Newb PA Question (budget setup)

[dgrizzly]

My band is in the process of trying out vocalists. We currently don't have a proper PA, but the drummer happens to have a random speaker and a budget Radio Shack powered mixer that we were hoping to use until we pick up the real deal.

My question is:

How do I connect the two? Can I just buy some speaker cable, solder a 1/4" tip on one end and stick the bare wire end into the 8 Ohm spot on the powered mixer? Is there a specific kind of speaker wire I need to use?

 

[s0c9]

Multiple choices available..

Buy a short length of speaker cable and solder a 1/4 jack on one end.. connect other (bare wire) to com + 8-Ohm connectors on amp.
OR...
Buy a speaker cable with 1/4 jacks on each end.
Buy a short piece of twin core wire (nothing connected) and 2 gator clips.
Connect the 2 gator clips to one end of the short wire, bare the other end for insertion into the amp (com and 8-ohm slots).
Unscrew one 1/4 Jack on the speaker wire, connect 2 gator clips to exposed wires.
Make sure gator clips do not touch as this will create a short...

Second is not ideal, but when you get done you'll have an intact speaker cable that you can use on your new PA and a piece of utility cable w/ gator clips for other use.

 

[Bufalo]

Or there's this - Raw Wire to 1/4" Speaker Cables - 25 Feet - 16 Guage - Home Audio

 

[Bufalo]

My question is:

How do I connect the two? Can I just buy some speaker cable, solder a 1/4" tip on one end and stick the bare wire end into the 8 Ohm spot on the powered mixer? Is there a specific kind of speaker wire I need to use?

And yeah, you can do exactly that. Nothing specific, it's all just wire.

 

[dgrizzly]

Thank you guys for your help on this! I am going to try this approach tonight.

Or there's this - Raw Wire to 1/4" Speaker Cables - 25 Feet - 16 Guage - Home Audio

Buy a short length of speaker cable and solder a 1/4 jack on one end.. connect other (bare wire) to com + 8-Ohm connectors on amp.

 

[dgrizzly]

Ok so instead, I bought a 1/4" speaker cable from GC and lopped off one of the plugs. I've got a white wire and a black wire. Which goes to 8 Ohm and which to COM? What is COM by the way?

 

[s0c9]

Which goes to 8 Ohm and which to COM? What is COM by the way?

It actually doesn't really matter as long as you are running one speaker only.
With 2 speakers, you have to connect them both the same way.. as in both black are negative, both white positive - or they would be out of phase and sound terrible.

COM (common, or ground) is usually black wire.
The "hot" wire is usually white or red and connects to the 8-Ohm slot.

 

[dgrizzly]

Thanks!