gunpointmetal

You need to hit the MODE switch so your buttons are not "ABCD" because then you're switching between PRESETS instead of EFFECTS. Choose one of the ABCD PRESETS, then you can add an effect to the chain, gently touch one of the switches and a menu will pop up asking if you want to assign the footswitch, select OK by pressing the far right encoder below the screen. Now when you press the corresponding switch, that effect turns on and off. Repeat the process with different switches for each effect you want to add (or put multiple effects on the same switch). Each PRESET (ABCD) can be an entirely different signal chain with different footswitch assignments, if you want.

You're sound guy is either an idiot, or he comes from the school of "Everybody only wants to hear vocals and drums" which, surprisingly still runs rampant. Get a long lollipop cable and go out front without your IEM when you're sound-checking. If it doesn't sound right, tell the sound guy. If he gives you lollipop tell him its his lollipop ing job to make you sound how you want to sound, not mix every band the same. I've had sound guys who literally have no idea what to do with use when I tell them we don't have a vocalist...its like they have everything pre-EQed on the board around vocals and they just go blank.

There's another thread around here that explains basically, that the L/R aren't really left and right, but two stereo signals you can balance however you like (may not be 100% accurate!) and so putting both of them at center gives you a boost of somewhere around 6dB (may not be accurate!) in volume over "stock" patches with everything panned all the way out.

My experience is the same as OP....tried some cheap FRFR monitors (Harbinger), tried some expensive FRFR monitors (Mackie), tried some mid-range FRFR monitors (Behringer/Mackie), but for live volumes I couldn't get anything useable...the mid-range and low-end monitors had zero mid-range presence and couldn't even get over the drummer (all were tried in stereo with two 12" or 15" speakers) and they sounded like lollipop and balls at gig volumes. Yes I was setting up my patches at gig volumes, as well. I would need at least a stereo 31-band rack EQ to make them useable, but I can get recording tones easy, and I get compliments every time we play on my live tone which is Omen 8->HD500->Crate Powerblock-> 4x12 Grundorf Frankencab w/Bugera drivers. I can do awesome ethereal cleans and "just-broken-up" blues through the FRFR stuff no problem.