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[Randy Pence]

Is friction tape different from gaffers tape ?  could you post a link of a good source

I use electrical tape for temporarily bundling cables.  3M Temflex 1500 works well.  it is faster to work with than gaff

[Mac Kerr]

I use electrical tape for temporarily bundling cables.  3M Temflex 1500 works well.  it is faster to work with than gaff

But it leave much worse residue than friction tape.

Mac

[Randy Pence]

But it leave much worse residue than friction tape.

Mac

never had an issue when it is temporary (one gig).

[Tim McCulloch]

I am going to let you in on an industry secret.

Secret?  You must be kidding -  their name is mentioned almost daily on this forum, and they do offer a lot of bang for the buck.  My only question - Do they offer a choice of soup or egg roll with their product?

Spring rolls.

[Tim McCulloch]

Gaffers tape is typically cloth-based (at least it looks like cloth) with an adhesive on one side that will release (and stay on the cloth) when you pull up the tape so you don't end up with adhesive residue where you don't want it.  If you leave the tape on for a long time (months) it will leave some adhesive residue.  Gaffers tape is more like 'well behaved' duct tape than friction tape which is typically sticky on both sides.  Good gaffers tape is pretty expensive, I've paid up to $25/roll at a camera supply shop, but it is still worth it compared to the time one might spend cleaning tape residue (assuming you are anal retentive and likely to clean the tape residue).

I always get slightly pissed when some 'helpful person' tries to tape down my cables with duct tape while I'm not looking...

I've never compared brands of gaffers tape for their helpful properties (strength, stickiness, and amount of residue versus time left in place), perhaps someone else can make a recommendation.

Yepper, there are specs for gaffers tape.  Check www.allabouttape.com for more than you might want to know about adhesive-coated tapes.

[Tim McCulloch]

Hello All ,  First post on the forum.

{big snip}

Thank you for the help !

I tend to agree with snake advice: get more channels and more length than you need now, IF you have any growth aspirations at all.

As for DIs, I suggest the EWI LDB-101.  One of the best inexpensive active DIs I've found, and sold by Mark and Liz @ www.audiopile.net.  Do a search and see how much most of think of doing business with them

[Pete Bansen]

I buy a few rolls at a time from www.findtape.com.  Gaffer tape is supplied is a variety of widths, the most common width is 2" (like duct tape). 

2" tape is a little skimpy for taping down cables; I generally buy 3" tape - cost is about $18/roll - and you can tape down two or three cables at a time with one pass of 3". 

[James A. Griffin]

Hello All ,  First post on the forum.

{big snip}

Thank you for the help !

I tend to agree with snake advice: get more channels and more length than you need now, IF you have any growth aspirations at all.

As for DIs, I suggest the EWI LDB-101.  One of the best inexpensive active DIs I've found, and sold by Mark and Liz @ www.audiopile.net.  Do a search and see how much most of think of doing business with them

+ 1 on the "Snake Buying Philosophy" and the vendor.    I thought their 32x8x200' reel snake was more than I'd ever need, but 3 years later have never regretted "over-buying" it.    I've also bought plenty of their reasonably-priced mic cables and never had an issue.

Mark and Liz know everything there is to know about the gear they sell and are happy to answer your questions, anytime, anywhere.

[Steven Leonard]

I tend to agree with snake advice: get more channels and more length than you need now, IF you have any growth aspirations at all.


As for DIs, I suggest the EWI LDB-101.  One of the best inexpensive active DIs I've found, and sold by Mark and Liz @ www.audiopile.net.  Do a search and see how much most of think of doing business with them


+ 1 on the "Snake Buying Philosophy" and the vendor.    I thought their 32x8x200' reel snake was more than I'd ever need, but 3 years later have never regretted "over-buying" it.    I've also bought plenty of their reasonably-priced mic cables and never had an issue.

Mark and Liz know everything there is to know about the gear they sell and are happy to answer your questions, anytime, anywhere.

Though I am sure Mark and Liz are nice people I cant say I would buy many of their products with the exception of their roadcases.  (I have like 6 EWI/Mark and Liz cases and the quality is great).  I just cant stand behind a $50 DI box (EWI LDB-101 as Mentioned By Tim above and sold by MARK AND LIZ) when comparing it to a Type 85 or Radial JDI. Yeah the other two are a little bit more money and the OP will have to "shell out some dough" but isn't it worth it in the long run?  Though I have heard Mark and Liz are nice I would rather not being call them twice a year to have them fix my faulty DI box.

