Mono FOH – can LR mix be mono?

[Cruise4burgersParticipant]

Hello,

I’ve had a look for this in the search and google without luck, I’m suspecting it might not be possible – does anyone know a way I can make the main mix a mono mix?

I’m familiar and experienced with SQ desks and I know matrix and aux can all be mono, my issue is for workflow and simplicity I really want the main mix to be mono.

This is for a system I’m installing, the speakers fan out around the stage (hence no stereo) and I have used all available matrix’s so one of the speakers needs to be on LR.

I’m aware I can just not pan anything for the same effect but that leaves the issue of playback music losing the right side on the affected speaker, which would be rather annoying. Also wastes an output socket.

Looks like I can’t make the ST in channels sum either?

I don’t want to use an aux mix and leave the LR alone because this is going to be used by technophobes,it took some convincing to get them to go digital in the first place – it will be set up with a profile friendly for them to be able to use for the occasions they just need playback and one mic, don’t want to get into selecting mixes etc.

[KeithJ A&HModerator]

@cruise4burgers

The Main LR mix is always stereo, the only option to mono it is through a matrix (though I appreciate you’ve already ruled this out).
However, you can mono a stereo input channel by using the stereo width control in the preamp section.
This means you can have stereo input channels being fed to both left and right of the main mix equally and so by not panning any other input channels, you can simply patch the left or right of the main mix to a single output and not patch the other (so no ‘lost’ output socket).

The danger of course is that someone does start messing with panning and doesn’t know enough about the setup to realise they essentially have a secondary level control…

Depending on what your other matrices are being used for, you might find a way to work with the addition of a post-fade stereo or mono Aux mix with all send levels at unity.
The technophobes do not really need to know its there, other than for the master level. So with multiple area feeds for example, it may only be the difference of teaching them ‘here is your master level for area X’ rather than ‘here is a secondary level for area X, which is also dependent on the main’.

Thanks,
Keith.

[Cruise4burgersParticipant]

Ah, that’s great thank you! I’ve never noticed that section of the preamp before, that’ll do for my purpose, thank you for the rapid response!

There are actual soundies who will use it for mixing bands but for general club announcement/playback duties it’s going to have a ‘phobe scene where all they have to do is turn the fader up on one of the three channels they’ll ever need, so it’s more or less like the mixwiz they’re used to. The club staff actually couldn’t care less about losing half the stereo image, they have stereo cables with only one side plugged in several mono input amplifiers and despite me showing them otherwise they also did it in the aforementioned mixwiz ‘cos they couldn’t figure out the knob…anyway love the SQ’s, I own a 5 and I’ve convinced this and another venue to upgrade to a 5 and 6 so far.

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