Author Topic: How do you keep your cables from tangling? (Read 7803 times)

greenone · « **on:** September 10, 2003, 04:43:22 PM »

Just curious how folks keep their cables from tangling up...I tried putting some of those plastic cable ties around mine but all they do is nick my fingers when I go to pack my cables back up.

Do you keep your cables apart and wind each one up separately after a show? I'm thinking about creating/finding some kind of wide (circumference) but narrow (depth) spool to wind the cables around to facilitate setup and breakdown... anyone ever tried this? Other ideas?

F.O.Bean · « **Reply #1 on:** September 10, 2003, 04:49:18 PM »

the tyton nylon ties are where its at....they werk like a charm, its werth the fingers getting mauled.....

Chuck · « **Reply #2 on:** September 10, 2003, 05:18:19 PM »

Quote from: greenone on September 10, 2003, 04:43:22 PM

Just curious how folks keep their cables from tangling up...I tried putting some of those plastic cable ties around mine but all they do is nick my fingers when I go to pack my cables back up. Do you keep your cables apart and wind each one up separately after a show? I'm thinking about creating/finding some kind of wide (circumference) but narrow (depth) spool to wind the cables around to facilitate setup and breakdown... anyone ever tried this? Other ideas?

If you don't like the nylon ties, use rubber bands, velcro straps etc... I use the nylon ties. I made the mistake of using electrical tape on my first rig. The mistake was made apparent at a Grateful Dead run in Las Vegas, where the field temperature was like 120 degrees. The electrical tape adhesive melted and I had a gooeey mess.

John Kelly · « **Reply #3 on:** September 10, 2003, 05:23:08 PM »

How do you do the under over coil?

John Kelly · « **Reply #4 on:** September 10, 2003, 05:39:20 PM »

Awesome, thanks, and +t.

Chuck · « **Reply #5 on:** September 10, 2003, 05:42:04 PM »

Quote from: m0k3 on September 10, 2003, 05:25:58 PM

http://www.taperssection.com/yabbse/index.php?board=1;action=display;threadid=1275;start=msg7329#msg7329

Here is a thread dealing with stowing cables.

There is a link in this above mentioned thread to the over-under coil (or some such name) aka....... the roadie coil.

Over-Under coil video link;
Quote from: Tim on February 11, 2003, 07:28:23 PM
Found it....
http://www.new-line.nl/zipfiles/overunder.mpeg

best if you loop the video

check alt.audio.pro.live-sound and you can read details.

This looks like something that should go in the Archive?

greenone · « **Reply #6 on:** September 10, 2003, 09:28:16 PM »

Damn...I was hoping I could avoid the "roadie coil".

Here's the problem with that - I like leaving my cables hooked up to my V2 so it's one less thing I have to worry about when I'm setting up. Anyone leave everything hooked up and have other solutions?

I just found a sweet bag at a local camera shop for $35 that I might spring for instead of the piece of shit Promaster bag whose clasp broke after two months of use (ARGH). The new bag will let me run the V2 horizontally instead of vertically and will have more room for the cables so maybe I'll go that route...I dunno.

tim in jersey · « **Reply #7 on:** September 10, 2003, 10:18:41 PM »

I use right angle 3' cables (marked left and right) that I leave connected to the back of my v3 in my bag. Then all I have to do is run my long mic cables and connect them to the shorties.

nickgregory · « **Reply #8 on:** September 10, 2003, 10:24:28 PM »

Quote from: tim in nj on September 10, 2003, 10:18:41 PM

I use right angle 3' cables (marked left and right) that I leave connected to the back of my v3 in my bag. Then all I have to do is run my long mic cables and connect them to the shorties.

this is exactly what I will be doing with my equip all setup in the rakgear deluxe when the shorty interconnects get here...

Arglebargle · « **Reply #9 on:** September 12, 2003, 05:26:45 PM »

I have a cheap low tech way of dealing with this, I just use plastic grocery bags for each cable and coil them up and put one cable in each bag.

coop · « **Reply #10 on:** September 15, 2003, 11:47:33 PM »

you can also use shrink tubing. a 3/8" band of it every 12"- 15" works well. you can also avoid the nicks from the zip ties by flush cutting them with a fingernail clipper. makes a nice smooth end on the tie.
coop

1st set only · « **Reply #11 on:** September 16, 2003, 05:14:17 PM »

I use the plastic ties but instead of coiling the cables I find that "folding" them works much better. they dont tangle as much

John R · « **Reply #12 on:** September 17, 2003, 08:02:18 PM »

wire and cable have a natural coil upon manufacture. for shorter lengths(15-25 ft) i coil them onto themselves and velcro them. for longer lengths, i use the over/under.

jr

F.O.Bean · « **Reply #13 on:** September 17, 2003, 09:42:55 PM »

Quote from: John R on September 17, 2003, 08:02:18 PM

wire and cable have a natural coil upon manufacture. for shorter lengths(15-25 ft) i coil them onto themselves and velcro them. for longer lengths, i use the over/under.

jr

that si EXACTLY what i do john, i also have mine nylon tied together..werksVERY well.....

Lee · « **Reply #14 on:** September 18, 2003, 06:56:20 PM »

just throw 'em in a snake bag like the crocodile hunter and be done with it!

