Colour-code cables

Tex Mexico

How do you colour-code your cables? With my new setup I'll have four cables going to the amp from my board, 2 for the fx loop, one for the footswitch and one for the input. I'm going to loom them with cable ties and the F/S cable is grey, but the other 3 are the same black fender 25' cables so I want to distinguish them so that setup isn't a guessing game every time.

My two options are electrical tape (not a fan as it invariably comes loose and leaves a nasty sticky residue) or multicoloured zip ties, which I think would be better. Is there a product specifically for this, i.e. little plastic sleeves or similar?

Funkfingers

Try Mr. Label or Amazon.

octatonic

I use a label maker.

Roland

When I had this problem (pre AxeFX) I colour coded the sockets with tape. I know it eventually wears loose, but given how frequently most of us change things around I never seemed to reach the fall off stage.

Tex Mexico

Label maker! I've got one in my bloody studio! Why didn't I think of that? D'oh!

Thanks guys.

mike257

Label with clear heatshrink over is the permanent way. 

Cloth tape is infinitely better than PVC if you do want to use something removable though. I go through mountains of ProGaff on tour. It's tough, it sticks where you need it to and comes off when you need it to. I'll use it to mark up cases, ID cables in a loom, and to mark out the positions of equipment and risers on a stage after soundcheck so everything lands back in the right place for the show. 

It's pricey for tape if you're used to 99p rolls of PVC, but you get what you pay for and it's in every touring techy's toolbox. 

Various colours and sizes available, here's a little multi colour pack on Amazon that might be suitable...

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00XTV88F6/ref=cm_sw_r_other_apa_i_nKk4Eb4M3767M

robinbowes

You should be able to find heat shrink that is big enough to pass over the plugs and shrink enough to wrap tightly to the cable. Get some of that in four colours - job done!

R.

skunkwerx

Yup. Replace them with Van damme xke and neutrik Cabling from our friends at designacable.com! 

You get to specify what colour you want the cables sleeve, and also can add a little band on each end with wording of your choice! 

I have 2 more of mine labelled send and return. 

Great prices, great service and speedy!

robinbowes

skunkwerx said:

Yup. Replace them with Van damme xke and neutrik Cabling from our friends at designacable.com! 

You get to specify what colour you want the cables sleeve, and also can add a little band on each end with wording of your choice! 

I have 2 more of mine labelled send and return. 

Great prices, great service and speedy!

They will even make you a custom loom, with all four cables braided together.

R.

ICBM

I use cables like these - actually a different brand, which seems to have disappeared - I've got about ten of them, no two the same.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Chord-3M-Guitar-Cable-Lead-Braided-Vintage-Tweed-Style-Electric-Bass-Acoustic/372375059264

Danny1969

Coloured cables are fine for pub gigs but look terrible at proper venues and theatre stages ...  you need the cables to be black otherwise they fuck with the lights
I  use coloured cable ties with only two coloured cable ties you can represent 99 values using the resistor colour code 

Jonathanthomas83

Can wholly recommend Designacable. I bloody love those cables. Although, slightly expensive for this use case, admittedly.

ICBM

Danny1969 said:

Coloured cables are fine for pub gigs but look terrible at proper venues and theatre stages ...  you need the cables to be black otherwise they fuck with the lights

Just for once I completely disagree - I've been using the Horizon cloth-braided cables for 25 years and they look great on any stage... I've even been complimented on them . I don't like cheap-looking single-colour plastic ones, but that's not the same thing.

Tex Mexico

Danny1969 said:

I  use coloured cable ties with only two coloured cable ties you can represent 99 values using the resistor colour code 

Actually I've just realised based on this comment that I can use plain black cable ties, which I already have, and just put one, two or three at each end of the cables I need to distinguish.

No need to rebuy coloured cables or get special tape. Sometimes the simplest solutions are the best ones.

Danny1969

ICBM said:

Danny1969 said:

Coloured cables are fine for pub gigs but look terrible at proper venues and theatre stages ...  you need the cables to be black otherwise they fuck with the lights

Just for once I completely disagree - I've been using the Horizon cloth-braided cables for 25 years and they look great on any stage... I've even been complimented on them . I don't like cheap-looking single-colour plastic ones, but that's not the same thing.

Yeah they are OK but the very colourful one's people buy so they don't get nicked do look awful on an otherwise blacked out stage 

@Tex Mexico 
Yeah for 4 cables 4 cable ties is fine ... leave enough space to undo the cover and rework the connection without having to snip them off
I use van Damme 4 pair mulitcore rather than 4 cables braided together, it's a much neater solution 

PrecisionGuided

Yes, clear heat shrink over printed labels, or 20mm of coloured heatshrink per cable to ID.
If you get the 16mm 3:1 ratio stuff you can slide it over straight Neutrik jacks and it'll shrink enough to grip 6mm cable.

3M write and wrap labels are OK for labelling in situ cables.

Best done when making up cables, harder afterwards...

Alternatives are regular cable numbers (move around, rough on the mitts) or heat shrink cable numbers.

All available on eBay or at a good car electrics place.

Use Pliosil expanded (mesh) sleeving finished with 60mm of adhesive lined heat shrink to bundle cables into looms.
(Don't melt the Pliosil sleeving when shrinking the heat shrink !)
(Don't use cable ties to hold the Pliosil; this really rips the hands)

https://www.techflex.com/resources/tips/working-with-heatshrink