Monitering in stereo, summing to mono for FOH: Best way?

[Piano Whore]

So far, I have done it by sending the output from the left XLR out of my stereo keyboard amp (Motion Sound KP200s) to FOH. But the amp puts out too weak a signal to be useable for some PA setups, plus it's pretty well trashed after 7 years of use- so as of late I have been monitering in mono with a Yamaha MG-series mixer and Radial Duplex DI, feeding an Alto 12" powered speaker with the return of the DI. I have a lead on a pair of used QSC K12's and may go back to stereo monitering if I can get them.

So how do YOU do it, that gives good results- minimizing phase issues, etc.? (and thanks for reading).

[wesg]

I'm confused why you would what to do this. I love a stereo field, but I want to hear what the FOH hears! Some things sound *way different* in mono, chorus in particular.

[ChipCurtis]

I too am a little confused why you would feel the need to monitor yourself in stereo. I do the exact opposite. I monitor in mono and send FOH a stereo line. I do this by sending the left MAIN output from my mixer to a powered monitor speaker, and then I send the stereo LINE output to FOH (unless the venue only accepts mono, then I just send them the left side, but that's rare).

[Tullsterx]

I've been working on this a little, and I'm not sure there is a best way to sum stereo to mono, while avoiding undesirable results, short of checking all of your patches and making sure the ones you use sound good in stereo and mono. I think your best bet is to either send stereo to the FOH, or just send one side to the FOH. But, I would like to hear a better answer.

[SpaceNorman]

Is summing to mono a requirement?  I run "left and right" outputs from all three of my sound engines to stereo channels on my line mixer.   I then send a "left and right" output from my line mixer's main outs to my stage monitors and a "left and right" output from my line mixer's MON out to the FOH.  I would consider this to be a "stereo" setup since there are two channels from end to end.   However, because I pan both the Left and Right inputs to "center" on my Line mixer - I've heard it described as "dual mono".   Either way - the resulting sound (both in my monitors as well as in the FOH) sounds better than anything that I've tried to "sum"  (in my case by using the L/Mono output from the keyboards themselves into a single channel.)  As I've commented on numerous occasions - I can't explain the science behind the mono vs stereo debate ... I just know my ears like the approach I'm using best.

[Stokely]

Related question: I'd like to assume that the results of connecting a mono out of a keyboard *should* be the same as connecting both and leaving the submixer (or main mixer) mono.  I guess the difference is in what's doing the sum-to-mono: the keyboard internally or a mixer.  Can there in fact be a difference?  

One situation I know to avoid is taking a Left out to FOH and Right to a monitor, since then the keyboard would assume you are hooked up stereo and no summing would occur. 

Gah I hate the whole stereo vs mono thing...I just got the whole "nobody runs stereo, we are in mono" speech from our guitarist/soundguy...he left out: "nobody in dinky bar bands" as I see some of you guys in larger acts going stereo just find.  Though I can see the problem depending on where the mains are in relation to the audience, we do sometimes have asymmetrical rooms.  In any case I tend to tone down crazy stereo fx in my patches.