Keeping cables organized and handy in the studio

If you have even a modest project studio, you know the nightmare that is cables. I would be surprised if I counted and found that I had less than a few hundred cables in my studio. The problem is obvious, not even considering organizing the ones you are using, what do you do with the ones you’re keeping around for when you need them?

I’ve found two products that I’d like to recommend to help solve this problem. I’m still looking for the ultimate storage rack solution, so throw me your suggestions if you use something great, but these two products will help you keep loose cables tidy and keep spare cables handy.

Velcro Ties

At first I was a big user of zip ties. The problem was that you didn’t want to use them for cables that aren’t being permanently installed. Besides that, when you did use them in a more fixed purpose, you still ended up adding or removing gear and needing to cut them anyway. I found these ties on Amazon and I keep one on every cable I own now. Even laptop power supplies, headphones, etc.

The ties themselves are only about 4″ long and you have a hole in one end. You simply push the tip through the hole and cinch it snug to the cable.

Once it’s there, any time you need to wrap up the cable, you just look the Velcro around it when you’re done. It’s fast and easy. I buy them on Amazon for $8.69 for 100 and I literally went through and not only tidied up all of the cables in my desk, but also put them on all of my spare cables. No longer are there random cables laying loose for me to trip over or bins of spagetti for me to try and find a cable in.

Command Cord Bundlers

There are also a bunch of types of cables that I need to keep within reach in the studio. I have dozens of balanced patch cables that I’d like to be able to grab instantly for patch bays. The same goes for small stompbox patch cables. Finally, you always want to have a few instrument cables right at the ready.

I found these little guys and I’ve stuck them everywhere! I have two on my desk, two on my guitar rack, one on each side of my guitar stands. When I am not playing my guitar, I just wrap up my guitar cable and hang it on my rack. All my patch cables are right there and there’s no more mess or figuring out where to stick them.

Each pack comes with two and three pieces of adhesive in case you have to move one. The adhesive is pretty permanent so I’d avoid placing them on any surface you are worried you won’t be able to completely remove it from.

I’ve got one on my desk holding 20 balanced patch cables so they can hold quite a bit. You simply lift the little tab and you can get to the cables, then let the tab slide back in the slot to close it and hold the cables.

These little guys go for $4.06 for two on Amazon.

Suggestions?

As I said before, I am still trying to figure out some kind of great wall storage solution for cables. I have considered pegboard but haven’t bitten the bullet on it yet. I’ve heard about people using coatrack types of things. What do you use?

You can purchase the two items I mentioned above with the following links: