Re: Midas Pro 1
Perhaps the best thing about digital mixers is that they allow us to work in so many different ways 
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I don't work one regular gig as I run a local sound company catering to all sorts of clients. Sometimes a compressor on the main bus can be useful, sometimes not.
Help, somebody call the parametric EQ police 
I'm not that big a fan of graphics. Being that I'm a Yamaha guy I have on occation run out of parametrics as they sometimes use up a band for LPF and HPF and only have 4 bands per bus on some mixers.
I like to use VCAs, too, but sometimes in a different way than I use groups. The main reason I like using groups is that I can EQ/compress/FX/gather groups of channels into "prepared" packages I in turn can mix with the group faders.
I really like to set up audio groups so that I have a dedicated FX unit for the channels in that group, so that if I lower that group, I also lower the FX for those channels by the same amount.
A lot of people don't realize that this isn't really possible with VCAs: Typically we set up our system so that the input channels feed a post-fade AUX which feeds the FX unit, which in turn is returned back to the mix via a stereo return channel. OK, now we assign both the instrument channels strips and the returns for the FX unit to the same VCA, thinking that we'll just remote control that whole group or "package" of channels.
Here's where it gets a little interesting: You raise the VCA master by 6 db, meaning you raise all the input channels in that VCA group by 6db, meaning you feed you FX unit with 6dB hotter signal (which is exactly as things should be so that the FX "tracks" the dry channel). But if the FX unit is in the same VCA group, the return channels from the FX unit ALSO get a 6dB increase, meaning that the FX just got 12 dB hotter while the rest of the channels in that group only saw a 6 dB increase.
Food for though for some perhaps. It was for me when I initially realized this, and made me start using audio groups a lot more actively again.
I just got back from a gig where I was on my PM1D. Tonight a fed the PA from a matrix that was fed from the LR master1. That same matrix was also fed by a single group that had a DJ and microphone for a host running though it.
When I muted the master I could still PFL it, meaning I could line check and mess around with some FX setting while listening to the LR bus in headphones, all while the break music and host microphones were on.
I also made my master EQ setting on the matrix so that they were in play for all sources. I ran the LR master to another matrix for recording the band. During the band's set, I ran into some "gak" that I wanted to clear up for the entire mix. I used the EQ on the LR bus as it allowed me to fix the issue without screwing with the sound for the DJ/host setup (that I was happy with). I also concluded that it was probably best for this EQ change to be present on the recording, so it made perfect sense to make the change on the LR bus.
Nothing fancy, but a real-world example of how this may work for this user, at least.
No worries. I just got into the discussion because you stated that you never got why some people set their mixers up like this, and I had some suggestions as to why they might.
I'm afraid I'm not very knowledgeable about the Midas Pro1.
I will agree that it is irritating to not have separate faders for the L and R side of the main master, or at least a balance control. This has bugged me about both analog and digital mixers alike.
