Cable management suggestions

[frederic]

Mount this horizontally behind your console between the table and the wall:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=3060262273&category=20316

Mount this in your racks, on front for cables that hook to the front of gear, or at the back of the rack behind shorter units:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=3059373079&category=44992&rd=1

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=3059115102&category=51198

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2965812627&category=3319

Theres are more expensive, and designed to go the vertical length of a rack, but there is absolutely nothing stopping you from screwing it across the back of your producer's desk, or along a wall if you want to drape your cables a long distance. I'm partial to these things...

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=3059539385&category=20316

Of course you could just attach 19" wide curtain rods behind your racks, or off the wall on small pieces of 2x4 or other wood, then use 1/2 circle clamps to screw it down tight, and tie your wires to that if you want a cheap totally DIY homebrew method. In fact, skip the fancy curtain rods and use wooden dowels of 1/2" diameter or unthreaded rods, 1/2" copper pipe, whatever you have thats fairly stiff.

Hope that helps someone. Velvet's question about ties prompted me to post some of this. Cable management is as important as anything else you do in your studio. Keeping it tied down nicely prevents things working loose, and damage to any ends hanging down if you have "spare cables" which is always a good idea. Further, label every cable you have at both ends!!!

And tie it down with this stuff:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=3059100775&category=3704

Sorry to have used ebay for examples, it was just convienent for me at the time

 

[DDev]

I've always thought that using sections of plastic guttering would work well for a trough.

Darryl.....

 

[frederic]

Yep, thats another option as well. A friend of mine used a 6" diameter PVC pipe, cut lengthwise so he had two halves, hinged both halves in series to the wall, then attached latches so cables go in, then it flips up against the wall and locks.

There are MANY ways to do cabling neatly. I like the gutter idea, thats very clever.

 

[knightfly]

Clever, and cheaper than this stuff (about $4/foot)

 

[knightfly]

With the lid off -

 

[knightfly]

Semi-derelict rack showing application -

 

[DDev]

Yeah, but Knightfly's has the advantage of all those little plastic fingers you can use alternatively as cable hangars on the back of your rack (I wonder if they have enough resilience to buzz if you pull one back and release it, kinda like that old instrument I can only think of as a Jew's harp).

Darryl.....

 

[knightfly]

Darryl, you've just discovered the secret of my "high frequency multi-band panel resonator" - shhhhh... don't have it patented yet... :=)

 

[frederic]

Semi-derelict rack showing application -

That stuff is probably the best solution, but like you said, its about four bucks a foot. Whats nice is you don't need any ties at all, and its flexible enough that a fat snake cable can get through it.

Cool!

Whats with the cheapo cascaded power strips?

Two of these up the back sides of the rack will do nicely:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2965035478&category=3319

Or if you like wasting "U" space front or back:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=3059153348&category=20315


When it comes time to load my racks closer to the end of the year I'll make sure I take more pictures than I normally do so everyone can see how I do it, what I use, etc. Its the one thing in my studio that will be extremely neat. The spackle... well...

 

[DDev]

I'll keep it quiet for now, but with pictures on a public forum, man I just don't know how long I can manage to keep the lid on it!!

Darryl.....

p.s. Frederic - I went out looking for one of those 48" strips like you showed last weekend for my room, but Lowe's wanted something like $40 for one, and on the same aisle they had the 6-outlet strips for $2.99, so you can guess which one wound up in my studio (el cheapo man that I am).

 

[frederic]

I'll keep it quiet for now, but with pictures on a public forum, man I just don't know how long I can manage to keep the lid on it!!

You tease!

something like $40 for one, and on the same aisle they had the 6-outlet strips for $2.99, so you can guess which one wound up in my studio (el cheapo man that I am).

About two months ago, I bought SIX of these things, 6' in length, 15 amp breaker, 24 outlets per strip, $20 a pop on ebay.

Its a matter of hunting for bargains. BTW, these were brand new units as far as I could tell. I have two on my racks in the basement for my server farm and four are slated for the studio up here. One behind the console table, three behind the racks.

 

[Michael Jones]

Yep, thats another option as well. A friend of mine used a 6" diameter PVC pipe, cut lengthwise so he had two halves, hinged both halves in series to the wall, then attached latches so cables go in, then it flips up against the wall and locks.

