Nokie Edwards (guitarist for The Ventures) turned me on to Carvin's Stagemate, and I literally can't count the number of times that little sucker has saved the day. Take a look at the back panel:
Carvin's webpage for the Stagemate;
...The StageMate? S400D is Carvin's amazing portable sound system with built-in digital effects. Ideal for parties, picnics, club meetings, weddings, church gatherings, company functions, sporting events etc., and at just 34 pounds, it's lightweight and easy to operate. Use it with a keyboard or drum machine or as a DJ-Karaoke system. Operates up to 3 hours at 100w on it's internal, maintenance-free, rechargeable 12V no-vapor lead-acid battery, and the exclusive pulse-width mosfet power supply generates high output when on battery power or shore power. Features 4 channel inputs for mics and instruments and RCA inputs for tape/CD. The StageMate? features a heavy-duty 200 watt 10 woofer in a tuned bass reflex enclosure delivering deep bass and a horn tweeter for crystal clear highs for superior tone & output, and you can add the 810 extension speaker to reach up to 200 people. This is the only 4 channel, 100w battery powered system that delivers pro-quality sound with the portability of a cordless system. The 24 bit digital effects processor has 256 effects parameters, including adjustable reverb, echo, flanging & chorus, FS22-footswitch controllable.
I just keep both cabs (the extension cab allows stereo, adds another battery - for around 8 hours performance at a rather ear-splitting volume) and speaker stands in the trunk of my car, and I'm always ready to go, whether it's just as a backup amp, a personal monitor system (I just put a cab on each side of the stage) in conjunction with my main amp, or set up mics and instruments for an impromptu jam, anywhere.
Here's an example; the band was traveling through Sudden California, on the way to a gig in Las Vegas. Out in the middle of the desert somewhere, we pulled off the road (WAY off the road), and within minutes were howling at the moon - amplified. With some nice chorus on the vocals, my five-string fretless acoustic bass, a PRS guitar (with an Ibanez tube screamer in line) and Yamaha digital drumset - all coming out of these two little boxes! (I plugged it into the cigarette lighter of my car!)
The Stagemate is one of the handiest pieces of equipment I've ever owned.
As for sound; I plug my upright (with Fishman BP-100/bass splitter combo) in two channels, my Alembic Series 1 into two other channels, and have self-contained stereo for each, with independent effects (though I only use slight chorus on the upright, usually, and Elvis-ish slapback tight delay for slappin' that puppy for the rockabilly stuff)... it sound incredible. I've never had it distort or quack in the slightest.
Considering the price, it's a screaming deal for the ability to have so much fun, and the assurance that you'll never be caught unprepared.
