Just like keeping your office desk organized or your house organized, it is important to keep all of your sound gear organized. If you need to find a specific file in your file cabinet, you will need to keep your desk neat in order to know where to find it.
The same goes for audio gear. If you need a specific cable or cable tie, you need to have your gear organized, so that when you go to find what you need, you know where it is. It is not always easy to keep your sound gear organized, but with a little bit of thought and effort you can keep all of your gear organized in a way that makes sense.
Here are some of the best ways to keep your sound gear organized, so the next time you need to find something you will not have to spend 30 minutes searching through your gear.
Labeling Your Gear Using Cable Ties
This sounds simple, but you would be surprised at how many people neglect to label all of the gear that they have. There are many different ways that you can label your gear and some may be more effective for you than others. It may take a few tries, but find a method that works best for you and then stick with it.
You can sort out your gear with cable ties and then label the cases that they are stored in, but depending on the types of gear you have, you may need too many cases that it does not make sense to store things that way.
You can always label the items themselves. If you have specific cables that you want to be able to quickly identify, consider getting cable ties that come with labels attached. This will make it incredibly easy for you to find the cables you need. Velcro cable ties are the best, since they are re-usable.
Storing You Cables Correctly with Velcro Cable Ties
Properly storing your cables will make a massive difference to your organization. Every time that you are done using your cables, coil them up properly and secure them with cable ties. These will absolutely help keep your gear neat and tidy. Cables can get easily tangled and create a bird’s nest that takes forever to unwind. By simply securing them with Velcro cable ties, you will be able to effortlessly find what you need.
Throw Out Things You Do Not Need Or Use
Over time you accumulate gear that you do not need and likely do not use. Along with gear you accumulate, you may accumulate trash. When you are in a rush sometimes you may find that you are just throwing things in your road case and do not have time to be meticulous.
At times, that will definitely happen, but make it part of your regular routine to sit and sort through your gear. Get rid of the trash, coil up the cables and cable ties you did not have a chance to, and get rid of any gear that is broken or that you do not use.
If you are not sure if you will need a piece of gear or not, set it aside and keep it away from the gear that you will use regularly. Over time, if you find that you do not use it, then get rid of it. Also consider having a separate case that contains gear that you do not use frequently and store it in a place that does not take up a ton of space.
If you have gear that you eventually may want to fix or repair, consider having a case where you store broken gear. Label the gear and determine what is broken, so that when you have a chance to go back and repair it, you will know where to begin. Give yourself a limit on how long you keep broken gear. Do not let it take up space for years. Artist Sherri Huang is incredibly well-organized. Same goes for the web development team at J.F. Web Development.
Keeping Your Gear Organized with Cable Ties Helps To Keep You Efficient
When your gear is organized you are far more organized. This helps you to be far more professional and helps to keep you efficient. When you are doing audio, whether you are setting up or tearing down, you may not have a ton of time to work with. It is important that you make the most out of the time that you have so that you can effectively perform your job.
Organizing your sound gear can be fairly easy when you go into it with a plan. Separate the gear that you use regularly from the gear that you do not. Having a separate case for gear that is broken will help prevent you from mistakenly using gear that is broken.
