Today’s excellent Tech Tip comes from Sweetwater Sales Engineer, Kenny Bergle, affectionately known in house and in the industry as Kenny, Kenny Bergle (it’s a long story).
How to look even more professional in your Studio – Label It!
There are basically two levels of how to do this. We’ll start with the 59 cent level:
For 59 cents, buy a GluStik. With your handy computer and word processor, make a file with the patchbay label names you have decided on. (This of course assumes that you have already either hooked up your patchbay or planned out your patchbay! Another tip – always plan your patchbay before hooking up stuff – chart out the normals and half-normals and non-normals (opens) to make sense for the way you use your studio. See inSync archives for more patch bay tips.) Experiment with how you want the labels to look – e.g., L Dat Out R as one label or, or LDatOut and RDatOut as two separate labels, etc. Also experiment with the font size, as there is always a compromise of what will fit versus what you can actually read. When you have it down, use your normal printer and regular paper and print out the labels for your patchbay. Now get out your blunt tip scissors (bloodless labeling is ALWAYS better!) and you guessed it, cut and paste the labels using real scissors and the GluStik. You can do this same thing for almost anything in your studio that needs labeling. The only caveat is the labels won’t work long term on mixing boards where hands or wrists rest due to body oils, etc. making the glue release (hey, it’s only 59 cents!). The glue is water based, so when it’s time to redo the patch bay, you can take a damp cloth and wipe off any glue residue that remains after peeling off the labels. Simple, elegant, cheap, and if you choose the right font, very professional looking…
Now, here’s the $20 level:
For $20 go buy a Dymo mylar labeler at your favorite Meijer’s or KMart or WalMart or whatever. Use that to print out labels for your patchbay. They are self-sticking and any residue that’s left when you peel them off is easily removed with Gum-Out or the like (don’t use rubbing alcohol as it will remove most paint and/or silk-screening on your gear). This option is faster since you don’t have to build labels in your computer and then print them out. It doesn’t offer as many sizing and font options as your computer, so I use the Dymo for a temporary label until I can print one out in the proper size and font later. That way I always have everything labeled, even if I’m changing configurations in the middle of a session.
Both of the levels infer the real Tech Tip of the Day – Label it! You make your studio life so much easier by labeling inputs and outputs, not to mention making it look so professional (which translates to your ability to charge more per hour!). Every label you put on a jack or connector or wire (or your MIDI Interface) in your studio is one more patch point that you don’t have to keep stored in your memory and/or trace down every time you need to change something. It’s not fair for you to expect yourself to memorize every cable and connection in your studio. I found myself expecting that and, of course, failing. Labels are a great solution; even if it’s just jotted down on a bit of masking tape, until you can make a better-looking label. That said, don’t use masking tape if you can avoid it! Do yourself a favor and go buy a Dymo labeler. It’s a very efficient way to bolster your professional image for very cheap! Fun with labels can only lead to fun in other areas! (Not exactly a syllogism, but true nonetheless!). Have Fun!