I was wondering, can you use a hi-fi system to mix with? Im a total newbie really but i was wondering. If i got a mixer could it be connected and used with a hi-fi? Ive got a Aux input (standard i know).
Regards,
Mark
Full Version: Hi-Fi Systems
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Hi Mark,
What you will need is 2 music sources to plug into the mixer then the mixer into the hi-fi.
Basically you would be using the hi-fi as amp/speaker through the aux channel, as this is an input channel.
Hope this is helpfull.
What you will need is 2 music sources to plug into the mixer then the mixer into the hi-fi.
Basically you would be using the hi-fi as amp/speaker through the aux channel, as this is an input channel.
Hope this is helpfull.
Yes, no worries at all if it is for mixing at home.
Don't dream of using a hifi at a live gig though.
Try to use the record output on the mixer ideally. Otherwise keep the master down low.
Don't dream of using a hifi at a live gig though.
Try to use the record output on the mixer ideally. Otherwise keep the master down low.
Transeurope,what inputs will he use if he only has a hi-fi and a mixer?
I turned up at a gig a few months ago, and as I was unloading my flightcases a guy came up and enquired 'what all the stuff was', as I unpacked I showed him my set up, mixer, CD players, etc etc, he then went into the next room, plugged his hi-fi in and did a 'disco' with about 50w of Matsui power and three flashing lights.
How can you mix with a Hifi?, how many Hifi's have 2 CD Players?.
Unless you have seperates and have 2x CD Players, but you'll still need a mixer.
If you mean, can you use the Hifi system to Amplify the output from your mixer then the answer is yes, provided the Aux input is routed through the internal amplifier. Ideally you need to use the "Rec" outputs from your mixer since these are at a lower level than the main Outputs.
If you need a mixer I still have one cheapie Gemini PMX-500 left at £29.99 + Delivery. Not a bad mixer for back up or home use.
Unless you have seperates and have 2x CD Players, but you'll still need a mixer.
If you mean, can you use the Hifi system to Amplify the output from your mixer then the answer is yes, provided the Aux input is routed through the internal amplifier. Ideally you need to use the "Rec" outputs from your mixer since these are at a lower level than the main Outputs.
If you need a mixer I still have one cheapie Gemini PMX-500 left at £29.99 + Delivery. Not a bad mixer for back up or home use.
Welcome to the forum.
As mentioned above you could use a home hi-fi for home/bedroom listening, but would need a mixer and 2 music sources (eg 2 x cd players, or two record decks) to really get going.
There are some "all~in~one" home use systems, but they tend to be very low spec, and not overly robust EG: Homemix systems from various catalogue shops.
As mentioned above you could use a home hi-fi for home/bedroom listening, but would need a mixer and 2 music sources (eg 2 x cd players, or two record decks) to really get going.
There are some "all~in~one" home use systems, but they tend to be very low spec, and not overly robust EG: Homemix systems from various catalogue shops.
Welcome here!
I have to say I rather presumed that anyone into mixing would know that you need decks, vinyl or CD to mix.
Obviously the chap has a basic grasp if he is aware of mixers.
A lot of people have asked me in the past if they would damage their hi-fi by plugging the mixer output into either a microphone/phono socket (answer yes) or a CD/Aux/Record socket (answer no).
Obviously the chap has a basic grasp if he is aware of mixers.
A lot of people have asked me in the past if they would damage their hi-fi by plugging the mixer output into either a microphone/phono socket (answer yes) or a CD/Aux/Record socket (answer no).
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| Obviously the chap has a basic grasp if he is aware of mixers. |
Thats why we are here, to advise people and to try and stop them wasting their money or going out with the wrong type of equipment!.
| QUOTE (transeurope @ Jun 28 2004, 07:07 PM) |
| A lot of people have asked me in the past if they would damage their hi-fi by plugging the mixer output into either a microphone/phono socket (answer yes) or a CD/Aux/Record socket (answer no). |
It's not always a clear-cut answer of "No" for whether a mixer output can damage a Hi-fi input.
A hi-fi input such as "Aux in", or "Tape in", "VCR in", "CD in" etc, will be expecting to "hear" 775millivolts (normally at 0db)
Whilst many mixers will not exceed this millivolt output at 0db, hap-hazard use of the mixers channel gains, Eq settings, built-in effects etc, can often cause the output to exceed 775mv, by a considerable degree.
In comparison, a professional disco/PA amp will expect to receive either 1000millivolts (that'll be 1 volt then) or even 1.1volts.
