PSA: split flexible sleeving should be in everyone's xmas sock

[Stokely]

No, I'm not getting paid by the split sleeve industry but I feel like I should be--I'm an evangelist.   This will be the least important thread you read today though maybe it shouldn't be  

What is it?  Well, its flexible plastic (or vinyl) that is split--avoid the non-split and thank me later!*--allowing you to tuck cable(s) into it.

I've been using a larger diameter 25' one as a custom snake for about 10 years now, and it looks like the day I bought it.  It has 4 XLR cables and an ethernet cable in it (for my Ultranet mixer) and allows me to make one run from my spot to the on-stage mixer.   Never tangles and protects the cables somewhat.   I have some smaller diameter sleeve for stereo instrument mini-snakes, and what led me to make this post is that I got some tiny diameter stuff and finally got around to putting it one of my wall warts (just one, but you could make a wall wart snake out of it.)   

What...a...difference!   Like my big snake, now the wart cable is stiffer than the janky dc cable and coils easily into a few loops.   This will not tangle with anything and really doesn't need to be cable wrapped up.  The one I did will look a lot nicer running from my in-ear mixer down my keyboard stand, but really it's about not having that stupid thin cable tangling at the drop of a hat.  I realize there are likely other solutions (including heat shrinking or replacing the cables) but this is the easiest way I can think of to spiff up an existing cable.   I will say that it's a bit of a chore to get that thin cable in the tiny sleeve, but your technique improves as you go and you only will need to do this once!

*split vs non-split - at first I was concerned that the split would allow cables to spill out.  Hundreds of gigs later, it's never happened.  I do wrap each end with a bit of gaffer's tape (or silicon "tape") to ensure it can't get started, but this is likely not even needed.   The non-split stuff is awful if you ever need to change out cables--remember those finger-torture games as a kid?--and I've changed out a fair number of cables through the years (not because they went bad, just got different needs as far as XLR male/female etc and didn't want to use adapters if I could help it)

Attached is a pic of the "new" wart   It's maybe a tad lumpy because I wasn't always consistent about which side of the sleeve went inside vs outside (it kind of wraps over itself).  Not a biggie.  I was in a bit of a hurry.  I haven't yet taped up the ends--some people say to apply a bit of flame to melt the ends and prevent fraying like you might with a cloth rope but I haven't found that to be necessary.

[zxcvbnm098]

Where does one buy it?

[timwat]

Looks like Amazon and such have them.

 

I've never heard of this stuff before - going to have to try this. It looks like they come in different diameters - so I need to figure what kind of bundles I need to create both for gig rig as well as home office. 

 

Thanks, man! Great suggestion.

[Old No7]

+1 for that stuff.  It works great!

 

I used some to make a "snake" for the 3 pedals to my Hammond SK Pro (Leslie speed, swell, sustain) -- and I got it at Riley's Auto Parts, but most auto parts stores may have it too.  I secured the ends with black electrical tape, which covered the cut/frayed ends, then I put a black zip tie on each end.

 

Old No7

[Delaware Dave]

been using it for 10 years. i put audio cords in one loom and electrical in another.  roll it out and connect.  at the end of the night i disconnect and rollup.  cuts setup/ breakdown time.  also provides a neater appearance.  

 

 

 

[Reezekeys]

I thought it was called "wire loom."

 

https://www.harborfreight.com/3-8-eighth-inch-x-10-ft-protective-wire-wrap-66987.html?_br_psugg_q=wire+loom

 

 

The one on the wall wart in your pic looks exceptionally thin - can't see the "split" at all. Looks like it might have been some work to get the cable in there! I thought these were useful for putting a few cables together into one "package" - never thought of just reinforcing one cable.

[Stokely]

I think our band also had some of that stuff above, or at least it looks like it.  That was hard plastic, which provides more protection but being hard isn't as easy to coil up and manhandle.

Yep, you need to kind of do the math on the diameter you need.   It's been 10 years (like Dave) and I can't remember if my big loom is .75 or 1 inch.   It holds 4 regular XLRs and an ethernet and that's pretty stuffed.  Nothing pops out though.

Amazon is where I bought all of it but I can't seem to find my old order, I may have been using my brother's prime account at the time.   The wall wart loom is 1/8" and could likely fit 2, maybe 3 wall wart cables.  You can't really see the split easily since one lip of the split should be over the other (it wants to roll back up across its width, which can make it a tad tedious to load up with cables but that's what helps hold the cables in.

re: single cable - correct, it's mainly something you'd use to snake up multiple cables. I don't think the flexible stuff supplied all that much protection, not like the hard stuff does.  Not if you are trying to prevent carts and boot damage, though it might help somewhat.  My main reason for trying it was to provide that kinky, easy-tangling wall wart cable a bit of support so that it's easier for me to coil it up and to run it where it needs to in my rig.

Not sure it's ok to link products here, but the 1/8 loom is titled "Alex Tech 25ft - 1/8 inch Cord Protector" if anyone is wondering how to find it.  I think there are a lot of very similar products.

[stoken6]

On 12/22/2023 at 7:27 PM, Stokely said:

I'm not getting paid by the split sleeve industry but I feel like I should be--I'm an evangelist

Preach, brother! This stuff has transformed my (admittedly mundane) setup/tear-down process.

 

On 12/22/2023 at 10:12 PM, zxcvbnm098 said:

Where does one buy it?

Look for "TechFlex F6" and go from there.

 

19 hours ago, Reezekeys said:

I thought it was called "wire loom."

That's kind of thicker. Stokely's (and my) loom of choice has a woven feel to it.

 

22 hours ago, Delaware Dave said:

roll it out and connect.  at the end of the night i disconnect and rollup.  cuts setup/ breakdown time.  also provides a neater appearance.  

This. Put colo(u)red tape/stickers on each plug at either end, and matching ones on the equipment sockets (keys, mixer, pedals, whatever) for super-easy and super-reliable setup. 

 

Cheers, Mike.

[DJkeys]

When I was working, I had a number of custom cables made at Redco.  Great quality, not expensive and all of the lengths can be customized.  Now, I just use zip ties to put snakes together-

 

-dj

[kenheeter]

I really like the braided type of wire loom. Expands and contracts to fit whatever is inside. 

[HammondDave]

This is what I use:

 

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B088857VMD/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o06_s00?ie=UTF8&th=1

 

[MathOfInsects]

^^^Same, but switched the red/maroon one and it looks slick AF.