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How to cable management; plz help

#41
I use string, roughly the size of shoe laces, tied at the end of the cable, about 12" from the connector.
The string gets knotted to the cable leaving two lengths, about 8-10" long, which wrap around the coil and tie together. The string never falls off the cable and no velcro ties floating around or getting lost.
I only have two cables.
 
#42
I use over/under method with velcro ties of different colors (each color is reserved for different lengths, example red = 20'). Like other posters have said, you're less likely to add kinks to the cable and they will last a lot longer. I can't tell you how wonderful and hassle free it is to pull a cable out of a bag/case and, with an easy flick of the wrist, have it perfectly uncoil. For the smaller length cables and wall wort types, I use twist ties.
 
#43
EricssonB said:
I can keep my cables organized for a short period of time, but the sense always devolves into an eagle-capable nest.

What do you to ensure upkeep? Good habits? A technical solution? A roadie? Plz help. Life is hard.

zZUZo81.jpg
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Eliminate, seperate, shorten, and organize


go wireless, I keep only 1 long cable as a backup for wireless (but don't even take it out of the pocket on my rack bag). Use a rechargeable wireless (shure glxd) so I don't even have to buy batteries anymore

all other cables I went as short as I could. I like to keep my pedalboard back by my rig so I only have a 10' cable from the board to the rack. That cable stays connected to the final pedal on my board and stays in the pedaltrain case when transporting . My speaker cables are custom made speakon cables that are only 6' long and super heavy duty. They are so thick and short they don't get tangled. I leave my main speakon cable attached to my power amp at all times and just tuck in the back of the rack before closing it. The only place I actually store two cables wound up in the same area are the second speakon cable and the backup long instument cable in the pouch of my rack bag. These rarely get used because often times one cab is enough for our gigs and I've yet to have any issue with the shure system. I wind up the long cable neatly and the speakon being so think isn't an issue.
 
#45
Over/under & velcro wraps. I always keep the wraps on the end that goes opposite the mic for XLR cables & start wrapping from that end. When unwrapping, pay it out in reverse from the end you rolled it to prevent knots. I stash everything in a compartmented rolling "makeup artists' case".

The big key, though, to keeping everything squared away is to have the discipline to wrap & sort when you break down from a gig. It's a lot easier to separate cables 1 at a time, roll, wrap, & store them right then & there when you're breaking down, than to try to sort through a rat's next sometime later. You may save a few minutes by throwing them in a heap in the moment, but you'll save yourself lots of time - not to mention damaged cables - later on if you take the trouble to do the job right when you're breaking down.
 
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#46
^this

EricssonB said:
What do you to ensure upkeep? Good habits? A technical solution? A roadie? Plz help. Life is hard.
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i'm with a lot of the posters here, re: technique (i loop and velcro, these days), but the bottom line: the only way to avoid a mess is to develop enough 'OCD' ("good habits") to do it consistently! i also do pro audio, so i have trunks of cables to deal with after the ins and before the outs (loading). at the end of a long night it is often tempting to just throw them in the trunk(s) and get the hell out....but you learn that the consequences (your pile pic x's 10-20) will hang you up the next night/gig. so it's a matter of what you're calling "good habits," mostly. it can be a real drag when you're tired or in a hurry, but you just have to bite the bullet (or ammo clip!) and be consistent. my roadies are taught the same practices. the trunks are labeled: i always know where to find a cable of any type, hardware, yada yada.

sometimes i hate doing it, but i do it anyway! :thumbsup:
 
#49
Doner Designs said:
I wrap neatly and use gallon zip lock bags to separate them into a few groups - main connection, patch, XLR, power.
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I've done this for miscellaneous items in my plastic storage tub. Like-things together & label each bag with texta so I can quickly find what I'm after.

Hardware stores have rugged pencil-case type zippered bags for tools, batteries, etc. Last forever.

ThirstyMonkey said:
I use over/under method with velcro ties of different colors (each color is reserved for different lengths,
Click to expand...
I use colour-coded Velcro based on function/location eg. Red- back of amp, black- front of amp, green-mic/DI XLR's.

