Do you ever come across poorly wrapped cables that just tangle and knot the second you go to use them?

Do you have that dark corner of your storage room or road cases full of knotted cables?

Nobody wants that – here’s what we can do to make save time and money!

How to Wrap Cable Properly

The most proper way to wrap any cable is called the over-under method, and is taught in the video below.

This method is the best because it replicates the wrap that the cable has on the reel that it comes on from the factory.

Cables are manufactured with a constant, slight twist in them as they twist the conductors on the inside to keep the cable neat.

Check out this video to learn how to wrap a cable using the over-under method!

See, that wasn’t too difficult, was it?

The only correction I have to the video above is that I don’t suggest tying your microphone cables, or any cables in a knot at the end.  There are 2 good reasons for this:

1. As mentioned in the video, tieing the cable with itself puts a kink in the cable.  That’s just ugly and can easily be avoided with a cheap velcro tie wrap or theatrical tie line cut into a short tie.

These 2 methods of tying can be attached to the cable so that it is always there when you are finished wrapping!

2.I believe that it puts extra, undue strain on the soldering inside the cable.  Whether that is true or not is under debate, but I don’t think grabbing, twisting and pulling on the end is the best practice to assume.

And besides, I have seen cables tied like this that magically get untied from being carried across a venue- it’s just not that secure of a strategy.  So buy velcro cable ties – they’re cheap and so worth it!

The other point about over under wrapping to reinforce, is that when done correctly, your cables will literally be throwable long distances, and never tangle.

The only time it will tangle is if you are not careful and pull one of the connectors through the wrap of cable and try to unwind it out the other side.

This creates a loop about every 3 feet, so if you get that, just be more diligent in getting the connector off the proper side, and you’ll be great!