How To Organize Your Cables & DJ Gear!
Whether you’re a DJ or Producer, audio cables are a must. But you’ll know that cables are capable of turning even the cleanest desks or DJ booths into an unbearable mess. It’s even worse when you rock up to a gig only to pull out a bunch of unorganized cables that are all jumbled up and tangled together.
In this article, we share 5 tips to organize your cables as well as keeping your workspace or DJ booth clean and organised. Most of these tips are not only simple, but they also don’t cost a whole lot either.
With COVID-19, there are not too many gigs happening at the minute, so there’s no better time to make cable organization a priority and get to doing a bit of spring cleaning! Keeping your home workspace clean and tidy as well as ensuring your gear is organized when you can get back out on the road.
Use Cable Ties
Velcro cable ties such as our own DJ City variety are affordable, and basic. But they’re also some of the most useful cable management accessories available.
Essentially, these little pieces of velcro loop into each other and allow you to bundle your cables together. Although they can be used for bunching cables together behind your desk, they’re perfect for keeping them organised when packing them into your bag and taking them to and from your gigs.
Velcro cable ties function similarly to plastic zip ties, but with the added bonus of being removable. If you need to disconnect your cables, move your setup, or pack things away, all you need to do is undo the velcro. In contrast, zip ties perform the same function but are much more permanent. So when you decide to remove a cable you’ll have to have a pair of scissors on hand to cut it.
Of course, if you’re setting up a permanent installation such as a home studio, you might even prefer to use plastic zip ties as they offer a more heavy-duty solution and you can be sure they won’t come undone.
Colour Coordinated Audio Cables
Coloured Audio Cables, not only will this ensure your setup is sleek and aesthetically pleasing. But it’s also likely to reduce your setup times when you get to your gigs. That’s because you’re going to know exactly which cables you need to pull out of the bag, and where exactly they need to go. You’ll also never have to worry about accidentally disconnecting the wrong cable again.
If you’re thinking about going the route of coloured cables, the DJ Tech Tools range of Chroma Cables are the best choice for DJs and Audio Professionals. Designed from scratch by digital performers, these coloured cables are all optimized for audio use and feature noise-filtering specs. Not to mention they’re going to stand out in dark club environments. There’s also right-angled varieties which again can help minimise the clutter in your booth!
On top of that, Chroma Cables combine the benefits of cable ties by featuring a built-in velcro strap. Allowing for seamless pack up and keeping your big bag clean and tidy.
Gaffer Tape
Especially useful if you’re running long cables across the floor of a room where people are going to be walking. Taping down your cables not only minimizes any safety risks and hazards but keeps your cables a lot neater than if you’d just let them float around.
You might be wondering, can you use duct tape instead of gaffers tape? Short answer, no! Duct tape is renowned for leaving a heap of gunk on your cables, even if you’ve only got them taped down for a short while. It also stands out a lot more than gaffer tape and can be a real eyesore if you’re trying to be discrete. Not to mention there’s a much higher chance of damaging the finish on your floors or ripping paint off the walls.
Speaker Stands
Another great idea for keeping things organized is by using speaker stands! Not only will the use of speaker stands for your studio monitors get rid of unwanted clutter on your desk. But they’re also going to minimise those unwanted vibrations between your speakers and your desk. So you’re going to enjoy tighter bass as well as an overall clearer sound.
You’re also going to have much more flexibility over cable management. Rather than cables hanging down messily and getting tangled amongst your others, you can use velcro zip ties to tie them to the rear of your speaker stands. Keeping them out of sight and neatly fastened to the pole.
Similarly, and especially if you’re a DJ, laptop stands will also come in handy. Reducing the clutter on your desk while also saving you from back aches and pains!
Spend Time After The Gig
Last but not least, our last tip is to dedicate time after your gig to keep your cables and gear in order. When you’re packing up after a gig, you’re often in a hurry to get the hell out of there. Whether you just want to get home, or there’s pressure from the venue you’re playing to pack up and move. So what happens? You end up aimlessly throwing them in and forgetting about them. Before opening up your bag to an absolute disaster at your next performance.
Ideally, you’d organize your cables nicely from the get-go, but unfortunately, it’s not always that easy. So whether it’s the night of or the day after; set aside 30 minutes or so to make sure your gear is neatly packed, and all your cables are appropriately stored away and wrapped up using your cable ties.
Trust me, you’ll thank yourself for it at your next gig!
The Final Say
There you have it, these are some basic tips and tricks you can use to help clear up the inevitable mess that comes with all that gear you’ve got! Most of these tips don’t take a lot of investment either and can do wonders for de-cluttering your workspace.
