Using Powered Speakers - Digital DJ Tips

This topic has 14 replies, 1 voice, and was last updated 13 years, 6 months ago by NORRIS Sydnor.

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September 26, 2012 at 7:27 pm #1012649

Hee Won Jung
Participant

Powered Speakers run like most Studio Monitors.

The outputs for the Mixtrack are all RCA if i remember correctly….so you have 2 options…option one is like u stated to run the red to 1 speaker and the white to the other speaker. The problem here is that the RCA cords sound degrades for anything over 4′ in length….real world application i would say do not run an RCA for more than 12 feet as it really will degrade your sound. I recommend that you buy RCA to XLR cables…this will help deter the sound quality.

I always reccomend that you have 2 speakers in this case unless you switch your output to Mono for the 1 speaker as a lot of songs in stereo have different sounds coming from them, as well as panning which sends the sound from left to right.

September 26, 2012 at 7:39 pm #1012654

NORRIS Sydnor
Participant

Yes, the Mixtrack does have RCA outputs.

I did find a splitter/converter cable on Ebay. It takes the red and white RCA and converts them to one single XLR. I was thinking I could then run the xlr to the speaker.

Something like this:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/2-RCA-to-XLR-Male-to-Male-Stereo-Y-cable-5FT-1-5M-/250811950069?pt=US_Cables_Snakes_Interconnects&hash=item3a658ea3f5

or this:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/2-RCA-male-to-XLR-female-Audio-Stereo-Cable-5FT-1-5M-/260833531846?pt=US_Cables_Snakes_Interconnects&hash=item3cbae3d7c6

September 26, 2012 at 7:42 pm #1012656

Hee Won Jung
Participant

No you wont be wanting those…as it is merging the sound…you want unbalanced cables…thats 1 red into 1 XLR and 1 white into XLR…

something like this.
but the male version.
http://www.computercablestore.com/5FT_Audio_Cable_Female_XL_PID8001.aspx

September 26, 2012 at 7:46 pm #1012659

NORRIS Sydnor
Participant

Hee Won Jung, post: 29086, member: 948 wrote: No you wont be wanting those…as it is merging the sound…you want unbalanced cables…thats 1 red into 1 XLR and 1 white into XLR…

something like this.
but the male version.
http://www.computercablestore.com/5FT_Audio_Cable_Female_XL_PID8001.aspx

I would definitely have to rent 2 speakers if I use this cable. I was trying to find a solution using just one speaker. Perhaps I should look something that merges the RCA into a 1/4″ plug?

September 26, 2012 at 7:52 pm #1012660

NORRIS Sydnor
Participant

I guess I could just bite the bullet and rent a pair of speakers instead of one. Or, Maybe rent a mixer and feed everything into the mixer and then run XLR to the speakers from the mixer.

September 26, 2012 at 8:05 pm #1012662

Hee Won Jung
Participant

you dont need a mixer.

Just rent the 2 speakers…you never want to do a show with only 1 speaker on Mono…it will sound like garbage and you cannot get proper sound coming from a single source…we have 2 ears…so we need 2 speakers plain and simple.

Just get the RCA to XLR and you will be fine.

September 26, 2012 at 8:12 pm #1012663

NORRIS Sydnor
Participant

Cool beans! Sounds like a plan. I will probably end up buying my own soon. I think its $35/speaker to rent (plus $5/stand). After a few rentals I will have pretty much payed enough to buy a pair.

September 26, 2012 at 8:13 pm #1012664

NORRIS Sydnor
Participant

Oh, and thanks for the replies and assistance.

September 26, 2012 at 10:24 pm #1012681

NewportDJ Drew
Participant

Syd add a ‘DI box’ to your rental. I would say it will cost you no more than 10 bucks. This is THE BEST way to convert unbalanced to balanced.

September 26, 2012 at 10:36 pm #1012684

NORRIS Sydnor
Participant

Newportdj Drew, post: 29111, member: 244 wrote: Syd add a ‘DI box’ to your rental. I would say it will cost you no more than 10 bucks. This is THE BEST way to convert unbalanced to balanced.

I just Wiki’s the DI Box. Sounds like a winner. Thanks.

September 26, 2012 at 11:04 pm #1012689

Paul Craigen
Participant

Cheap D.I boxes are crap and can sometimes add sound or degrade the original signal…..I run my Reloop terminal mix 4 from the RCA outputs into my speakers using RCA to XLR cables and have not noticed any degrading in the sound quality and that is even with 3 metres of RCA cable running form TM4 then connected to RCA to XLR cable then into speakers.

September 27, 2012 at 2:11 pm #1012760

Hee Won Jung
Participant

RCA to XLR will have lower to no degradation as the cord itself is beefed up for XLR output.

RCA to RCA is what i was directly refering to when it came to distance in cord.

September 29, 2012 at 2:06 pm #1012851

NORRIS Sydnor
Participant

Ok, after scouting the venue for my upcoming gig, Im thinking I may need a mixer. I will definitely need two speakers. One will be next to me or near me to provide sound to the inside bar/lounge area. The other speaker will go outside on the patio area. So, Im thinking, I have to somehow get the sound to both rooms using just two powered speakers (the budget wont allow for more than two speakers). I know its best to have two speakers together for good sound but I just cant see it happening with this gig.

This being the case, should I get a mixer? Is it necessary to split the sound to two different rooms? My only audio sources will be my Mixtrack Pro and a Microphone which I can route through my Mixtrack Pro.

Any suggestions?

September 30, 2012 at 9:27 pm #1012873

NORRIS Sydnor
Participant

after further research, I think im going to get 2 powered speakers. im going to run my rca from mixtrack pro (left and rignt) into one speaker using a rca to xlr converter. Then, I will daisy chain the second speaker to this one. This way one speaker will be inside where I will be and the other speaker will be outside on the patio area. This will give sound in both locations without the use of a mixer. I just hope the mic will sound good being run through the jack on the mixtrack pro.
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