Overloading Hi-Fi inputs is actually harder than you may think. Most CD Players, especially the earlier models, had a line output of upto 2 Volts. This is why a lot of mixers now have a CD/line switch which toggles between low and high level inputs, even though both can be classed as being "line" inputs.
The only time that you risk damaging inputs, is if you plug in a mixer into Mic or Phono level inputs, as Transeurope has already pointed out.
If you intend to plug your mixer into your hifi then try and use the Record output sockets of your mixer which offer a lower output signal than the 775mv or 1.2v offered by the output sockets.
The only time that you risk damaging inputs, is if you plug in a mixer into Mic or Phono level inputs, as Transeurope has already pointed out.
If you intend to plug your mixer into your hifi then try and use the Record output sockets of your mixer which offer a lower output signal than the 775mv or 1.2v offered by the output sockets.
Right, sorry if im goin really simple again but i'm just wondering...
If i got 2 CD Players (say portable) and connected them to the mixer... then i connected the mixer to the hi-fi through the aux connection, using the hi-fi as an amp... then the speakers connected to the hi-fi would be ok to use for home use?
Another thing, how much would a decent Twin CD Player, AMP and Speakers set me back? Speakers that would be powerfull enough to fill a village hall.
Regards,
Mark
If i got 2 CD Players (say portable) and connected them to the mixer... then i connected the mixer to the hi-fi through the aux connection, using the hi-fi as an amp... then the speakers connected to the hi-fi would be ok to use for home use?
Another thing, how much would a decent Twin CD Player, AMP and Speakers set me back? Speakers that would be powerfull enough to fill a village hall.
Regards,
Mark
To answer your first question "yes"
For your second question price of players etc have a look at Chris's site,
very good prices
For your second question price of players etc have a look at Chris's site,
very good prices
Think the Matsui system wouldnt even be any good for monitors!! Cheap rubbish! Brought my nan one for xmas last year. It lasted 2 months then started getting dry connections on the Volume control so we took it to the tip!!
I started off as a Bedroom DJ. I started with a SoundLab DSM30, and 2 Soundlab turntables. I feeded them into the Auxilary Input on the stereo. Just hope your stereo is at least 40watts x 2 otherwise you wont get any loudness out of it. I invested in Active Powered speakers for my bedroom, altogether push out 200watts. My parents love it (not) lol
I started off as a Bedroom DJ. I started with a SoundLab DSM30, and 2 Soundlab turntables. I feeded them into the Auxilary Input on the stereo. Just hope your stereo is at least 40watts x 2 otherwise you wont get any loudness out of it. I invested in Active Powered speakers for my bedroom, altogether push out 200watts. My parents love it (not) lol
there are some good starter packages out there, and people here will help you pick a good one so dont rush into anything just yet,
your stereo (wrongly discribed by Dixons as hifi) is not much cop and would not have the guts to drive a large pair of speakers for disco use, well not for very long , it will however cope with bedroom use.
I emailed Chris some basic setup instructions im sure he will forward them to you if you ask him. they contain every thing you need to know to wire it all up i hope.
let me know if they were any good or if they need rewriting please.
and good luck with becoming a DJ
your stereo (wrongly discribed by Dixons as hifi) is not much cop and would not have the guts to drive a large pair of speakers for disco use, well not for very long , it will however cope with bedroom use.
I emailed Chris some basic setup instructions im sure he will forward them to you if you ask him. they contain every thing you need to know to wire it all up i hope.
let me know if they were any good or if they need rewriting please.
and good luck with becoming a DJ
Mark L, you are going to get a diversity of opinions on a topic like this, that's part and parcel of life.
What Gazza says is technically true, you can damage an auxiliary input with a DJ mixer. I have never seen a moderately priced hi-fi that this can happen to.
It is far more likely to happen to the juicy sexy, made in Britain made in Germany type of ones that have whole magazines devoted to them. The reason for this is something like the fact that a Ferrari will be very finicky about the type of engine oil you put into it while a Ford Escort happily guzzles any ole £1 a litre stuff.
In other words exotic hifi presumes the owner knows a lot about what he is doing.
I wouldn't be worried about any mass-market hifi accepting inputs via auxiliary.
On the other hand, using pro gear, it is very easy to "clip" your hi-fi. Watch out for distortion. Learn to understand the difference between bass thud and distortion. Distortion kills all gear, cheap, expensive, pro and non-pro. This is an important skill for any DJ to master....commercial or dance.
