CUT THE CORD

With a laptop music system and a portable P.A. package, it's possible to play almost any type of venue. Unfortunately, that means you're still tethered to a wall outlet because P.A. gear requires AC power, and a laptop's battery drains astonishingly fast when running a host of USB-powered peripherals (such as a control keyboard or an audio interface). However, you can lose your dependency on traditional wall outlets by investing in your own portable power supply. With the right setup, you will truly be able to play anywhere, from a city street corner to a wilderness meadow, without worrying about where your power will come from. Portable power supplies for running everything from small laptop setups to large P.A. systems are available (to rent or buy) in price ranges that will fit most budgets. If you want to run a full-blown P.A. system with all the amenities, you will need a gas-powered generator. These are small engines that run off the same gasoline that you put in your car. A popular model is the Honda EU2000i, a 3.5-horsepower, single-cylinder, overhead-cam, air-cooled engine that weighs in at 46 pounds. It features two 120V AC outlets, with a 1,600W rated output (2,000W maximum). The fuel tank is a touch more than a gallon, and on a full tank, the engine will run for approximately four hours at the rated load and 15 hours at a quarter of the rated load. The retail price is $1,100, but you can generally rent the EU2000i for about $60 a day. If you don't need that much power - or you need more - Honda also sells models below and above the EU2000i: the EU1000iA2 (26 pounds) and the EU3000is (134 pounds), respectively. (If you need even more power, look into renting a diesel-powered "movie generator," such as Aggreko's SuperHush Movie Generator, starting at about $350 a day.)