I recently noticed that Amazon has a great deal on Velcro 8" x 1/2", reusable, self-gripping, cable ties. The ties are made of two-sided material - hook on one side, loop on the other - that is much thinner than the original Velcro variety, and not nearly as hooky or fuzzy in texture. I initially thought they felt a little cheap and plastic-y, but they've proven to be very strong. I could not tear one with my hands; although it got a little deformed, it still continued to hold just fine. Each tie has a slot at one end so you can loop the tie around a single section of cable and back through the slot, such that the tie stays with the cable, even when the cable is unwound. One tie is good for holding about 50 feet of typical mic cable in a roll. The ties themselves come in a roll, so it's easy to store and dispense them as needed. ($6.98 for 100-tie pack from Amazon.com; www.velcro.com)

-Joseph Lemmer <jlemmer@siriusmedia.com>

Tape Op is a bi-monthly magazine devoted to the art of record making.

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