Managing the Cables
The area behind the mixing console was looking like a horrifying jumble of black spaghetti, that had somehow become sentient and willed itself into the most confusing tangle of mayhem known to man. The first part of the organizational plan involved eliminating, as much as possible, the use of single cables. I purchased a number of bulk rolls of Belden Brilliance multi-pair snake cable, and voluminous bags of audio connectors to help streamline cabling from the various racks to the main console.
In addition, the weight of the serpentine nightmare was putting a lot of strain on the audio connectors. The next strategy was to employ the use of clamps and lacer bars to reduce the amount of stress placed on the components.
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What a nightmare! Don't let this happen to you! |
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My life after Belden Brilliance® color-coded, individually jacketed 12-pair cable. Oh yeah, the Neutrik NP3C balanced 1/4" plugs are all the rage for the audio hipster in-the-know! Thanks Markertek! This snake will connect the keyboard workstation (Kurzweil K2600X, K2500-R, and Hafler P-3000 amp) to the board. |
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The rear of the mixing workstation after the Tidy Cable Enforcement Act of '05. |
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A close-up of the lacer bar which was installed to further tame the medusian beast. This handy device employs the use of cable ties to suspend the cabling at any desired position - thereby reducing the negative effects of Newtonian physics upon the connectors (and connectees!) |
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The back door of the MIDI rack. A few 3/4" cable clamps really do the trick at relieving stress. Much cheaper than Valium - your cables and MIDI boxes (with their chintzy plastic phone jacks) will thank you for years to come. |
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