Just finished doing the sound for a world music festival.
Great results using a Martin Audio CDD 15's as tops and DXR15's pointing to the sides as the crowd was approx 70 seats wide and 10 rows deep.
For crowds up to 400 with world music I have used 2 x L1mk2's with 2 B2's as FOH for years with great success.
Now I am doing bigger events up to 800 people seated wide so wide dispersion is important and thats why I still want to use the L1's some how.
I have an idea so I can still use the L1's FOH.
Stick a quality 10inch or 12inch speaker like DXR/DZR10 or Martin Audio XP12 or F1 812 in front or next to each L1 tower to get the throw/SPL's I need and still get the 180 degree coverage from the L1's.
Probably have to add more subs for 800 people, so i'd possibly go for 2 x Bose Sub2's.
At the festival i just did we used 2 x Yamaha DXS18xlf's. They were very good.
I know there could be some interference patterns, but I just spoke to a guy at Martin Audio and asked him about the idea of having 2 pairs of XP12 tops each side as FOH. He said "
in the real world punters don't notice the things audio engineers notice. Yes there might be a little comb filtering but very little, go for it".
And I have to say, at the festival I just did, I did notice so irregularities walking sideways between the CDD15's and the DXR15's that were side by side, but I was really analysing the sound.
All week I got compliments and the word "pristine sound" came my way often.
I want to try this above idea, have to hire a hall to check it out.
Had any similar set ups?