Not sure what the exact issue may be with the mix down, but it will become apparent along the way i am sure.
To start with let's talk about the monitor signal. If i understand correctly you send the Left and Right of your CD to separate input strips on your mix desk. Then the Left (click ) can be sent to the monitors separately, and need not go to the mains Right side of the CD, containing the mix needed to be utilized in the performance, is assigned to both mains and monitors.
This seems a workable scheme. I will ask - Have you successfully utilized this method before, or are you at the beginning of an "experimental" learning curve? Is the CD itself satisfactory (ie comparable) to what you hear from the AW itself, without trying to play along?
If you are making a mix that sounds good on its own, but seems to have issues when being played back against the stage instruments in a rehearsal setting, then the issue may have more to do with stage volume settings of individual instruments, drum kit volume, stage vocal levels etc. Keeping in mind you want a well balanced mix for the Front of House, if it is OK on its own but not working on stage, the solution may well be adjustment of stage volume levels. This is complicated somewhat if you are not sending everything through your mix desk. I mean for EG an electric guitar amp. If you are playing a small house and you are using your Guitar amp's volume to get it to the FOH, without micing it, then you of course need to have the volume set loud enough for the audience. Such volume may be OK for stage, on its own, but may be overpowering for the backing track or competing with / masking specific frequency profiles ( ie instruments, vox etc.). the solution would be to turn down the guitar on stage, but that would cause the FOH signal to be weakened. The solution to that would be to mic or line in the guitar amp to the mix desk so it can be beefed up for the FOH when turned down to achieve stage balance.
I have never experienced a radical difference, such as you describe, with burned disc compared to the stereo mix from whence it came. Unless it was caused by not saving immediately after a mix recording, prior to ordering a burn. But you say that is not the case.
What say you to my speculation re: stage volume? If there truly is a radical difference between what you believe you mixed and what you got from a burn, there will be an explanation. When you mix are you listening in stereo so click is definitely on left, mix on right? Or might you have your monitors configured to be listening in mono as you mix?? That perhaps would cause discrepancies such as you describe, seeing as the final mix is panned hard L/R to suit your purpose.
_________________ Byron
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