[sdiy] Cable Label choices and Preparation Methods

[Tom Farrand]

I finally have the makings for a smaller-studio in my basement.  Recently I
received a batch of cables of assorted descriptions such as "guitar
cables", MIDI cables, various other audio cables, and cables dedicated to a
Mackie mixer from assorted gizmos as well as dedicated wiring to things
like equalizers, reverbs, vocoder, etc.

How does one identify cable ends such that the device connection is
uniquely identified as "*AF OUT BassStation*" or other identity.  I was
planning to mark each cable end using Panduit LJSL11-Y3 labels.  These work
a treat, are printed on a laser printer exactly as one would want, and I
have used these commercially in the control panel business for labeling
"inside" wiring on various control systems.  My issue is that these label
blanks are rather expensive and are only sold in quantities of 1,000 labels
at the minimum.  There are 28 label blanks on each 8.5" x 11" sheet.  (You
can print only one label per pass or the whole sheet of 28.  Your choice.)
A thousand labels cost about $350.00.  That's a lot of money for labeling
cables.  Sure, these Panduit labels work a treat but damn, $350 is a lot of
dough for labeling.  But I do want something that is bullet-proof in
readability, and won't discolor over long periods of time.  And I sure
don't want any gooey adhesive that will migrate over time due to heat,
humidity, or other environmental issues.

As a very late-comer to the party, I have no idea what others do for
labeling that does not cost a fortune, does not take 20 minutes to label
one end of a cable, and won't destroy itself over time.  Since I bought
commercially made cables and snakes, there is no opportunity to affix a
label on a cable end unless the label can be applied circumferentially to a
cable near the connector.  Using a heat-shrink gun and some shrink tubing
won't cut it unless there is a secret I don't know about!

Any ideas are welcome!  Sometimes a couple of ideas might be merged to
devise something new as a solution.

I would have made my own cables and this problem would not exist.  Trouble
is, I now have arthritis that is quite painful and I have a "trigger
finger" on each hand.  This is rather debilitating but I figure I can fix
my musical mistakes, more or less in post.  (Wishful thinking?  Probably.)
I am now an old guy with white hair.  This whole bit of nonsense is the
fault of Robert Moog.  After he gave a lecture at NIU back in 1973, I had
the privilege of discussing the future of synthesizers with Dr. Moog for
about an hour, post-lecture.  Wow! We chatted uninterrupted for an hour!
What a very generous and kind person he was.  I was shocked to notice that
none of the attendees of Dr. Moog's lecture had a clue of just *who was
Robert Moog! * My chat with the good doctor was surprisingly one-on-one!
The lecture hall was devoid of attendees except for myself, and the head of
the physics department in a local college near Motorola (where I was
supposed to be working that day!)

Many thanks for any suggestions that might be offered.  Appreciated!

Tom Farrand - now retired in rural Indiana
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