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Church Sound System Tune Up: Cable Wrapping 101
Protect your cabling, give more durability, avoid tripping... A look at the over-under wrap.
Mar. 14, 2010, by Mike Sokol
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  Audio Basics, Church Sound, Cable Wrapping

Testing
As a final test, hold onto the male XLR end and throw out the female end.

The cable should extend to its full length and lay on the floor without any twists, loops or humps.

Note that proper cable wrapping and laying is one of the basic job interview skills needed if you’re going to work as a stage hand at any serious audio gig.

You’ll be asked to wrap and lay out a mic cable before you get to work on the stage. If you wrap it over your elbow (you guilty ones know who you are) you’ll be fired and asked to leave the gig.

If you show real skill at it, then you’re hired and may be asked to work more shows. It’s that simple.

Do it right!

Just like the proverb, “For want of a horse… the kingdom was lost,” so it is with cables.

One improperly wrapped or laid cable can bring down an entire audio system for a worship service.

Always wrap and lay your cables as neatly as possible. It will pay off in the long run. 

Mike Sokol is the chief instructor of the HOW-TO Church Sound Workshops. He has 40 years of experience as a sound engineer, musician and author. Mike works with HOW-TO Sound Workshop Managing Partner Hector La Torre on the national, 36-city, annual HOW-TO Church Sound Workshop tour. Find out more here. 


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Comments (8) Most recent displayed first | All comments in chronological order
Posted by bose lifestyle t20  on  08/19/11  at  03:46 AM
Every commet is best. but I like somthing different.

So make sommthing new.

Posted by Jon J  on  10/27/10  at  08:13 PM
Another technique that can be used for very thick, long cables (such as a large snake) is to coil it on the ground in a figure-8 pattern. The over/under method is often unwieldy for these large cables, which can weigh in well over 100 pounds. You could do the over/under technique on the ground, but it can be tricky with large cables.
Posted by willliam  on  08/28/10  at  12:59 AM
Nice post and you tell to everyone step by step.

I Like your method and post is too good but For longer cables you can start in the middle and work back to either end. The Over and Under is best if you are wrapping a large cable into a road case - you always know which end to grab, so the knots aren't a problem.Thank you so much for a good blog.

Posted by Tom Crosswell  on  03/25/10  at  04:17 AM
I used to do the over/over method. I now use the over/under method described here. I always roll the cable from the male XLR end to the female XLR end. I also have my cable strap at the male XLR end.

I very seldom get knots when the cable is rolled out and it always lays nice and flat with no kinks.

However....trying to get the rest of the crew/musicians to follow the same procedure is another story entirely.....

Posted by steven Larson  on  03/23/10  at  08:08 PM
I have better luck putting the two ends together then folding the cable in half till it's about 3' long then tie in a loose knot. No need for ties. To undo untie knot grab the two ends and toss. You only have trouble if the cable ever gets coiled.

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