Cheap CD player to hook up to Yamaha MG16X 16-Channel Mixer and how?

[punkyfish]

Thank you very much everyone for your detailed explanations and suggestions which will enable me to choose the right equipment. Very much appreciated!

[Exalted Wombat]

If I rip to a Wav file, what would I use to playback and what lead would I need? I have an iPod but to be honest I have never had success with it nor my iPhone. I have never been able to either get stuff off my phone or put stuff on it.

Not trying to be nasty, but if you haven't managed to get over this hurdle, you probably aren't the right person to be managing this project.

[matt04ie]

Hi I'd just said I will jump in here and tell you what I use and advise you to play your backing tracks, I would not use a cd player definitely not I did at one time use cds even for the first dance at weddings and this is a time when in that 2 to 3 mins you certainly do not want the cd to start skipping or stop, this did happen to a few bands I know, so I then started to use ipod and since have moved from tablet to ipad using stage traxx 3 definately worth a look at, but a cheap way out is a decent cd player with anti skip with RCA ( red and white ) on the back to RCA on your desk or even back to a channel on your desk, hope this is of help, also I know a band right now that are using mini discs but again these can run into issues which I did have experience of on a night, my singer was singing away floor full and it was ACDC
shook me all night long and right in the high point of the track the mini disc went all wrong, but honestly I'd say anything is possible to go wrong no matter which way you decide to go, we just take the chance and mind or equipment best we can and cds need extreme care not to let get a scratch or, a hairline on that can cause issues ,