An A2’s Guide to Labeling Everything

Labeling is not administrative work added after setup. It is part of the signal path. A useful label can identify a fiber strand, trace a problem, restore a connection, and strike the show without having to remember who patched what at 6:00 am.

Choose a Show Color That Stands Out

When labeling for a show, choose a tape color that is not already common on the cables or equipment in use. For example, if all the mults from a previous show come in with blue gaff labels, label your show with green. That will make your labels easier to recognize at a glance. It also makes old labels from previous productions stand out instead of quietly becoming part of your show.

Use the same show color on mult boxes, beltpacks, IFB packs, venue I/O, temporary adapters, and the cables or devices that must be identified quickly. Consistency turns the tape color into a visual cue: this belongs to this show and should be evaluated as part of this setup.

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Write What the Connection Does

A number without context usually requires someone to consult another list. Add the function whenever space permits.

The available space determines how much can be written, but the order should remain useful. Start with the most important distinction. “STATS PL” is usually better than “PL STATS POSITION,” because the device’s role is clear before the label runs out of room.

Useful Information to Include

• Function: PxP, Color, Stats, Ref Mic, Booth IFB, Camera PL
• Number: The console, beltpack, IFB, mult, or pair number
• Destination: Truck, Booth, Sideline, Locker Room, Press Conf.
• Direction: To Truck, From Truck, Send, Return, TX, RX
• Status: Spare, Do Not Use, Temporary, Tested, Bad Pair

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Label Both Ends—and the Points Between Them

A label is most valuable where a decision will be made. Label both ends of a cable, but also consider intermediate points where the route can be changed, disconnected, or confused with another path.

• Both ends of long cable runs
• Venue input and output panels
• Mult-box inputs and outputs
• Adapters and turnarounds that change the expected connection
• Beltpacks, IFB packs, and announcer consoles
• Patch points inside the booth, announce position, or truck
• Temporary barrels, isolation transformers, pads, or splitters

Place the label where it can be read without unplugging the cable or twisting the device into an unsafe position. On a cable, leave enough space between the connector and label for the connector to be handled normally. Avoid covering ventilation openings, controls, connector releases, serial numbers, or status indicators.

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Use Area-Colors Only When the Show Needs Them

On larger productions, different tape colors may be assigned to specific areas. For example, blue may identify the booth, green tape for backstage, and black tape marked with a silver Sharpie for the sideline.

This can speed up sorting, but it adds another layer that the crew must understand. If the show is small enough for one color, one consistent system may be clearer than a complicated color code.

If both systems are used, document them in the show notes and make sure the crew understands them. A private color code known only to the person holding the tape is not a system.

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Label Temporary Changes While They Are Still Obvious

A field workaround can restore the show quickly, but an unlabeled workaround becomes tomorrow’s mystery. When you move an IFB to a spare output, bypass a venue pair, add an isolation transformer, or change the destination of a mult, label the change when it is made.

This preserves the fix without pretending the original fault has been repaired. It also prevents another person from reconnecting the system according to an obsolete plan.

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Carry Markers That Work on the Tape You Use

A black permanent marker works on light tape. A silver, white, or paint-style marker can be useful on dark surfaces. A fine-point marker is useful when a small adapter or panel position needs more detail.

• Carry more than one black marker.
• Replace markers before they become faint.
• Let paint-style ink dry before handling or wrapping the label.
• Test unfamiliar tape and marker combinations before labeling the entire show.

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Remove Temporary Labels During Strike

At the end of the show, remove temporary labels unless the equipment is intentionally being left configured. Old labels create false confidence. A clearly printed label from last week may look more authoritative than a hurried label from today, even when the old label is wrong.

• Remove the show color from rented and venue equipment.
• Remove labels from cables before they are returned to general inventory.
• Preserve permanent equipment identification and approved venue labeling.
• Transfer unresolved faults into the appropriate report or inventory note.
• Do not remove a fault warning until the item has been tested and cleared.

The goal is to leave the equipment ready for the next production, not to erase useful history. Temporary routing labels should disappear; documented fault information should survive in the correct place.

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A Simple A2 Labeling Standard

• Choose a show color that is not already common in the system.
• Write the function, not merely a number.
• Label both ends of every important run.
• Label adapters and intermediate patch points that can be separated or changed.
• Use color as a visual aid, never as the only information.
• Label temporary repairs and update the show notes.
• Describe known faults specifically.
• Remove temporary show labels during strike.