4CM - cable tidying solutions

DannyP

Hi 4-cable-methodists!

Do you use anything to keep cables together to create a sort of multicore arrangement?

I've been looking at various neoprene sleeves on Amazon, but not sure if they coil up nicely to go in a gig bag or flight case?

Something like this:

Meersee 3M Cable Management Sleeve Neoprene Flexible Cable Cover Sleeve Reusable Cable Tidy Cord Cover Wire Organizer https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B073RHL84X/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_ZojmDbMST5RJF

Anyone have any experience? Or alternative ideas? I want to avoid spiky cable ties every 6"!

exocet

Expandable braided sleaving with rubber hellman sleeves or shrink wrap to keep in place?

https://i.imgur.com/33U6app.jpg

vasselmeyer

I use velcro ties. You can get 100 from Ebay for about a tenner.

DannyP

Yes, I like Velcro ties and I use them for general cable coiling duties.

I quite liked the idea of everything enclosed in the neoprene, though.

Maybe I should be the guinea pig and let you guys know!

Maynehead

I use spiral wraps on my 4 cables, something like this:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Cable-Tidy-Kit-Meters-Wrapping/dp/B079Y6H95B/ref=sr_1_20?keywords=Cable+tidy&qid=1563468883&s=gateway&sr=8-20

Really fiddly to get on, but works well once on and cables will still curl up nicely for packing.

DannyP

Ok, that's another option. A bit 'office-y' but I could get on board with that!

Do they crack if you stand on them?

robinbowes

Braided sleeving is the way to go here - it's tough, and flexible.

Mike77

I went with a loom from @CustomPedalBoards a while back. More of an outlay initially but its great quality and it's kind of only one cable to pack/unpack.

https://www.custompedalboards.co.uk/product/cpb-signal-loom/?v=79cba1185463

Maynehead

DannyP said:

Ok, that's another option. A bit 'office-y' but I could get on board with that!

Do they crack if you stand on them?

No they’re very flexible, as they need to be in order to wrap them around the cables.

Question about the braided sleeving, how do you get 4 x 3m of thick rubber cables with jacks on them through the sleeving?

robinbowes

Maynehead said:

Question about the braided sleeving, how do you get 4 x 3m of thick rubber cables with jacks on them through the sleeving?

Typically, you put the plugs on *after* pushing the cable through the sleeving.

R.

exocet

robinbowes said:

Maynehead said:

Question about the braided sleeving, how do you get 4 x 3m of thick rubber cables with jacks on them through the sleeving?

Typically, you put the plugs on *after* pushing the cable through the sleeving.

R.

Braided sleaving is very "expandable" - typically it expands to 2.5x its smallest diameter. Once the cables are threaded through, you pull it tight then apply the heat shrink to keep in place and then solder on the Jack's. See the picture above of one that I assembled.

Jonathanthomas83

I've literally just slung one of those neoprene sleeves as I couldn't find a use for it! 'sake!

PolarityMan

Voice of experience...dont use gaffa tape.

RobDavies

Sommer Quantum 4 way multi core would be the neatest solution. 

DannyP

RobDavies said:

Sommer Quantum 4 way multi core would be the neatest solution. 

I was hoping to get my amp footswitch cable involved which is a 1/4" TRS, so I don't think anything off-the-peg is going to help.

english_bob

I use the expandable braided sleeving- it comfortably fits four 1/4" cables (3 signal, 1 amp channel switching). It coils fine, but is obviously bulkier than a single cable. I opted for the sleeving over multi core cable partly because I'm tight, but also because I figure the cables are going to fail one at a time, so a method that lets me replace them one at a time is better in the long run.

Worth mentioning- as it expands the sleeving gets shorter, so depending on how many cables you want to bundle and how much cable you want exposed at each end, order accordingly. I bought 6m of sleeving for 6m cables and ended up with probably 30-50cm of cable exposed at either end.

Danny1969

DannyP said:

RobDavies said:

Sommer Quantum 4 way multi core would be the neatest solution. 

I was hoping to get my amp footswitch cable involved which is a 1/4" TRS, so I don't think anything off-the-peg is going to help.

Most multicore cable is 3 conductor ..... as generally it carries balanced signals so Sommer multicore or Van Damme Blue series is ideal

drwiddly

When I used a 4 cable loom, I bought cables of different colours, so I knew where to plug them in, and held them together with short lengths of heatshrink that I spaced out along the length. 

Do not use any sort of tape with a sticky side, it's a nightmare!

simonk

I used to use a Pedalsnake when I had an enormous rig. It worked well and consolidated seven cables into one. The plugs all ended up being rather bulky though but it was an otherwise tidy solution.

pedalsnake.com

robinbowes

DannyP said:

Hi 4-cable-methodists!

Do you use anything to keep cables together to create a sort of multicore arrangement?

I've been looking at various neoprene sleeves on Amazon, but not sure if they coil up nicely to go in a gig bag or flight case?

Something like this:

Meersee 3M Cable Management Sleeve Neoprene Flexible Cable Cover Sleeve Reusable Cable Tidy Cord Cover Wire Organizer https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B073RHL84X/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_ZojmDbMST5RJF

Anyone have any experience? Or alternative ideas? I want to avoid spiky cable ties every 6"!

If someone on here who makes great quality, well-priced cables were to start offering custom looms, would you be interested?

Asking for a friend...

R.

robinbowes

exocet said:

robinbowes said:

Maynehead said:

Question about the braided sleeving, how do you get 4 x 3m of thick rubber cables with jacks on them through the sleeving?

Typically, you put the plugs on *after* pushing the cable through the sleeving.

R.

Braided sleaving is very "expandable" - typically it expands to 2.5x its smallest diameter. Once the cables are threaded through, you pull it tight then apply the heat shrink to keep in place and then solder on the Jack's. See the picture above of one that I assembled.

Out of interest, which size braid did you use for three cables?

R.