Tip of the Day: Roll Cables like a Pro!

Many years ago I was "helping" at the end of a show to clean up... unplugging cables, rolling them up and such. An apprentice sound man came up to me and said, "ah man, not that way, my boss'll make me redo all of these cables when I get to the shop," and preceded to show me a way to roll cables so that they didn't get tangled. I've used it ever since... it works great!

Here's how you do it...

1) Hold the cable in your left hand.
2) Start by making one loop in a clockwise direction with your right hand, using the fingers of your right hand to simultaneously twist, also in a clockwise direction.
3) Once the first loop is made, then make another loop in a counterclockwise direction, again using your fingers, but twisting in a counterclockwise direction... this loop will tuck under itself.
4) Repeat the process until the entire cable is done.
5) Use a cable tie to keep it together (Velcro cable ties are great)

The end result is a cable that has "spring" tension to it and when you throw it open... magic... not a tangle in sight!

And for my next magic trick...