How do you organize your cables?

[sickman]

I use to keep mine in a backpack, but I recently bought a plastic tupperware crate that I use to carry cables/cords/other things that don't fit in my guitar case.

 

Our bandleader has 2-3 bags or suitcases and seperates the cables based on guitar cables, speaker cables, and mic cables. It's easy to carry because you can carry two suitcases at one time. He's the most organized bandmate I have had and it definitely makes set up/breakdown easier.

 

I'm looking to get some PA speakers on my own.... just looking for positives/negatives of what to use for organizational purposes.

[Hamer_Time]

I have all my guitar cables semi-permenantly attached to the pedalboard and amp so all I have to do is set up and make a few quick connections. As for our mic and other cables, we use a large carrying case for the whole thing. So I guess I agree with your bandleader, that if you follow some organizing standard, you lose less and set up faster.

[LightingPimp]

well depends on how much ya have i guess.

 

we have a 36x18x20 road case w/ 3 sections in it we keep mic cables in one section , guitar cables in one , and misc stage cables in the other . then we have a huge toughbox for the 150' 24ch stage snake & the speaker cables which we have 2 main cables and 2 sub cables that are 50ft each cable , then we have 2 30x16x18 storages boxes we keep electrical cables in , then i have one with my DMX light cables in . But we also have a 16'x 6'x6' trailer we haul around and my van as well when needed

[Austincowbell]

I bought a huge hardware bag for a drum kit. I now keep all of my cables, my drum hardware, mic stands, drumsticks, mics, condoms and anything else I might need in the bag. I take out the drum hardware and add extra condoms when I'm singing and playing guitar but otherwise I take it to every gig. One bag = awesome.

* If it's an amp and instrument gig I bring two guitar cables a mic and a kick mic (I ALWAYS bring my beta52 with me just in case) in my guitar gig bag.

[Old Fart Rocker]

I have a couple of large duffle bags I use. One for my guitar stuff and one for PA speaker cables My pedalboard is pre-wired so all I have to do is run a cable from board to amp and plun in guitar. Our PA rack is also pre-wired so all I have to do there is connect speakers and mic snake.

[mstreck]

I used to have one of those cable wheels that we'd use to roll up all of the mic cables at once (connected end to end).

 

 

That made cleanup easier, but setting up was a PIA. We had to unwrap them all and separate them by type, etc.

 

Our drummer is a pro soundman, so he always wants the mic cables tied neatly and in such a way that they unravel nicely. That definitely makes for easier setup, so I went and got 5-gal buckets that we can toss them into - separating them by size. You can carry one in each hand (like the suitcases) and they stack nicely inside one another when not in use.

 

We also have a vinyl drink cooler on wheels ($20 at Wal-Mart) for speaker cables, mics, and other things. Having that helps quite a bit, too.

 

[THBv2.0]

I use two milk crates. One for mic and instrument cables and one for speaker cables, extension cords and power strips. Usually a roll of duct tape in each one as well. My pedal board travels in a solid camera case and takes about a minute to set up. Guitar amp(s) also have cases.

 

 

[wades_keys]

Right now I've got everything in one big-ass duffle that weighs about 60 pounds.

 

I'm thinking about getting another duffle just for the PA-related cables; in fact between the gig last week (where I spent 10 minutes looking for a damn banana plug) and these posts you guys have convinced me to do that.

[AwayEam]

HEY BROS

 

We usually just wrap them around a couple of top hats and wear those. We never forget the hats, so we've never had cable troubles.

 

The shorter cables we use as bolo ties. I'm thinking of adding 4 or 5 new Tube Screamers to my rig, so I'll have to wear a few more bolo ties.

[Deeprig9]

HEY BROS We usually just wrap them around a couple of top hats and wear those. We never forget the hats, so we've never had cable troubles. The shorter cables we use as bolo ties. I'm thinking of adding 4 or 5 new Tube Screamers to my rig, so I'll have to wear a few more bolo ties.

 

That beats the smartass comment I had ready to go. Nice job!

[chevybusa]

One thing I found that made life 100 times easier is to wrap each cable up around your arm in the standard fashion, then wrap a twist tie (the ones used to tie up garbage bags) around the circumference of the whole thing to keep it together. If you have several different sets of cables you can then use a big reversible zip tie in the same way, wrapping it around each wrapped cable (like keys on a key chain) for each set of cables.

[stevesherbert]

if anyone wraps one of my cables around their arms handyman style, i KILL them. you need a little half twist each time around or else your cables are screwed.

[pink floyd cramer]

Forget twist ties. Guitar capos are the best cable organizers. What else could they be good for?