I like the cable "ladders", but this is a neat idea.
But I'm confused:
How do you cut 4-6' of 6" PVC length-wise?
Seems like you'd have to use a table saw, but what sort of blade?
And I'm not sure I'd want to cut PVC on a GOOD table saw; what does all that plastic sawdust do to the saw's innerds?

 

[Velvet Elvis]

This brings to mind an interesting design concept...

You know how some buildings go for that "industrial" look? Brick walls and open ceiling joists etc?

it might be interesting to do all the wiriing in the open using cable trays hanging from a ceiling (like they do in the computer world... ok no it wouldn't... but I was just picturing it in my head

I'll probably use a removable floor panel for between the board and racks with punch blocks on either end (that way I can just string some multi pair cables down the cable run).

Then use cable management on the inside of the racks.

The board is still the tricky part for me... I don't want anything "built" around the board... I just want it free standing away from the front wall of the room... speakers will be soffit mounted... but I don't want cables hanging everywhere off the back of the board.

Velvet Elvis

 

[RICK FITZPATRICK]

Ok guys, I'm the cable "management" king. Ha! I HATE fucking cables. But I don't have much time right now but I'll be back with a lot more. Check these out for now, theres tons more stuff too. Outwaters catalog is TOO cool. All kinds of stuff, not just cable management. These are obscure vendor companys for store fixture manufacturers.

http://www.mockett.com/default.asp?id=2
http://www.outwater.com/

fitZ

 

[Michael Jones]

I don't want anything "built" around the board... I just want it free standing away from the front wall of the room... speakers will be soffit mounted... but I don't want cables hanging everywhere off the back of the board.

Velvet Elvis

Me either.
So plan it all out, and have the foundation contractor form up channels before the slab is poured.

Then when it all starts to come together,

you're set!

and all you have to do is keep 'em neat inside the console/rack.

 

[Velvet Elvis]

Too late for that... floor already exists.... but part of my floor will be built up for a 'tiered' effect (thanks to John Sayers and a cool design he did)... so I might be able to sneak things under parts of the tier.

(Thanks for the pics Michael... just reminding me that I'll NEVER be satisfied until I take over your studio ;P )

Velvet Elvis

 

[frederic]

How do you cut 4-6' of 6" PVC length-wise?
Seems like you'd have to use a table saw, but what sort of blade?

Lengthwise, twice, to get two halves, using two fences. Don't you have two fences for your table saw?

And regarding the blade, as blades dull for metal or wood cutting work, I toss them in a box specifically for cutting what I call "crap", like PVC. You get a lot of plastic shavings but nothing a good shopvac can't fix. PVC sawdust is actually significantly larger than wood sawdust, so it goes in less places than actual wood dust.

 

[frederic]

The board is still the tricky part for me... I don't want anything "built" around the board... I just want it free standing away from the front wall of the room... speakers will be soffit mounted... but I don't want cables hanging everywhere off the back of the board.

The board is easy... run the cables up inside the stand like you suggested, and have a trough, gutter, or or the fancy finger panels (see picture above) and have the wires run out from underneath the arse of the console around the back, to the connection points.

The first guy/gal to invent multi-channel audio over wireless ethernet will be rich, I can say that much.

 

[frederic]

Too late for that... floor already exists.... but part of my floor will be built up for a 'tiered' effect (thanks to John Sayers and a cool design he did)... so I might be able to sneak things under parts of the tier.

(Thanks for the pics Michael... just reminding me that I'll NEVER be satisfied until I take over your studio ;P )

Velvet Elvis

Just because the floor exists doesn't mean you can't "adjust" it. Chiseling away concrete is slow work, but its not difficult. You can rent jackhammers you know...

You can even rent circular saws designed to cut into cement... score off your floor troughs with a sharpie, then cut the lines, then chisel or jackhammer out the middle.

 

[Velvet Elvis]

So now for Christmas I think my wife and I are buying each other a truck load drywall (exciting huh?!) ...

She wants me to finish the loft...

Once the loft is done, construction can begin on the studio...

Sounds like a plan for me.

Then I can finally get all these "ideas" in motion.

Velvet Elvis