For a show I've been running, I have to make sure the band (keyboard, electric bass, and unamplified drum-set) is balanced in the house.
Unfortunately, I'm in a control booth with the band right next to me, and the windows (which I kept open for the last show so I could hear the actors) are closed to reduce the noise level. I have a monitor that feeds me audio from two mics hanging over the stage, but no good way to hear what the mix sounds like in the house.
Setting the mix has been a lengthy process of trial and error, starting during tech rehearsals three weeks ago and continuing through this week (we close on Sunday). Nearly all of the changes have come from other members of the production staff or from audience feedback. I get way more keys and bass than the audience, but I can't tell that the loud bass in my right ear is inaudible down in the seats.
How does one go about setting levels in a situation like this, where one can't hear the live mix at all? It's fortunate that we have a set show, with no room for impromptu changes, so I don't have to be constantly adjusting the mix; but it would be interesting to learn techniques for that situation as well.