[Hegmatronicon]

One thing I found that made life 100 times easier is to wrap each cable up around your arm in the standard fashion, then wrap a twist tie (the ones used to tie up garbage bags) around the circumference of the whole thing to keep it together. If you have several different sets of cables you can then use a big reversible zip tie in the same way, wrapping it around each wrapped cable (like keys on a key chain) for each set of cables.

 

NEVER wind your cables around your arm/elbow like tradies do. It's bad for the cables - they twist and connections screw up after a while.

 

Also - velcro works well for keeping them together too. You can buy huge rolls of it really cheap. We use it at work in our IT racks and i just pinch a bit here and there

Handy stuff.

[rorylawford]

Also - velcro works well for keeping them together too. You can buy huge rolls of it really cheap. We use it at work in our IT racks and i just pinch a bit here and there Handy stuff.

 

The local dollar store here sells velcro cable wraps 6 for a buck - perfect for lazy old me

[LightingPimp]

im trying to talk my buddy into converting a hose pipe reel holder thing into the roller for our snake cable. would be nice to be able to roll the snake out / up versus having to roll that massive thing up in the box cause it kinks up like mad. we have to unroll it all about every three shows and untwist it.

 

and those velcro straps are the bomb we have two reels we cut to length for cords in the cases

[bloolight]

We use velcro zip-ties that I buy at Wal-Mart for a considerably lower price than the same ties at Guitar Center. I was schooled on the proper way to wrap cable (not over the arm, as many have pointed out), and then I just wrap a tie around each one to keep them separate. All of our cables to into a suitcase that we have to sort out at the gig. It's not a perfect system, but I'm usually more annoyed by having to carry heavy speakers and amps than with sorting cables before the show.

 

We have a fairly spartan list of equipment and no lights, so this system seems to work okay. What I really need is a good strong roadie to carry all the heavy crap.

[iowaboy_1]

Pipe cleaners work great as fasteners for individual cables. It's cheaper and quicker than velcro. You can buy them by the bagful in a craft store.

(even color coded if you want).

[sickman]

Proper way to wrap cables? Huh? Englighten me.

[Janx]

Proper way to wrap cables? Huh? Englighten me.

 

I agree. What's the secret trick? Because ultimately, everyone has to roll up their cables, so what's the problem to avoid?

 

When I roll up my cables, I don't just crank it around my arm. As I wind it up (not too tight, or it'll kink and that CAN break a wire), I let it self-adjust, to avoid any forced twisting.

 

It can't be any worse than what happens to it when it's plugged in and I'm moving around with it on my axe.

 

When I'm done, I've got a cable that's coiled but loose. My method works on CAT5, power cords, and guitar cords. I haven't had a problem yet.

 

So what am I doing wrong?

[pickinatit]

Proper way to wrap cables? Huh? Englighten me.

 

You must be rank, self-taught amatuers!!! :poke:

 

 

 

 

(I have no clue what the "proper" way to wrap a cable would be, but then I've only been doing it for about 40 yrs. so hopefully I'll learn before one of my cables goes bad as a result).

 

"BRING BACK THE CURLY CHORD!!! ":love:

[arf-boy]

 

One thing I found that made life 100 times easier is to wrap each cable up around your arm in the standard fashion, ...

 

 

That's bad for the cables in the long run. I do it the way a sound guy showed me a long time ago -- in my hands, one loop twisted toward me, the other away. It's the only way to coil long cables and have them uncoil easily.

 

I secure the coiled cable with a velcro thingy that remains attached to the cable. Even faster is the method of using little girls' hair-ties -- the ones with the little plastic balls attached. They're hard to find these days, though. And I can use the velcro thingies to bundle the cables to reduce the trip hazard --- not a big fan of tape adhesive on my cables.

 

-o-o-o-

 

As to the OP, I have a series of small suitcases, one each for instrument, mic, speaker and specialty cables. On big gigs, they all go; for smaller ones, I select some of each and put them into an empty case. (A woman's "make-up case" is often an ideal container for cables and pedals. And the smaller stuff stacks efficiently in the vehicle around the bigger items like front speakers, keyboard, bass amp et cetera.

[Marko]

Wrapping cables over-&-under.

 

http://www.youtube.com/results?search_type=&search_query=wrap+cables%2C+over+and+under&aq=f

 

Inexpensive velcro cable ties at Home Depot, 50 for $5. Found them first in the electrical dept, but lately, where the hand/power tools are.

[Hegmatronicon]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tRMfNp3DM9M

 

I usually use method two in this video - but both work the same way.

[bigjd]

I use cord reels.