What IS the proper way to wrap cables?

It's hard to explain without being there in person but this guy gives a good description for mic and instrument cables. http://onstagemag.com/ar/performance_show_go/

coil the cable into a loose circle. Starting with the cable flat on the floor, hold one end in your left hand, and then use your right hand to loop the cable into a circle roughly 15 to 18 inches in diameter. As you wind the loop, gently twist the cable clockwise with the fingers of your right hand, and it will smoothly curve into place. If you store the resulting circle of cable flat (with velcro cable ties to keep it together, if desired), it will be kink-free and flexible each time you use it.
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For large cables and snakes you usually coil them on the floor. Start a circle a few feet in diameter on the floor then pull the snake towards you and do the same thing as above.

For some heavy cables and really long mic cables there is the over/under. It's the same as above except every other coil is flipped under the last one. It's easier to show in person but it's like trying to describe a sailors knot in writing. The idea is that it makes it easier to pull a cable from one and and not have it tangle up on you as you stretch it out.

Once you get good at it you can coil up and tie off a 50ft mic cable in about 10 seconds.
 
One of the big things is not to FIGHT with the cable. Cable comes OFF of coils at first. It remembers and wants to return to its original shape. That's why the "hand-to-elbow method turns cables into a twisted wreck of their former selves.

Coil gently, manipulate the cable between the forefinger and thumb as you're coiling. You'll learn to feel which way the cable wants to go and you can help it along.
 
Ok, makes a lot of sense. Thought it would kind of be like that but I needed to be sure that I wasn't overlooking some vital issue.
I have a small recording gig on location soon with someone with even less experience helping me out (my slave) and I want to set a good example. :)
Thanks guys.
 
Same way you coil up a garden hose - you'll understand then what Massive Master says about not fighting the cable!
 
TexRoadkill said:


For some heavy cables and really long mic cables there is the over/under. It's the same as above except every other coil is flipped under the last one. It's easier to show in person but it's like trying to describe a sailors knot in writing. The idea is that it makes it easier to pull a cable from one and and not have it tangle up on you as you stretch it out.
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Hard to explain, yes.

"As you wind the loop, gently twist the cable clockwise with the fingers of your right hand, and it will smoothly curve into place."

If you do this for the first loop, then twist counter-clockwise for the next loop, it will form under itself as you catch it with your left hand. Then the 3rd loop is clockwise, the 4th counter, etc. alternating every other loop.
Yup, hard to explain. :D

Plus, I'm left handed, so it's just the opposite for me.:)
 
The technique is called "over-under". If you do this, your mic cables should last longer than you do. :)
 
<< there's no "right way" >>

i respectfully and totally disagree. :D cables have a memory, which as MM said, usually comes from the original spool/coil the cable came on. if you try to coil a cable against that memory, you will eventually work the cable back and forth, which weakens the cable, causing wires in the strands to break. break enough of the wires in the strands, and you'll lose signal quality. why use better cables? partly b/c they stand up to repeated coilings and twistings.

the "proper" way to coil cable is indeed over-under. simply put, it re-coils the cable in the "same" way it was coiled when it came off the original spool. it follows the cable memory.

if you ever did any lifeguard duty/training as a teen, it's the same way that you coil the rope on the floatation ring that you would throw out to a drowning swimmer. if you try to do any other cable wrap other than an over-under on that rope (such as an elbow wrap), 1) the rope will get all twisted on itself, 2) the ring won't throw straight, and 3) your victim will drown. :p you get to be extremely proficient at a very FAST over-under, b/c if you miss the victim, you've gotta re-coil and re-toss and it only takes a second for someone to go under.

so don't fight the cable--it will pretty much coil itself if you pay attention to it. it just takes a little practice.


cheers,
wade
 
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Another advantage of over-under is that you can throw it and it will uncoil in the air - tangle free.

Or you can set the coil at the vocalist's feet, and when they pull the mic off the stand and walk across the stage, it will uncoil - tangle free - behind them.

Of course, these are live sound applications more than studio, but it's still the "right" way to treat your cables.
 
mrface2112 said:
<< there's no "right way" >>

if you ever did any lifeguard duty/training as a teen, it's the same way that you coil the rope on the floatation ring that you would throw out to a drowning swimmer.
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Same way we used to wrap up ski lines when I was on a waterski team many moons ago ...so to speak. :D

-mr moon
 
i still say there's no right way. i totally understand and respect what you're saying though. i also think you're right. I too over;under my cables.

i stand by my original comment though. No right way, just better ways. i guess it would be better said..........no right wa; just A better way.
 
Over-under, over-under, over-under, over-under, over-under, over-under, over-under. There is no other proper way to coil a cable, if you want maximum cable life. When you coil them all over, so to speak, you twist the wires inside of the cable, which causes the connections to break. If you over-under your cables, each turn compensates for the twist of the last turn, and protects your cables. I find it impossible to describe how to over-under, but if you know any professional video guys, they will know. They are obsessive about over-undering their cable, as co-ax is so stiff it will just about explode if you try to wrap it any other way.


Light

"Cowards can never be moral."
M.K. Gandhi
 
the band i played in in high school just bought a garden hose reel from the local hardware store. wind one up, connect the next one end to end, wind it up, etc. you have to be careful you dont pull too hard on the ends, but we never had to mess with untangling cables.
 
crazydoc said:
Plus, I'm left handed, so it's just the opposite for me.:)
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I'm left-handed and I can't say I've had any problems as yet, maybe my brain is wired wrongly. I sometimes forget that as a left-handed right-footed person I'm supposed to find life really difficult.;)
 
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