Not too mention EWI (Mark and Liz) D.I.'s would never fill a rider request if you were to ever get into that..... Although I am sure Mark and Liz are still very nice..... I personally don't think cutting corners on things like snakes and DIs are worth it.

If you are going to do an inexpensive DI and cant be talked out of it what about the Radial PRO DI???

Did I mention Mark and Liz? I hear they are nice people. At least that is what someone on here said so I will just repeat it.

I think Mark and Liz might own this board or at least financially contribute to it!

I'd save up a little bit and get a Radial DI (or a used Type 85), a used Whirlwind snake and make your own cables... And use real Neutrik/Switchcraft connectors..not the cheap stuff like this: http://www.audiopile.net/products/Adaptors_Connectors/XLR_Cord_Ends/ES3MB-GDP/ES3MB-GDP_MXLR_Cutsheet.shtml

Hope this helps!

[Tim McCulloch]

Though I am sure Mark and Liz are nice people I cant say I would buy many of their products with the exception of their roadcases.  (I have like 6 EWI/Mark and Liz cases and the quality is great).  I just cant stand behind a $50 DI box (EWI LDB-101 as Mentioned By Tim above and sold by MARK AND LIZ) when comparing it to a Type 85 or Radial JDI. Yeah the other two are a little bit more money and the OP will have to "shell out some dough" but isn't it worth it in the long run?  Though I have heard Mark and Liz are nice I would rather not being call them twice a year to have them fix my faulty DI box.

Not too mention EWI (Mark and Liz) D.I.'s would never fill a rider request if you were to ever get into that..... Although I am sure Mark and Liz are still very nice..... I personally don't think cutting corners on things like snakes and DIs are worth it.

If you are going to do an inexpensive DI and cant be talked out of it what about the Radial PRO DI???

Did I mention Mark and Liz? I hear they are nice people. At least that is what someone on here said so I will just repeat it.

I think Mark and Liz might own this board or at least financially contribute to it!

I'd save up a little bit and get a Radial DI (or a used Type 85), a used Whirlwind snake and make your own cables... And use real Neutrik/Switchcraft connectors..not the cheap stuff like this: http://www.audiopile.net/products/Adaptors_Connectors/XLR_Cord_Ends/ES3MB-GDP/ES3MB-GDP_MXLR_Cutsheet.shtml

Hope this helps!

There is always some trade off in the price/performance ratio for any product to meet a target selling price.  Whether we're talking about DIs or automobiles, it's the same.

FWIW, I've had several Countryman 85 units make the trip to see their now-departed Uncle Carl.  Countryman fixed them quickly and for very little money.  The LDB-100s are in my personal kit and so far have had zero failures but they don't have the miles on them that my Type 85 do.  I also own Radial J48.  It's a 'horses for courses' thing, and here in the Lounge I tend to suggest products that work well enough to make 90% of a Lounger's clients happy.

If you're working with picky acoustic players, neurotic multi-keyboardists or folks with specific brand/model requirements it's a different matter and I always suggest that folks buy what customers want to hire.

That all said, I had rock show with 4 national acts last night.  There was a mix of artist-supplied DIs (Countryman, Radial) and units from both our company and my personal inventory (Countryman & EWI).  None of the artist engineers even looked at the EWI, we just plugged them in and performed a concert.

I like owning nice gear, both for myself and for the company I manage, but there are commercial aspects that come into play that go beyond "nice."  EWI snakes are great products for their price point, and so long as the buyer doesn't subject them to uses that require a more robust product they will be a cost-effective solution.  It's a matter of knowing what you need and selecting goods accordingly.  Some buyers are terminally cheap and purchase inadequate products based solely on the price, others over-buy features or construction quality that is beyond their needs.  The purpose of our discussions here is to make real-world recommendations based on our uses so others may avoid the mis-purchases or mis-applications of those who've gone before them.

Finally, Mark & Liz do not "own" these forums.  In fact, I don't recall even seeing an advertisement for them... but ProSound Web is owned by Electronic Home Publishing, a publisher of trade magazines.  Mark & Liz get great P.R. here because they sell (and design, in some cases) products that meet the needs of many buyers and back that up with terrific sales and service support.  When you call them, you get a real person, not a phone tree and the reply comes from the boss, not someone reading from a script in heavily accented English.

It sounds to me as if your needs cannot be met by EWI products and you're right to make other purchases for yourself.  I do suggest, however, that you actually use EWI products before making claims about their construction, value and target market.

Have fun, good luck.

Tim Mc

[ProSoundWeb Community]