Coiling Wires

Posted: Tue Jun 24, 2008 3:48 pm

Hello and good day to all and sundry,

I once had the art of coiling a mic lead up so that it doesn't twist the wires explained to me by a pink haired roady at a house party. Unfortunately whatever he was on kicked in half way through and it never really made sense.
Is this something that can be explained or only learned by mimicking?

Cheers and other pleasantries to all.

Posted: Tue Jun 24, 2008 4:06 pm

Really? Anyway, cables have a natural tendency to coil. Just follow their nature. If you find that the coil wants to go in the opposite direction just follow it and flip the coil to the other side. There really is no "art" per se. Just don't force the cable against it's own tendency.

Posted: Tue Jun 24, 2008 4:17 pm

hueseph wrote:

Really?

Yes, it was at his house and what he was on was probably Dr. Pepper and prescription meds.

You're making more sense than he did. Cheers.

/I may have lied about the good day and other pleasantries. Wink

Posted: Tue Jun 24, 2008 4:23 pm

If it kicked in that hard it was probably Acid or X....not that I would have any knowledge of that.....in the past 15 years anyway.

Posted: Tue Jun 24, 2008 5:51 pm

You may find, Mr. Greener, that the natural tendency of a precoiled cable to twist goes against the flow of how you would coil it. If this happens to you, you are left handed trying to coil up cable with a right hand twist.

On the other hand...

Posted: Tue Jun 24, 2008 6:01 pm

This is interesting. The last few times I've had to coil stuff, I've been trying something. You may have seen the dance move where you spin your hands round and round above and under each other (unclear description, I know).

Put left over right. Move left forward and down, right backward and upward so they end up in each other's place (circular motion). Repeat.

That motion, I'm trying to work out how to get a cable coiled using that technique but failing miserably. I think it might end up too straight though.

Also, I saw a few people coiling cables between their elbows and wrists. I make a circle hanging from my hand, any thoughts on either method?
To me, the first seems to cause too many kinks.

Recording.Org: Your one stop resource for cable coiling needs. Laughing

Posted: Tue Jun 24, 2008 6:32 pm

I am sorry, none of you are correct.
See the animation attached. A search for "coiled rope" found the following methed of over and under, which is easiest to do and undo without adding twist

http://www.animatedknots.com/coiling/index.php?LogoImage=LogoGrog.jpg&Website=www.animatedknots.com

The alternate is to twist each kink out as you coil it, but this will rekink if not unwound as from a revolving spool. Otherwise, if you just grab one end, it will add twist as it uncoils.

Posted: Tue Jun 24, 2008 7:02 pm

"Coiling The Unattached Rope" made my head hurt Taxman. I will look back again later and see if I can grasp it.

CodeMonkey, wtf? Razz

Space and Hueseph, I think I'm getting it. Natural tendency to twist one way, just be gentle and let it twist, then untwist when you put it out again.

Posted: Tue Jun 24, 2008 9:21 pm

The industry standard for xlr is the over-under wrap.
You've gotta know how to properly wrap and unwrap it or it'll make a knot every foot or so. The result is a flat, straight cable across your floor or stage.

Here's a decent set of pix:
http://www.techno-fandom.org/~hobbit/flipcoil/howto.html

With practice you'll end up doing it to everything (even your garden hose) without thinking about it...

What Taxman posted I've always called the PARC Studios wrap (over-under with the noose windings on it - if you throw it across a stage or studio it will not come apart).

I do the so-called PARC wrap when the cable doesn't have a velcro or tie-line on it.

Posted: Tue Jun 24, 2008 9:26 pm

Funny. I have a vague recollection of that somewhere in the deep dark foggy recesses of my mind.

Posted: Tue Jun 24, 2008 9:31 pm

Spend some time at PARC did ya?

Posted: Tue Jun 24, 2008 9:37 pm

Actually, I meant the over under thing. That alien coiling is new to me. lol In those days I spent more time in the alley with a reefer than anything. What's PARC?

Posted: Tue Jun 24, 2008 9:37 pm

There is not enough time in my day to do this over under stuff...remember I'm a carpenter. But my cables at home get the same treatment as we suggested UT...so it works, I'm not wrong and if ya stand still long enough I can lasso ya with a cord Wink

.

As too wrangling a cable up around the flatted palm and elbow, bad idea for several reasons. The cable gets stretched which leads to breakage and,with the proper amount of time and twisting, the ends will come off as the wire shifts inside the sheathing.

Posted: Tue Jun 24, 2008 10:21 pm

PARC Studios was a large SSL / Studer based studio in Winter Park, Florida.

Owned by Pat Armstrong who, I believe, either managed / engineered / or produced Molly Hatchet.

It's also the place I used to work with Otis Redding's son Dexter (as well as make coffee and fetch lunch)...

Now it's called Big Time Studios, or something like that.

Posted: Tue Jun 24, 2008 10:27 pm

Here's the new, hip (ehhh...) website of the place:

http://www.bigshotmusicstudios.com

I have no idea where the "25 Years" claim comes from - it was still owned and operated by Pat as PARC studios in 1995 when I was there.

Many times I used to go to his office and beg for some coin for gas to get back home to Cocoa Beach...

(Not even sure if Limp Bizkit was on anyones radar back then)

Oh, now I see it's home to "The Mixing Workshop" - whatever that means...

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