Cable Management Nightmare....

[HammondDave]

So when are the geniuses at MIT going to come up with wireless power and data?  There must be a simpler way to hookup my Mojo 61 into an iPad, then have signal outs from the IPad to a volume pedal, then have four outs to my mixer, then two outs to twin powered monitors... Plus all the power cable to power everything!  I have a plugging strip filled with power cables that power the Mojo, Mixer, and two EV monitors.  I also have 6 quarter inch cables from the Mojo, the iPad, the volume pedal, and two XLRs from the mixer to the monitors.  It takes me forever to set up my rig and strike it due to all these F***ing cables!

 

It's 2022!!!... By this time I thought we would have flying cars... or at least wireless power and data.  Any suggestions on a cable management system that will simplify my setup?  

 

[obxa]

My rigs constanty change based on the gig,  so I can't always do the obvious snakes. 

 

Besides the snaking and reusable wire ties-  I use ready joined stereo 1/4 cables. or just tie them together myself. I've had no problem using the Hosa stuff, since the run to mixer is usually short, but I have some more expensive ones too.

 

  I don't have the link handy, but also a big fan of black fabric covered USB, and anything for ipad cables.  They lay flat (and look) better and come in much longer lengths.  They're all over Amazon.  I have a couple of dual lighting connectors cables since I use one ipad for charts and another to control other stuff. 

 

At least on one end,  I always get Right angle cables for every cable when possible. 

[David R]

I have definitely been considering building a pedalboard and powering my Key Largo & Volante off of a Cioks DC7, leaving the Volante plugged into the fx loop of the KL all the time. If I don’t need it I don’t use it. But the extra plugs for the power adapters and the extra patch cables are starting to get to me.

 

I’ve also been jonesing for a couple of other pedals to flesh out the board but that’s for another thread. 😆

[Adam Burgess]

This is one of my pet hates! Although, I am liking my laptop setup!

As soon as you introduce tiny 'computer' and 'tablet' sized connectors - everything becomes a mess.

USB A, B, C, Thunderbolt, Lightning, RJ45, 12V, 9V, 5V adapters…

It took a lot of work to make the cables invisible, but they work!

Out front all I deal with is a couple of USB A - B cables.

One part of me still loves XLRs and IEC power cables. They are a good standard.

Computer standards do indeed move too quickly!

[stoken6]

My approach is: run everything (yes everything) down to your pedalboard and back up. The pedalboard is the "master junction" - power comes in, audio goes out, and connections within the rig itself all pass through. 

 

Then loom your cables together and colo(u)r-code the plugs with stickers to make setup easier.

16 minutes ago, Adam Burgess said:

One part of me still loves XLRs and IEC power cables

This. 1/4in jacks also. You can get standard cables in exactly the right lengths. I've used 5ft/1.50m cables on my rig, plus a "triple-Y" 2xC14+C8 cable for power. 

 

It gets more difficult with lightning, USB and DC connections, but probably still doable.

 

Cheers, Mike.

[AUSSIEKEYS]

1 hour ago, stoken6 said:

 

 

Very neat rig. 

 

My OCD applauds 2 virtually identical keyboards neatly co-existing together. 

 

That picture is only lacking an equal red curtain on the left side, the monitor box centred in the picture and the guitar removed and it would be an OCD photo heaven for me.

[MathOfInsects]

26 minutes ago, AUSSIEKEYS said:

 

Very neat rig. 

 

My OCD applauds 2 virtually identical keyboards neatly co-existing together. 

 

That picture is only lacking an equal red curtain on the left side, the monitor box centred in the picture and the guitar removed and it would be an OCD photo heaven for me.

You're not truly OCD until those two mismatched logos make your eyeball twitch, and you'd have to cover them up with black tape to breathe again.

[AUSSIEKEYS]

6 minutes ago, MathOfInsects said:

You're not truly OCD until those two mismatched logos make your eyeball twitch, and you'd have to cover them up with black tape to breathe again.

Hee hee i agree they need to match and it was actual the first thing that popped out to me actually (but you knew that didnt you hee hee. OCD annonymous)  

 

.. i just didnt want to make it a high dollar photo shoot for him. 

