Lets face it. As musicians, organization is often not our strong suit. For those of us who are naturally right brained (which I’m not), and err on the side of creativity, one glance behind the rack is enough enough to intimidate even the most experienced of your fellow audio techs and musicians.
Do you guys have any tricks, gadgets, or tips on how to go from this ^^ …
…To this vv
Wiring duct and maybe some zip ties would probably be the way to go.
Keep power leads and audio leads as far apart as possible. Get things offthe floor to aid space and tidy up.
Label plugs and avoid crossing wires and tangling.
I fitted some plastic drainpipe to the underside of my desk to send my audio cables through . It kept them off the floor away from power cables and was nice and tidy. I also label
Each end of my cable with ‘Synth1 LH’ or whatever using bits of electrical tape.
Velcro. 3M makes some that is soft on one side, hard on the other, perforated every 1-2 inches and comes in a Scotch tape type dispenser. It’s a great way to keep mobile cables (instrument/mic cables) rolled up and tidy. And if you pop a staple through it, into the back of your desk, you now have easily openable/adjustable cable hangers. It even comes in different colors, making your cable runs easily identifiable.
Combined with colored electrical tape, it makes identifying cable runs pretty easy for me.
I use reusable zip ties when I wrap cables.
Belkin Cable Ties are similar, but a standard length; 6-8" I think. And they come in a 6-pack. 
I use these. I usually get them on sale for about $6-$7.
They work slightly better than those Belkin ones for me because they’re real cheap and I like the way the belt loop thing works. I could hardly believe it, but according to my receipts, I’ve used over 1000 ties so far.
For what its worth, I think planning goes a long way too. Specially, planning for expanding and moving things around. Maybe stuff as simple as leaving extra slack, or if you’re drilling holes or installing cable troughs, making sure they’re big enough to run more later.
Get some 3-ring binders, used or cheap ones. Drill out the rivets holding the 3-ring assembly into the outer covers. Then, screw these ring assemblies to the back of your desk or cabinets. Quick and easy access to your cables and makes things neat.
Starliner
