Middle of gig right now panic. Help

Akstrat said:
It seems a lot of these types of problems are caused by bad XLR cables. I recently went and built new cables for all of my connections, using the highest grade of components I could source. Cable length, color coded, and ends are all matched for my needs. Seems like it was a small price to pay for quality and ease of setup. MHO
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I decided to figure out how to make my own cables after two 'major' brand cables failed on me and discovered poor workmanship was to blame. It took some time to learn the proper techniques and get good at them but it's one of the most useful skills I've learned. It's a great feeling to have complete confidence knowing something is made correctly.
 
la szum said:
Haha! It's not neurosurgery. Some of the more anal among us might disagree, though. :)

I will say breaking down took forever with that guy. Geesh, throw the motherf**ker in the
box already and let's get the F**k oiut of here. It's 2:30AM dude!! ;)
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The best balance I've found for getting TF packed up quickly and keeping cables rolled was to just use a reel or 2. I'm with you when it's late and I'm tired, but I also hate untangling cords.
 
TSJMajesty said:
The best balance I've found for getting TF packed up quickly and keeping cables rolled was to just use a reel or 2. I'm with you when it's late and I'm tired, but I also hate untangling cords.
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I agree. Not into a rat's nest either. :)

Some people are just super anal about their cables--to a fault.

Oh, and I bet more cables are rendered dysfunctional by people rolling
gear over them, stepping on them, or pinching them under a monitor or
cymbal stand than by how they are coiled up. I'd lay $100 on that bet: that
9 times out of 10 it has ZERO to do with how they are coiled, when and if they
stop transmitting signal.
 
kidding aside - it may seem anal but I know from doing sound at a local theatre here, that improper cable
coiling can be a real pita. Try hauling out a road case that contains 20 or so 30footers that are all tangled up, or not coiled with the proper inny/outy technique so get all twisty when you try to use them - will instantly turn you into an analcablecoilerdude
 
I'll always side with the people that take an extra 15 seconds to properly wrap a cable, as it saves so much more time when uncoiling. It's 2:30am and you want to leave? Cool. I'll have the cables wrapped and in the bag at 2:34am instead of 2:30:45am. Usually the ones purchasing the cables are the ones that figure out proper care 🤣🤣
 
HAhN SOLO said:
I'll always side with the people that take an extra 15 seconds to properly wrap a cable, as it saves so much more time when uncoiling. It's 2:30am and you want to leave? Cool. I'll have the cables wrapped and in the bag at 2:34am instead of 2:30:45am. Usually the ones purchasing the cables are the ones that figure out proper care 🤣🤣
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Haha! If you watched the video above you would know that it takes a full minute + to do a 15 footer. ;)

Like I mentioned elsewhere, this is not a black and white/right or wrong/rat's nest or no rat's nest
dilemma. Lots of middle ground to inhabit.

There are overly anal guys, and haphazard fools. I am living somewhere in between those two camps,
and with functioning cables. Go figure! :)

And I'll say it again, cable failure from improper coiling seems a big reach to me. It is stepping on them
when they are on stage, or rolling over them with a cab and casters, and other ways in which they are
severely pinched that is going to be the better thing to focus on to preserve a cable's integrity.
 
HAhN SOLO said:
I'll always side with the people that take an extra 15 seconds to properly wrap a cable, as it saves so much more time when uncoiling. It's 2:30am and you want to leave? Cool. I'll have the cables wrapped and in the bag at 2:34am instead of 2:30:45am. Usually the ones purchasing the cables are the ones that figure out proper care 🤣🤣
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When time is a factor, think about how efficient you're working. Are you standing still coiling those cables, or are you walking towards the box at the same time? Where did you place the box? How many wasted steps are you taking with nothing in your hands? All those little time-savers add up.
Most things can be done much faster than you think, if you think about how you're working, and where you can save steps.
 
If the same people who coil them have to deploy them on stage at the next gig they'll learn, or ask to be tought. I'm an ex-soundperson, so I've been a loadout and loadin person too, and have instructed multiple people on not making a mess of this.

Also works for extension cords, garden hoses, etc. You'll be glad you learned once you do.

(I didn't watch the vid, I'm sure it's possible to go nuts and take a half hour per cable. Don't do that!)
 
re the video - once u have the hang of it, it takes no longer to coil a cable this way (the right way, which avoids the twisty cable effect after) vs the more common wrong way that leads to twisted cables. Don't do it the right way when working with a bunch of surly road worn sound / lighting guys and see what happens.
 
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some cables are more susceptible to twisty curly syndrome than others - the thicker ones seem to be better for this but they'll all do it at some point if wound the same way over and over.
 
I learned how to properly coil a cable as a carpenter building homes when I was younger. The over/under method basically. A coworker of mine on site was that ‘anal’ bandmate in a local fairly successful band and would tell me stories every night as we packed up our work stuff, about how his bandmates didn’t know how to coil cords. He taught me there on extension cords. I thought he was nuts. Then I realized how much better it made handling the cables when needed. It’s a world of difference, try it! I can coil them like that super fast. There’s no loss of time at all so I don’t know why it was stated it takes longer. Maybe it was all the daily practice with extension cords. I still do it to all my cords. YMMV
 
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