[aussie accent]"she's a real beauty!"[/aussie accent]

John R · « **Reply #15 on:** September 18, 2003, 07:09:57 PM »

Quote from: Lee on September 18, 2003, 06:56:20 PM

just throw 'em in a snake bag like the crocodile hunter and be done with it!

[aussie accent]"she's a real beauty!"[/aussie accent]

striking at the main stage in telluride after abb, to shag ass to the sheridan for kdtu, just loop 'em up, zip tie 'em, and sort it out later.

jr

Tim · « **Reply #16 on:** September 18, 2003, 07:20:38 PM »

I'm ditching the u89s and I'm just going to run these bad boys...

http://shure.com/photos/bigones/u2_large.jpg

shure wireless baby

my audio tragics are zip tied every 8 inches or so... w3rks gr34t!

John R · « **Reply #17 on:** September 18, 2003, 07:23:59 PM »

Quote from: Tim on September 18, 2003, 07:20:38 PM

I'm ditching the u89s and I'm just going to run these bad boys...

http://shure.com/photos/bigones/u2_large.jpg

shure wireless baby

my audio tragics are zip tied every 8 inches or so... w3rks gr34t!

tim, i'm in for the 89's

jr

Nick Culbreth · « **Reply #18 on:** September 19, 2003, 12:12:26 AM »

you might want to look into using some gaffers tape and taping the cables every foot or eighteen inches. i tape my lc3ka cables every eight inches and it has worked great.

plucks · « **Reply #19 on:** September 19, 2003, 05:38:38 PM »

Quote from: Tim on September 18, 2003, 07:20:38 PM

I'm ditching the u89s and I'm just going to run these bad boys...

http://shure.com/photos/bigones/u2_large.jpg

shure wireless baby

my audio tragics are zip tied every 8 inches or so... w3rks gr34t!

You are onto something there Tim! Try the Solution D from Neuman
http://www.neumannusa.com/pages/products/micProduct.asp?microphone=SolutionD

Phil

Simp-Dawg · « **Reply #20 on:** September 19, 2003, 07:24:09 PM »

actually...i was wondering this last night. so you can buy wireless adaptors for mics, why not for our high end mics? would you lose anything in the signal? obviously you'd have to power them before the wireless unit, but could you still apply gain to them this way?
just a random thought i had.

John R · « **Reply #21 on:** September 19, 2003, 07:54:48 PM »

Quote from: Simp-Dawg on September 19, 2003, 07:24:09 PM

actually...i was wondering this last night. so you can buy wireless adaptors for mics, why not for our high end mics? would you lose anything in the signal? obviously you'd have to power them before the wireless unit, but could you still apply gain to them this way?
just a random thought i had.

pretty much, just like any wireless(sort of) the mic end would be the radio transmitter so there would be power there, it would just need to be stepped up to 48v. at the receiver end it could just send level to your v3, heh, and apply the gain there. this of course, would facilitate another power source, etc.

jr

jr

Lee · « **Reply #22 on:** September 20, 2003, 01:14:48 AM »

but you're adding another potential disaster area there with wireless in the mix. Keep in mind, no matter how expensive or technologically advanced your wireless system is, at best it's only approaching the level of reliability of a good old-fashioned mic cable.

John R · « **Reply #23 on:** September 20, 2003, 09:55:13 AM »

Quote from: Lee on September 20, 2003, 01:14:48 AM

but you're adding another potential disaster area there with wireless in the mix. Keep in mind, no matter how expensive or technologically advanced your wireless system is, at best it's only approaching the level of reliability of a good old-fashioned mic cable.

i agree with the potential numerous problems. But, If, it was going to happen you could do it with 2.4 ghz digital spread spectrum, or 5.8gh bands like wifi. i'm sure someone will put it together sooner than later.

jr

Lee · « **Reply #24 on:** September 20, 2003, 09:58:20 AM »

shoot, spend the money you'd have spent on wireless and get some handmade silver cables or something.

nickgregory · « **Reply #25 on:** September 20, 2003, 10:51:19 AM »

I have seen discussions on this before...basically setting up a couple of stands in the section, then broadcasting the signal over a wireless access point. Seemed to be a nice way to handle taping, in that patchers and tapers can be anywhere in the place and get the signal. At the time, I remember thinking that besides the technical issues, which there are some, that something like this would really freak out some of the artists.

The ABB for example have said that the reason they allowed taping in the first place was the copies were good memories of the show, but not as good as their commercial releases. As technology caught up to them, they realized that AUD tapes were getting better and better. After much consideration, they agreed to continue to allow taping openly, partly because of their fanbase expectation, and partly to help curb bootleg sales, but they did not want electronic transfer of files. The stated reason was that they felt that something like that opened them up to the possibility of bootleggers getting a copy of the show and reselling it. Whereas with personal interaction, rather than mass distribution, there would be less chance. While I don't necessarily buy this argument, I can see where they are coming from.

Point being though, if these wireless networks ever got going, I think that may push bands that are just cautious or paranoid, to reconsider things. Because of the perception of the more technology, the better the output theory.

Besides, I would not be interested, cause I dont want to haul all of that crap around...I have enough crap

Nick