cable management - any tips?

Posted: Tue Sep 09, 2008 12:55 pm

Hi,

I recently started working in the recording lab at my college... i was wondering if anybody had any tips on managing cables. Right now we have about 20-30 xlr and 1/4" cables attached to hooks on the walls and it looks very tacky and unprofessional. We want them to be out in the open and easily accessible so students can grab them whenever needed. If you can share how you guys manage cables it would be great =)

thanks in advance.
-Josh

Posted: Tue Sep 09, 2008 1:07 pm

Some cool tips and tricks were posted in this thread;
http://recording.org/ftopict-47515.html
suggestions which I found most useful.

Posted: Tue Sep 09, 2008 2:50 pm

thanks, the garden hose idea was ingenious.

Although, im guessing problems will arise with multiple cables of different links and plugs. We were thinking those fold down shoe racks you can get for your closet or something like this:

http://www.cable-safe.com/products/cablecorral.htm

this one looks appealing as well:

http://cgi.ebay.com/Modern-Revolving-Shoe-Organizer-Tree-Storage-Rack-NEW_W0QQitemZ120303002127QQcmdZViewItem?hash=item120303002127&_trkparms=72%3A1019%7C39%3A1%7C66%3A4%7C65%3A12%7C240%3A1318&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14#ebayphotohosting

although, that could turn into a mess really quickly...

any other suggestions would be great.

Posted: Tue Sep 09, 2008 7:18 pm

Teach them all how to flipcoil correctly, and get your students ready for their time in the industry ahead.

Then have a box to dump them in. Really - if they coil them correctly, it'll go well. If someone screws up, it should only be limited to the flawed cable.

Posted: Tue Sep 09, 2008 9:30 pm

Hey eatmyshoes, would it be too much of me if I ask you to put that seven mile wide link inside some BBC brackets?

I had to go into the other room to see the end of it Wink

Posted: Tue Sep 09, 2008 10:12 pm

Or consider tinyUrl'ing it.

Posted: Tue Sep 09, 2008 11:10 pm

ha, yeah sure...

sorry about that. ill just use an image:

or, well try... hope that wors.

the guy in charge of the recording technologies program just wants something that looks neat and professional, but is easily acceptable to the students... I guess a box is a decent solution, but he was looking for something on the walls..

and, we actually having a guy come in tomorrow and speak with the classes about how to properly group and wind cables. I'm interested to see what he says toO!
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Posted: Wed Sep 10, 2008 12:05 am

Remember though I like boxes, because they're easy to carry into and out of cupboards.

Posted: Wed Sep 10, 2008 10:54 am

That picture you posted is of cable hell...

Especially in a class environment.

We used to have a similar thing in one of the digital labs for CRT probes and whatnot. Some anal techie would have every cable neatly wound and hung before the class started and by the end it was one big knot integrated with the hangers... That stand looks even worse.

Make it a class system, or even go deeper into a caste system...

Annoying students have to get cables from the tangle box, good students can use to one neat on the walls.
Ahh, tormenting young minds... Smile

Tormenting? I meant teaching... Razz

Posted: Wed Sep 10, 2008 12:21 pm

haha, i think im going to go with the box. I wish I could push the office depot easy button and have an amazing fix all solution. Ahh, that'd be lovely...

thanks.
-josh

Posted: Thu Sep 11, 2008 4:56 am

The best cable management system is the simplest. We had some 2 by 4s drilled with holes at an 45 degree angle and short lengths of electrical conduit driven to the holes and the 2 by 4s mounted on the walls for our microphone cords. We color coded the cables for length and numbered them so it was easy for students when they were setting to know that cord #16 from the kick drum microphone was plugged into input 11. it worked well and we never had a problem. When I worked for a concert sound company all of our cables were put onto spindles made out of a piece of plywood and a short length of 2 by 2 with a handle on top. 25 footers on one spindle, 50 footers on another and they were stored in a large road case. You picked out the spindle and took in on stage. When the concert was over the cables were coiled neatly and put back on the spindle (at least that was the theory) and put back in the box. Again the cables were numbered and color coded. Another system I saw used was the box method, You had boxes that were about 12" by 12" by 12" and the cables were coiled neatly and placed into the box and the box was on a shelf that slid in and out of the bottom of the microphone cabinet. There were six boxes on the shelf and it could hold quite a bit of cable.

Use what ever is the easiest and works the best and forget "looks"

Posted: Thu Sep 11, 2008 3:01 pm

Strangely enough at NBC-TV, we had what basically appeared to be 45° angle wooden dowels mounted on the walls to hang microphone cables from like a coat rack.

For my room of truck, I utilize cable rollers, garden hose rollers on wheels & those bright orange plastic handheld electrical cord rollers. These devices not only keep the cables in good shape, you don't end up with curly cable springs on the floor, to trip over, due to coiling and/or improper over under extraction. It's also easily put away in closets & cabinets for a cleaner look. Besides, it keeps your hands cleaner and you won't break as many fingernails.

It's what I use
Ms. Remy Ann David

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