. We also have a huge cache of those little Velcro strips to wrap up a bundle of cables with. This helps to tape them to the floor IMO.

Rickengeezer · #8 08-30-2011, 07:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by viper4000

The cables that have to run across the stage get taped and then put a rug over the bulk of it.

Ditto the rug strategy. It also helps to have a little cushioning when you've got a 4 hour gig on a concrete floor!

cheapbasslovin · #9 08-30-2011, 07:33 AM

For cables that run the same direction at every show, I've used stuff similar to this to keep a handful bundled together. It also drops setup time a little bit.

KW plastic coil*-*products.lappgroup.com

HeadyVan Halen · #10 08-30-2011, 07:33 AM

1. Tape.
2. Look down before you stage dive

prd004 · #11 08-30-2011, 07:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tigger Bangdang

Gaffer's Tape is your best friend.

+1

stingraysvt · #12 08-30-2011, 07:45 AM

I use a small sub snake to hit any mics or DI's on the front, typically on SR so all the cable runs are uniform across the stage.

I played a show Sat where the SC put the snake drop in the center of the front of the stage, it looked like a fountain of mic cables spilling every, kinda tacky IMO , I like a clean stage if possible

chokeslam512 · #13 08-30-2011, 07:53 AM

I run my pedal board power cable, footswitch cable, signal in, signal out and mic cable in one gigantic bundle with gaffers tape along the border of the stage. Our guitarists run a power strip to the front of the stage for their pedal boards.

devilock76 · #14 08-30-2011, 08:01 AM

1. Wireless to the bass.
2. Route everything around the edges and use duct/Gaffer tape for anything that cannot be edge routed.
3. For my bass in particular I have little need to change sounds through effects while singing so I keep my pedals back at my amp.

Ken

Never_grew_up · #15 08-30-2011, 08:06 AM

Run them in groups, and use right angles and straight lines - I run my mic cable down the stand & then sideways about a foot, then I make a 90 degree turn towards the stage with it so it joins my pedal signal and power cables. That bundle gets gaff taped to the floor and goes straight back to my amp. My bass stuff connects & the mic cable keeps going to the snake (We set the snake up behind us). I do the same thing with the guitar player's rig. I also use over/under wrapping for all my cables so they don't get kinks and corkscrews in them and will lay flat easily.

Jools4001 · #16 08-30-2011, 08:31 AM

I got given about 6 feet of some rubber cable trunking - similar to the stuff below - years ago

Mine is a little chunkier than this stuff and there is enough room inside to run a power extension cord out to a multiway outlet, that the wall warts power supplies for my Bass Pod Live and TC Electronic Harmony GXT sit in, plus the signal cable for my monitor. Going back the other way, it also carries the signal cables from the Live XT to my poweramp and the stereo outputs of the GXT to the desk.

Obviously it only routes the cables for a short part of their run, just across the gap between my amp and my pedals. On the cramped spaces we play in 6 feet is usually plenty

iamdenialNJ · #17 08-30-2011, 08:42 AM

It doesn't bother me much.

crapusername · #18 08-30-2011, 08:42 AM

+1 to the wrapping plasticy stuff above
I've also used a cable tidy kit which holds my send and return to board. Since I'm always set up on the left of the stage - by the drummists hats, I route everything to my left and along the side of the stage

strke-fender · #19 08-30-2011, 08:42 AM

I usually only play 45 minute sets with by band, so I don't take the time to Gaff. I do use long cables to route around though.

While working on stage with bands I tour with, everything is routed and hidden then Gaffed. I usually fold one end of the tape onto itself, that gives you an easy handle to pull it off the floor with. I also run a bit of yellow spike tape over the black gaff, this saves me time in the load out by being able to easily identify my cabling.

Gaff should be every bodies best friend, duct tape has no place on a stage.

runmikeyrun · #20 08-30-2011, 01:30 PM

What a pain in the butt it is to have to tape down your cords at every show, not to mention try to peel it all off when the sound guy is rushing you off the stage to get the next band on. Just get longer cords and run them out of the way- I route my cords from the pedalboard along the front edge of the stage, then around the side of the stage back to the amp and outlet. Much easier than mucking with tape. Having a rug is one more thing to carry, and it will get nasty from dirty shoes and stages and things getting spilled on it.