On two portable CD players you will not be able to "mix" (ie beat match) per se.
That requires vari-speed. On a CD player implementing vari-speed is not a simple matter of speeding up the motor.
What actually happens is the CD reads into a chip at 4x normal speed. Then electronics reproduces the effect of a speeded up motor.
Believe it or not the CD specification means that if you just speed up a motor the sound comes out at the same speed. This is hard stuff to wrap your head around and worthy of another thread. Just take it for granted that varispeed CD manufacture is complex.
What you can do with two portable CD players is practice what used to be called "chop mixing", that is a dead cut from one CD straight into the next. It is not really mixing, but very effective. In fact top DJs employ a lot of chop mixing. Too much beat matching makes the night monotinous.
You can also do crude sampling by using an A-B function on the cd player. Although on a portable CD this will not be seamless, it can still be quite effective.
All of these are worthy skills for the beginner dance DJ and employed by the top DJs.
I am NOT a fan of budget CD players or budget turntables for the beginner. These are actually far more suited to what is called a Play/Pause Commercial DJ, so called cos the major function he uses on a deck is play and pause.
Cheap professional CD players do not employ a DSP chip to get around the fact that the CD specification ignores a slight change in motor speed. Instead they hack into the CD decoder to make them more responsive to motor speed. The result is not very stable and will not enable you to practice the long running mixes that modern dance DJing places so much emphasis on.
For different reasons, the same applies to cheap turntables. They do not have the stability of varispeed that allows you to build your skills properly.
Far better in my opinion to completely master the skills you can master on your cheap portables, then when the time comes, buy proper turntables or high-grade CD players. You are only fooling yourself learning the higher arts on "blunt tools".
What Gazza says is technically true, you can damage an auxiliary input with a DJ mixer. I have never seen a moderately priced hi-fi that this can happen to.
It is far more likely to happen to the juicy sexy, made in Britain made in Germany type of ones that have whole magazines devoted to them. The reason for this is something like the fact that a Ferrari will be very finicky about the type of engine oil you put into it while a Ford Escort happily guzzles any ole £1 a litre stuff.
In other words exotic hifi presumes the owner knows a lot about what he is doing.
I wouldn't be worried about any mass-market hifi accepting inputs via auxiliary.
On the other hand, using pro gear, it is very easy to "clip" your hi-fi. Watch out for distortion. Learn to understand the difference between bass thud and distortion. Distortion kills all gear, cheap, expensive, pro and non-pro. This is an important skill for any DJ to master....commercial or dance.
On two portable CD players you will not be able to "mix" (ie beat match) per se.
That requires vari-speed. On a CD player implementing vari-speed is not a simple matter of speeding up the motor.
What actually happens is the CD reads into a chip at 4x normal speed. Then electronics reproduces the effect of a speeded up motor.
Believe it or not the CD specification means that if you just speed up a motor the sound comes out at the same speed. This is hard stuff to wrap your head around and worthy of another thread. Just take it for granted that varispeed CD manufacture is complex.
What you can do with two portable CD players is practice what used to be called "chop mixing", that is a dead cut from one CD straight into the next. It is not really mixing, but very effective. In fact top DJs employ a lot of chop mixing. Too much beat matching makes the night monotinous.
You can also do crude sampling by using an A-B function on the cd player. Although on a portable CD this will not be seamless, it can still be quite effective.
All of these are worthy skills for the beginner dance DJ and employed by the top DJs.
I am NOT a fan of budget CD players or budget turntables for the beginner. These are actually far more suited to what is called a Play/Pause Commercial DJ, so called cos the major function he uses on a deck is play and pause.
Cheap professional CD players do not employ a DSP chip to get around the fact that the CD specification ignores a slight change in motor speed. Instead they hack into the CD decoder to make them more responsive to motor speed. The result is not very stable and will not enable you to practice the long running mixes that modern dance DJing places so much emphasis on.
For different reasons, the same applies to cheap turntables. They do not have the stability of varispeed that allows you to build your skills properly.
Far better in my opinion to completely master the skills you can master on your cheap portables, then when the time comes, buy proper turntables or high-grade CD players. You are only fooling yourself learning the higher arts on "blunt tools".
Some good advice Transeurope 
Thanks for the advice transeurope. I really never plan on using turntables and DJing with them. More using just a CD Player, Mixer, Amp, Speakers and Lights to do local village partys and such.
Regards,
Mark
Regards,
Mark
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