how to: label muticore cables inside the studio ?

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Neeno

Well-known member
Joined
Sep 4, 2004
Messages
446
Location
Switzerland
Hi guys...
I'm trying to improve the the way my gear is connected inside my little studio...

Actually i have a workstation (something like the argosy furniture stuff) with two small rack (on wheels)

I've got some multicore cables (8TRS<->8XLR) that i want to use to connect all the gear to the patchbays (I'm using some cheap neutrik 1/4" patchbays...

I already labeled the patchbays and now they are ready to be connected, but i really don't know how to label the cables.

Is there such a "right" protocol to follow ?
Do you write in the label where a cable comes, where it goes, where is connected... ?
 
Assign a number to the cable. Then create a run sheet that shows all cables (arranged by number) with columns for source and destination. Numbering is better than verbal nomenclature because it allows you the flexibility to change your layout without having to change the labelling on the cables.

One system I like to use is to make the cable numbers correspond to patchbay positions. For instance, in a smaller system (no more than nine patchbays) the cable going to position #1 of patchbay #1 would be labeled 101.
 
We use a letter and number system for each connection...
For example,
Suppose you have 3 1/4 patchbays. Each patchbay usually will have 24 patchpoints on each row. Well starting from the top we will label each row A, B, C, D, E, F and so forth and so forth. Then starting at the far left we have number 1 and go all the way to 24.


So it would loke something like(I hope this comes out remotely as I typed it)

A1, A2, A3, A4, A5,...
B1, B2, B3, B4, B5,...
C1, C2, C3, C4, C5,...
D1, D2, D3, D4, D5,...
E1, E2, E3, E4, E5,...

In the even you reach Z24, comma can move onto AA1, AB1 etc,etc,etc...

It's worked well for us at my work... Can even make a excel sheet with Number, Type of connector, normaled?/type, etc,etc,etc. Anything that makes it easy to look up and able to fix if necessary.
Watch the 1/4 bays that have 1/4 connections on the back. The connector can sometimes pop out and cause issues. FWIW, you may consider some bheringer patchbays as they allow for easy switching of your normal without major take it apart and resolder things.
F1, F2, 3, F4, F5,...
 
I made an excel sheet(S) and named the snakes similar to pucho's sugestion, then I used the spreadsheet cells to fill in the details like equipment connections or ground lifts.


Then printed out names on paper and shrink tubed them appopriately. Of course some gear has changed so that is where the spreadsheet is handy to keep track of things.
 
Follow Dave's advice of making a run-number record. It can also be handy to get labels with letters too, eg. A1, A2, A3... for analogue and D1, D2, D3... for data or digital, etc. if you are running AES/EBU or any other mix of signal types. Makes cable chasing much easier.
 
Watch the 1/4 bays that have 1/4 connections on the back. The connector can sometimes pop out and cause issues.
Even worse if they only pop out half the way, so you have a phase-shift. I can tell from bad experience...
 
How about this one. We installed about 20-30 1/4 Patchbays this past year. All of them had plastic 1/4 connections back and front. Long story short, In less then a month I had to pull each patchbay apart and resolder the PCB on the inside because alot of the solder joints had become unreliable. This was just from General use and not any sort of real abuse. Avoid DBX patchbays.
 
[quote author="pucho812"]...Long story short, In less then a month I had to pull each patchbay apart and resolder the PCB on the inside because alot of the solder joints had become unreliable....Avoid DBX patchbays.[/quote]
Same thing happenned here but with Neutrick 1/4 patchbay, the connectors were good but the PCBs solder joints behavied like cold solder joints...

That leads me to think that connectors solder pads on PCB don't handle many connections/unconnections very well
 
Patchbays are one place where it definitely doesn't pay to skimp. Spend the money and buy a good professional patchbay. If money's tight, a used pro patchbay is still better than a new "guitar store" plastic jobbie.

I'm preparing a diagram that may be helpful. I'll be back later...
 
All right... This took longer than anticipated, and now I don't have enough time to double-check it for errors. But in any case, it should get the idea across. It's an example diagram and run sheet of a very simple 8-input recording system:

28kB PDF

In mixed-format systems (analog and digital audio, video, sync, word clock, machine control, etc.) it's a very good idea to add signal-type identifiers as Roddy points out. "A101", "D102", "V103", "WC104" etc.
 

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