Mic cord wrapped around boom arm

[YamahaGuy]

I am just curious as to how many people out there wrap the mic cord around the boom arm when playing out. EVERY gig I've ever been to with a "pro" sound guy has it done.

Where I play, I often need to hand the mic off to a speaker and so I do not wrap my cord. I simply tuck it into the notch of my DR Pro wingnut.

And, is it really necessary to do it at all? If the mic stand gets knocked over, the mic is still gonna hit the ground, and if the mic pops off the XLR connector, I can't see the point.

Anxiously awaiting your thoughts...

[RustyAxe]

Never thought about it, but yes, that’s what I do.

[Mr Bojangles]

It is done to protect the mic in the event of the mic falling out of the mic clip.

[Brent Hahn]

I work FOH a fair amount; coiling the cable just looks tidier. If people are shooting video, they'll care about it even more than you do. Of course, they'd be happy if there weren't any mics at all.

If you know when you go on that you're gonna have to hand the mic off, you can always say that to the sound person and either they or you can uncoil the vertical part of the cable, drape it over the boom's clutch-tightener, and give it maybe one turn around the boom on its way to your face. Looks almost as good on-camera, and a lot easier to disengage.

[Petty1818]

I don't wrap the cord around the stand simply because when I need to go and pack up, I want it to be as quick as possible. I do however use the cord clips that many mic stands come with but I add one or two more. Keeps everything neat.

[Bob Womack]

Early in my career, back in the '80s, I did a live broadcasting/recording gig with a national artist. I wrapped the cord. He stepped up to the mic, tried to take it off the boom stand, and, off course, found it wrapped. On mic, with thousands of watts behind it, and on-camera to the country, he grimaced and growled,

"WHO DID THIS?"

Everyone on the crew, lighting, truck engineers, roadies, camera guys, directors, technical directors, producers, editors, post-production audio people, unit managers, management, caterers, electricians, hair and make-up, stage hands, truck drivers, bus drivers, CEO of the company, president of the company, my department manager, etc., everyone knew who did it. The local audience of thousands heard it and it was broadcast coast-to-coast to several million homes.

It didn't matter that it was an incredibly churlish thing for him to do.
He was on that side of the mics and camera and I was on the other, little side.
Intercom headsets started squawking.

I never did it again. I now just drape the cord over the boom tilt clutch and the boom extension clutch and it looks nice and neat until the artist touches it. In fact, the big condenser mic in the studio across the glass from me that never, ever gets hand-held is even done this way.

Experiences at the beginning of your career can have a strong impact.

Bob

[Brent Hahn]

Originally Posted by Bob Womack

Experiences at the beginning of your career can have a strong impact.

When I'm hired onto a gig where someone else is the boss, it's something I've learned to ask about. One of those When In Rome things.

[Petty1818]

Originally Posted by Bob Womack

Early in my career, back in the '80s, I did a live broadcasting/recording gig with a national artist. I wrapped the cord. He stepped up to the mic, tried to take it off the boom stand, and, off course, found it wrapped. On mic, with thousands of watts behind it, and on-camera to the country, he grimaced and growled,

"WHO DID THIS?"

Everyone on the crew, lighting, truck engineers, roadies, camera guys, directors, technical directors, producers, editors, post-production audio people, unit managers, management, caterers, electricians, hair and make-up, stage hands, truck drivers, bus drivers, CEO of the company, president of the company, my department manager, etc., everyone knew who did it. The local audience of thousands heard it and it was broadcast coast-to-coast to several million homes.

It didn't matter that it was an incredibly churlish thing for him to do.
He was on that side of the mics and camera and I was on the other, little side.
Intercom headsets started squawking.

I never did it again. I now just drape the cord over the boom tilt clutch and the boom extension clutch and it looks nice and neat until the artist touches it. In fact, the big condenser mic in the studio across the glass from me that never, ever gets hand-held is even done this way.

Experiences at the beginning of your career can have a strong impact.

Bob

This story reminds me of a Cat Stevens live concert DVD that I own. Early on in the show, Stevens is sitting on a stool but later on he stands up. He goes to adjust the mic stand and the cable is so wrapped around the stand with tape added that he can't do it and awkwardly has to remove the tape. He jokingly refers to the person who did it as a "stupid idiot". In that case I think it's crazy that the person setting up the mic had no idea that Stevens would eventually stand up but stuff happens!

[Brent Hahn]

Originally Posted by Petty1818

This story reminds me of a Cat Stevens live concert DVD... <> ... to the person who did it as a "stupid idiot". In that case I think it's crazy that the person setting up the mic had no idea that Stevens would eventually stand up but stuff happens!

Right. DVD. Cameras. Video people. There you go. Whoever opted not to cut out the whole "stupid idiot" thing is the stupid idiot. Made Cat Stevens look like a cruel jerk, and the crew member who got unfairly ridiculed probably has his name in the credits.

[Petty1818]

Originally Posted by Brent Hahn

Right. DVD. Cameras. Video people. There you go. Whoever opted not to cut out the whole "stupid idiot" thing is the stupid idiot. Made Cat Stevens look like a cruel jerk, and the crew member who got unfairly ridiculed probably has his name in the credits.

Agreed, he's joking in it but he goes on to say something like, "what's it like to be 50 and still be in school?" I remember when I first watched it, it kind of threw me off for a bit because I always took Cat as a pretty nice, goodhearted dude although I do know he was just playing around.

[rockabilly69]

When I'm playing solo I always wrap the cord. I have a clean look I'm going for. If I'm at an event where there is going to be a speaker, I use clips to the same effect, or I setup another mic that's not wrapped, and then hand it off to the speaker.

[The Bard Rocks]

In addition to possibly saving a mike from diving to the bottom and looking cleaner, I find it tends to balance the arm a bit more. I like the mike nearer and the stand further, so the balance issue is something I watch for.

[necrome]

On a related guitar note, I've seen a few professionals wrap a semi loop with their guitar cables around the button / strap end. Can anyone explain to me why? Is it to prevent accidental pulls that end up detaching the plug?

[cdkrugjr]

Originally Posted by necrome

On a related guitar note, I've seen a few professionals wrap a semi loop with their guitar cables around the button / strap end. Can anyone explain to me why? Is it to prevent accidental pulls that end up detaching the plug?

yes, it's a bit of MacGyver'd strain relief, so that stage movement is transmitted to the body of the instrument, rather than pulling on the cord.

[varmonter]

I personally never remove my mic from
The stand. If the cord is wrapped starting from the floor then when
Some "stupid idiot" lol trips over a cord the force is put at the bottom
Of the stand. The stand usually shuffles across the floor but stays upright. If this
Is not done the force is at the mic surely
taking it to the floor. If you need the mic
Off the stand for some reason it's a two
Second deal even for a "stupid idiot". Lol..
If there is enough cord you can still
Do this leaving slack at the top
So adjustments can be made.