Best way to send a mono mix to patio?

[AlParticipant]

My QU24 and I have been asked to provide mixing services temporarily at a popular bar here in town (while their “B-mixer” is in the shop), but they’d like the FOH audio (both live band & intermission break music) to also run out to a single speaker they have setup out on their patio. What would be the best way to accomplish getting the “stereo” FOH mix to run down a “mono” line to that speaker?
Thanks ahead of time for any “step-by-step” assistance anyone can provide!

[MarkPAmanParticipant]

If you’re not already using and he Alt Outs for anything, you can select them to be a post fade L+R output, which is two mono outputs. Then you also get a simple extra level control on the front of the desk – useful if the outside volume has to be turned down later in the evening.

[Dick ReesParticipant]

Remote speakers usually require an independent mix due to the imbalance from the lack of direct sound from the stage. As such, take advantage of a matrix for the remote speaker. You can get an acceptable matrix mix using good, high-isolation headphones.

As to stereo:

In the main room it’s a total myth. You may have the system set up as L/R, but that’s just a 2-channel thing. For actual stereo you need 100% coverage of the listening area from both the L and R speakers…or perhaps a L/C/R array. There is only a small area on the center line between the speakers which can be said to hear “stereo” sound. So don’t worry about stereo. In reality it will be indistinguishable from a good mono mix, easier to do and provide the best mix over the largest number of listeners.

[AlParticipant]

Understood about the whole stereo thing… that’s why I put the word in quotation marks in the original post! 😉
Their speaker processor/amp rack is set up to accept L/R feed, but most who do sound there just mix “right down the middle”.
Before this venue went with their digital “B-mixer”, they had an old Yamaha analog board which had a “mono” out, and that’s how they got used to feeding that patio speaker back then.
Many thanks for the helpful info!

[dpdanParticipant]

the most simple choice is to just send one side, left or right,
and don’t worry about whether or not the “other” channel of the stereo keys or reverb isn’t in the patio mix.

[[XAP]BobParticipant]

Dpdan – whilst that is normally true for live music Id suggest that it can go rather badly for stereo programme material. Try Bohemian Rhapsody like that 😉

L&R to Alt out does a mixdown already, Patio getting a little less drum probably isn’t going to be fatal…

[AlParticipant]

Agreed that the problems would potentially manifest more obviously between live sets, when pre-recorded music would be flowing through the FOH L-R mix.

[Author]

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