Tips for Cable Management.

It may seem silly to need to explain cable management. But I think its less about why and more about what. What makes cable management work. So I have put some quick tips below.

1. Keep the slack by the mic/DI/equuipment/ect....

I've seen a lot of stages, where the slack (excess) of the cable is kept by the snake or stage rack. I'm sure there are times where that is effective. But most of the time it just creates a mess. It makes it hard to track a cable, and if anything is moved, then it can create an even worse mess. In general keep it next to the line.

2. Label lines

If you have quite a few lines in one spot, all it takes is somebody to unplug one, and now your not sure if that is the one for the vocal mic or the bass DI. However i'm not a big fan on putting actual tape labels on each line. I think designating a certain cable for say Acoustic, can create issues. If you tear down, upon reset you will find yourself hunting for the cable acoustic. Or if somebody grabs that cable for a last minute line, you now have a mislabeled line on stage. Thats never good either.

What I use is these snap on labels I got from B&H. They snap on and off. I use some gaff or board tape and add a name. I don't label every single line, but the ones that are going to need to be referenced. Since they pop on and off. I can easily add one to a line being used for one week. Then remove it after that and put the cable back in the bin. You can see in the below image. Item can be purchased HERE.

3. Run cables along the same paths. 

This is obvious, but try and create cable paths across the stage. This keeps things looking nice.



4. Layer cables intentionally. 

I tend to run lines in order of the likelihood them being moved. So if there is a line that might be repatched, moved somewhere else on stage or taken up. I run those last. That way the path isn't disturbed as much.


5. Use snakes. 

Not much to say here. But I try and use snakes anywhere I need more than 3 lines. Even if your running a analog snake to your stage, look into some small snakes to run. Maybe one for Drums, Stage Left, Center Stage and Stage right. This will help clean things up and also save wear and tear on your main snake or stage boxes. Its also worth mentioning that you should be labeling your snakes. You can use multiple strips for events that require a different patch. I like Whirlwind Mini Drop snakes for this, but if your on a budget, Elite Core makes some nice ones for a reasonable price. Linked Below

Whirlwind MINI Series. 

Elite-Core Audio PS Stage Snake

6. Hiding is not always your friend. 

While this depends on the environment. I highly recommend keeping stuff where you can get to it easily. Its really temping to shove extra cables, or snakes under risers, props or whatever else. But If you can't get to it, you can't maintain it. And in the heat of a moment where something needs to be added, you will make more of a mess. Hiding a mess isn't cleaning. Its covering up the truth. So when possible keep everything easy to access. When you can't leave it exposed, consider tying up the lines to keep them in nice bundles. You can kind of see that in the opening picture. The excess snake is held together with quick release zip ties to keep it clean, but easy to move if needed.


If you use these 6 rules, it will help clean up your stage. Do know, as with anything, good cable management on a stage will require maintenance. The more your stage is used, the more it will need. But if you play it right, it will be a quick 15 minute adjustment vs a long frustrating battle.

Hope this helps.