- Get rid of ugly cables (or at least hide them) forever
- Calm your inner neat-freak with these pro-audio cable management solutions
If you’re anything like me, ugly cables are the bane of your existence. They run amok everywhere, creating trip hazards left, right and centre, and not to mention – they turn what would look like a fantastic studio into a cluttered mess. That said, XLR, midi, USB and power leads are all a necessary part of any studio.
In an effort to stop this once and for all, I’ve compiled a list of my favourite cable management solutions for producers and home studio owners.
7 Cable Management Solutions For Home Recording Studio Owners
1. Blue Lounge CableBin
CableBin totes itself as a “sophisticated bin to gather and organize cable clutter, keeping it out of sight”.
It’s a relatively straightforward product: simply tuck your cable mess including surge protectors, routers, and excess cable slack into the CableBin and shut the lid.
The package comes with six self-adhesive hooks which you can use to hang your surge protectors, routers or other studio gear bits and bobs, to allow space for the cables to hang down into the center of the bin.
You can access cables via the side of the bin or through the little hole on the lid, as shown in the image above. Smaller charging devices can be placed ontop of the ‘Bin’ for easy access.
The CableBin has been made out of high-density, flame-retardant plastic, to avoid any nasty fire hazards.
Check out more information on the product, including its price, by clicking here.
2. 1U Cable Management Rack
There are a bunch of these style of cable management racks around. And the generic nature of them really means you’re not going to get wildly differing quality, regardless of which brand you go with.
Ultimately, it is an inexpensive solution to an age-old problem: ugly cables. What you see is what you get. It’s a hunk of sturdy aluminium that slots in any 1U rackspace to offer you a convenient way to tie down all your cables.
If you like your cables in order, nab yourself one of these today.
Need one in a different size? Try these:
Gator GE-CBLMNGMTL-42 – 42U Cable Management Slot
Gator GE-CBLMNGMTL-42 – 42U Cable Management Slot
3. CableBox
CableBox is an under-desk cable management solution made by the same clever people who made CableBin. In a similar fashion, the CableBox hides messy, loose, tangled cables in a neat looking container. Just this time it’s a box, not a bin.
It’s large enough to house a fair few cables that might be darting around your workstation, and does an excellent job at hiding the mess that can come with long and wide surge protectors.
It’s easy to install, and there’s even no need to unplug your surge protector or power strip beforehand. Simply grab your surge protector and carefully place it inside the box, and close the lid as you tuck in the excess wiring into the container. The box comes with two outlets running of both sides of the box to allow for easy throughput.
Click here to find out more about the product, including its pricing and delivery options.
4. Cable Management Sleeves by Joto
If you aren’t familiar with cable management sleeves, they are a cheap but effective way to turn a bunch of messy cables, into something that looks like one large hose. While it isn’t complete concealment of cables, it’s still a massive improvement to only see one cable, instead of a dozen.
There are a few companies who make these, but Joto offer a few extra features which make them my top choice in this ‘genre’ of cable management solutions for home recording studio owners.
For one, each sleeve has a zip-up solution which just ergonomically makes sense. A lot of the other brands feature 100% velcro, which works, but the zip-up feature definitely adds a nice touch.
The material is neoprene, which is kind of like a stretchy fabric, and can hold up to 8-10 cables. Simply gather your cables together, wrap the sleeve around and zip them up!
Editor’s tip: Use these sleeves together with either the CableBox or CableBin to double the effectiveness of your cable management.
Click here to check out the Joto cable management sleeves.
5. Archon: The Invisible Wireless Charger From The Future
While this won’t solve any other cable management solutions in your home studio besides your phone, this thing does one thing really well: it removes the need for wired phone chargers.
The Archon Invisible Wireless Charger can wirelessly charge your phone, but what’s really impressive is that the signal is strong enough it can permeate through even the densest of phone cases.
It conveniently attaches to any surface, hidden away from sight. All you have to do is place your phone on top of the device and your device is ready to devour its delicious charging juices.
The only downside to this device? It can’t charge through metal. Though, this would probably only pose a problem if your entire studio is made out of metal, which I doubt it is.
There’s a whole long list of mobile phones it supports, I’d be surprised if yours wasn’t on there. Head to the Kickstarter page for a full breakdown of specs, supported phones and how you can get your hands on one at a discounted, pre-sale price.
6. Gator Frameworks Wall Mountable Cable Hanger
A great option for producers with a collection of different lengths of cable. Designed with both audio and computer cables in mind this is a great option for organising your cables by size without needing to spend forever coiling them up at the end of a session.
The rack allows you to store your cables without worrying about damage from kinks and the alternate spaces between 5 and 9mm mean you can store a variety of cable types.
The unit has rugged construction and easily affixes to your wall in minutes. It may not be the ideal solution for bedroom producers who are looking to keep their cables hidden but for anyone with a live room this is a great option as you can slot your cables in quickly and easily see the length of each.
For those recording drums this could be the answer to your cable storage problems, especially as you’re likely to have longer variety of lengths of cable.
The Gator Frameworks currently available on Amazon for around $25
7. D Line Cable Tidy Box
A cheap but effective way of managing your cables!
The D Line is geared towards power cables and extender boxes but this can easily be used for audio cables that you want to leave permanently set up.
Of course unsightly power leads can ruin the aesthetic of a recording studio so if you’re working with multiple units such as a computer, monitors, outboard equipment (even lights!) then this is a neat little way of tidying up the studio space.
The D Line has 3 entry/exit points and comes in two sizes. Both are made from electrically safe ABS material and utilises a click lock mechanism to make sure the box is secure.
The unit can be bought on its own or purchased as a bundle with cable management tube over at Amazon.
Best Practices & Tips For A Tidy Studio
Rugs are your friend
Rugs are not only a great way to dress up your studio and make it fancy, but you can also use them to effectively run cables under so that they are not exposed and open to trip hazards. Another benefit of having a thick rug is it also helps to absorb reflections too.
Cable ties will never die
A pouch or box of cable ties should be available at all times, for when you have bundles of cables in areas of the room. Control these bundles of mess with zip/cable ties that follow the same path to keep them organized.
Color coordinate your cables using electrical tape
This is a staple technique of engineers across the globe. Use colored electrical tape to individually mark each cable. This way, you’ll be able to tell what cable should be running into what, at just a glance. There’s nothing worse than having to guess which inputs/outputs your cables should be running into when adjusting your setup.
Looking to learn more about cables? Check out ADAT vs SPDIF (Differences & When To Use Each).