NEED HELP WITH MIXER TO BOSE 4.2 SPEAKERS | Steve's Gear Garage (2024)

Hey guys,

I am a new DJ getting into mixing and i am getting the Numark NDX400s with the iM1 mixer. I have these two Bose 4.2 Series 2 Speakers that my dad stored away in the attic. They look like this: http://images.craigslist.org/5N55T05X33G33m43J6c3vf89b9bf17a811a49.jpg

It looks like that they have a wire input in the back with two red and black slips on both. I was wondering how to connect the mixer to both of the speakers. The back of the mixer only has one master output. Is there a way for me to hook these speakers up to my mixer or am I going to have to buy brand new speakers all together? Please write back I'm really eager to learn more about this

Thanks,

SiNE

Welcome to the board Sine tell us a little about your self....

I'm not quite sure where to start here. First off the Bose speakers you have are home units not pro speakers so unless you don't plan on doing public gigs and just toying around at home I would upgrade.

Secondly you don't hook passive speakers in to a mixer you need an amplifier in between.

Hope it helps

Yes .. welcome and do introduce yourself ...

As Jeff said, the Bose are non-powered units and need some sort of amplification to work. If you are futzing around at home, they are fine and you can power them with a home type stereo receiver .. the receiver would have similar speaker outputs that you would connect via 2 conductor speaker cable (red to red, black to black) and you would connect the mixer to an aux in on the receiver using an appropriate cable. In the DJ world, a set of un-powered speakers would be powered normally by an amplifier fed by the mixer. The amp would either have binding posts like the speakers or a special connector called a speakon connector, for which you would get an adapter or cable (you can get them at most music stores).

Also as mentioned, these wouldn't be a good fit to play out with as one, the reflecting speaker will be a challenge to manage in a non-controlled environment and the speaker in general doesn't have the output needed when there are lots of warm boddies around soaking up the frequencies.

Hello and welcome to this forum. Thanks for this thread. It made me think about what I first started out with in 81. I was using a Sherwood power amp and pre amp. Not the quality professional stuff that's out today. The amp didn't have a fan inside. So I had to use an external fan to keep the amp cool so it would shut off. I had a Numark mixer with some DJ speakers I bought from downtown Newark, NJ. The cabinets were nice but the speakers were crap. I blew one out at a party. I also wound up buying a pair of Technic 1,200's. Nice setup for it's time. I kept that basic setup for 13 years. I was using gauge wiring to hook the speakers to the amp.

They told you what you need. All I want to say is stay at home with that stuff when you get it and practice. Don't worry about doing gigs right now. Wait till you get some gear that will be good enough to do so.

DJBklyn said:

I still remember buying my first setup on 14th street in NYC. Some crappy gemini cabs and amp, but I got a lot of mileage out of it back in the day before I stepped up to some peavey's and then EV eliminators. Upside to living in NY was we had a lot of great shops with plenty of options as this was before the internet took over.

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Wow you brought back some good memories when you mentioned 14th Street. I bought all of my electronics from out there. You could always haggle a good deal. My first rig was a Lineartech EQ and amp. Gemini turntables and a Pyramid mixer.

Welcome Sine. I started with home gear in the 90s (Kenwood receiver and tape deck, a Marantz turntable, random mixer from Radio Shack, and a pair of pioneer speakers). I had a blast learning that way and even did a couple of gigs with that stuff , not a good idea. You didn't say you were planning on taking your show on the road. I don't recommend you do unless its for a small group of friends and you're not being paid.

Is it possible that your dad will allow you to clean up the attic and sell whatever you find to get you some decent starter gear? It will make the learning process that much more enjoyable (and faster IMHO) when you have the right stuff. You can then focus on your music, technique...

Well he has not stated what kind of DJing he is looking into. If he wants to learn how to beat match, sampling, etc etc. Then really he will have no need for a PA system. He could use what he has speaker wise with a receiver/amp or get some monitors.

If he was looking to be a Mobile DJ then yes I would suggest getting a proper PA & road gear. Having a simple home studio setup that never moves is rather easy to put together, but it is not the hardware you will want for doing an event or party.

While he didn't give a ton of info in the thread, he said, "I'm a new DJ. I take that to mean he is planning on playing in front of people. Unless he is bringing a bunch of people to his house, then he's going to have to be mobile.

Nothing in his OP mentions that he's NOT planning on playing out, so I think it's safe to assume he is.

If he is just planning on playing in his house:

1)DJ forum probably not the best place to learn how to hook up home speakers

2) Pretty big detail to leave out on a DJ forum if you do go there looking for advice.

Kind of like going to a race car forum and ask about maintenance on your car, and forgetting to tell them you are not a race car driver and was looking for advice on the family sedan