Spaghetti may be tasty, but it belongs on a plate, not the back of your rack. The sheer amount of time many of us waste sorting out tangled cables and liberating vital components of our rigs is criminal, especially when there are simple solutions that make cable management problems and other annoying live sound issues go away.
Cable Labels
Hosa Label-a-Cable is a set of handy adhesive labels that come in packs of 60. Using these can help you know what cable goes to what gear. Never wonder where the other end of that cable goes again!
Cable Ties
Elastic cable ties like the Planet Waves Elastic Cable Ties 10-pack clip to the cable and keep your cables bundled and secured so there’s no mess and they attach to the cable so you won’t lose them. And for fixed installations, there are always the Hosa cable ties to keep all your cables right where you want them and you’ll save yourself a whole new set of headaches when you want to sort out signal-flow issues.
Cable Organizers
Cable organizers range from the humble hook-and-loop strip to the ingenious rackmount cable claw, and they’re all far better alternatives to the profanity and elbow-grease approach. Around Sweetwater, Hosa hook-and-loop cable wraps are the gold standard, but a roll of their Astro-Grip tape can go even further than standard strips, since you can cut it to length and bundle up larger coils of cable than standard strips can manage.
Cable Hangers
While cable hangers are a studio staple, Gator’s 1U solution belongs at the back of every live rack. Having a 1U rack where you can tie down all your cables is a great solution for those who like to have their cables in order.
There are plenty of other essential tools you’ll want in your live sound kit. Check out this 10 Must-have Accessories article for more great ideas.