A mate owns a backline instrument hire company and makes his own cables. He colour-coded them using heat-shrink cable ends: 3' white, 10' red, 20' black. Velcro on every cable is black except hi-tec computer cables which are carefully carried separately.

JohnMCA72 said:
Over/under & velcro wraps. I always keep the wraps on the end that goes opposite the mic for XLR cables & start wrapping from that end. When unwrapping, pay it out in reverse from the end you rolled it to prevent knots.
Click to expand...
^THIS!!! Cables develop 'memory' and wont tangle if you do it this way, the exact same way every time.

Another mate refused to let me help him with cables for his PA for this very reason. I didn't believe him until he showed me a 20' cable uncoiling perfectly.
Tip: he marked the cable at the 2' point and lined it up exactly each time he looped it using the over/under method.
 
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#50
EricssonB said:
I can keep my cables organized for a short period of time, but the sense always devolves into an eagle-capable nest.

What do you to ensure upkeep? Good habits? A technical solution? A roadie? Plz help. Life is hard.

zZUZo81.jpg
Click to expand...
Few ideas:

1. Have 3-4 types of piles: guitar leads, computer leads, power leads, other.

2. Group into function.
eg. I have IEC, extension cord, speaker cable bundled together for behind my amp. Carry in amp case/bag/rack.
eg2. Headphone amp & all its own cables are stored together in a toiletries-size zip bag. Ready to go in 30 seconds.

3. Group into location, completely separate sets of cables.
eg. Cables for gigs stay in gig bag (& never come out at home); Cables for home always stay at home permanently set up & ready to practice.

4. Pedal board: fully pre-wired & ready.... cable for bass, cable out to amp & power cord. Ready in 30 seconds.
 
#53
Groove Doctor said:
A mate owns a backline instrument hire company and makes his own cables. He colour-coded them using heat-shrink cable ends: 3' white, 10' red, 20' black. Velcro on every cable is black except hi-tec computer cables which are carefully carried separately.
Click to expand...

This is a good idea. I use a DYMO labeler to name and color code the ends of the cables (mainly to keep from confusing DMX and XLR cables), but just color coding would work well enough. And re-reading my last sentence I'm reminded once again what an OCD freak I am.
 
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#55
JimmyM said:
Over under works fine for very long cables, but anything 20 ft and under and it's useless. Besides, I always get knots in my cables when I do it.
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Probably the first time i've disagreed with you Jimmy, but over under is perfect for any cable over 6 foot in length.

Those red cables in the photo below are only 2m long and I still over/under them.

As for them coming out in knots, that's due to pulling the end through the wrong way. As soon as you see a knot form you pull it back through the middle of the coil the opposite way and all is good. Occasionally it'll come out all knotted no matter how good you coil them but overall, it's the best method for the cable and for neatness. All of those cables were dumped in that black bag and I was able to pull them out and sort them without any issues at all.


20160724_685-2-jpg.jpg
 
#56
BAG said:
Probably the first time i've disagreed with you Jimmy, but over under is perfect for any cable over 6 foot in length.

Those red cables in the photo below are only 2m long and I still over/under them.

As for them coming out in knots, that's due to pulling the end through the wrong way. As soon as you see a knot form you pull it back through the middle of the coil the opposite way and all is good. Occasionally it'll come out all knotted no matter how good you coil them but overall, it's the best method for the cable and for neatness. All of those cables were dumped in that black bag and I was able to pull them out and sort them without any issues at all.


20160724_685-2-jpg.jpg
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You're a better man than I. Mine always come out of the bag fine, but I don't have such a great memory to remember what end to pull on first, and then here come the knots.
 
#58
JimmyM said:
You're a better man than I. Mine always come out of the bag fine, but I don't have such a great memory to remember what end to pull on first, and then here come the knots.
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That's why I keep the wraps attached to the cables & start rolling from the end with the wrap on it. If there's a wrap attached, I work from the other end & it pays out just fine. I can't remember much of anything, but I do manage to leave myself clues most of the time!
 
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#59
I have a LOT of cables. I used green twist ties from the plant dept. for years. A couple years ago, I started using colored velcro ties. It didn't take long to get one on every cord. Now, not only has it worked well, but I can easily tell my cords from the guitar player's, who also owns the PA we usually use.
 

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