[eric]

2 hours ago, stoken6 said:

My approach is: run everything (yes everything) down to your pedalboard and back up. The pedalboard is the "master junction" - power comes in, audio goes out, and connections within the rig itself all pass through. 

 

Then loom your cables together and colo(u)r-code the plugs with stickers to make setup easier.

 

I do something very similar and had some custom Redco snakes that provided this for me in a useful manner. About five years ago, I worked with forum member vonnor to take it to the next level - custom multi-pin snakes for my rig, with a junction box on the pedalboard being the key. I'll share a few pictures from two versions of this that vonnor helped me to achieve, both of which incorporate a snake from the keyboard to the pedalboard, inclusive of audio, MIDI, all pedals wired. Then there's a second 35' snake that runs from the pedalboard to my offstage rack where I have my Vent, mixer, rack synths (if in use), etc. I found a really long right-angled IEC cable and tied this to the audio/MIDI snake so my rig is really neat and clean.

 

 

 

 

[MathOfInsects]

I love snakes and that one is next-level. Just curious, how do you navigate using different boards or set-ups gig to gig, and as I wrote that I remembered that you only and forever use one board, so the question is moot before the sentence comes to an end. But as a general question, how would one navigate needing different numbers of inputs/outputs/pedals/power cables for different gigs?

[eric]

48 minutes ago, MathOfInsects said:

I love snakes and that one is next-level. Just curious, how do you navigate using different boards or set-ups gig to gig, and as I wrote that I remembered that you only and forever use one board, so the question is moot before the sentence comes to an end. But as a general question, how would one navigate needing different numbers of inputs/outputs/pedals/power cables for different gigs?

I was pretty invested in my rig to do this set of snakes and I was really fortunate that it’s fully compatible between NS2 and NS3, which was the evolution of keyboards for me. 
 

Here’s another more recent picture which shows the full stand and cables a bit more. 

[AUSSIEKEYS]

2 hours ago, eric said:

 

A great shot to show one of your stands.

 

I love the Vox Jaguar ish style of side frame. Simple but "perty".

 

I loved my Vox Jaguar stand but the new Vox stands although looking nice and shiny also look over size / bulky / clumsy.

[niacin]

I went the pedalboard route, diy colour coded cable tied snake to each keyboard, cut my set up time way down.

[stoken6]

12 hours ago, niacin said:

I went the pedalboard route, diy colour coded cable tied snake to each keyboard, cut my set up time way down.

Yes indeed. I've posted before about how plugging in a loom of 6 label(l)ed cables "feels like" one connection - because it's essentially the same level of brain concentration and focus. 

 

Cheers, Mike.

[stillearning]

Don’t have a current picture, but I go the pedalboard route also. Everything mounted on the pedalboard including AC power-strip, DI, power supplies for iPad and in-ear mixer… then a homemade snake up to the board. Everything labeled. Hooks for wrapping the snake and a carrying handle. OCD maybe, but based in reality. Fast setup and tear down.

 

Edit: Eric’s snake is a little nicer than mine, which has had the effect of shaming me into re-doing mine soon. 

[Delaware Dave]

I use split loom cable.  One for audio cords and one for power cords to keep them separated. Rolls out all power cords and audio cords in seconds; wraps up in seconds.  Easy peasy....  Got the idea watching the network guys at work reroute a bunch of network cables and they wrapped all the cables in split loom .....

 

split loom

[hookie]

2 minutes ago, Delaware Dave said:

I use split loom cable.  One for audio cords and one for power cords to keep them separated. Rolls out all power cords and audio cords in seconds; wraps up in seconds.  Easy peasy....

 

split loom

That’s what I’ve been using for years. I agree, easy peasy.  

[stoken6]

12 hours ago, Delaware Dave said:

I use split loom cable.  [...] Got the idea watching the network guys at work reroute a bunch of network cables and they wrapped all the cables in split loom .....

And I got the idea from this forum. I use TechFlex F6, which is easily sourced in my experience.

 

Cheers, Mike.