I was just thinking about how unfortunate it is that 5.1 is the only main bus configuration that includes a LFE. LR+Msum, LR+M, LCR, and LCR+ all take up four mixes anyway, but there’s no way to actually use that fourth mix to feed subs. Or fills. Or anything else, I guess, but those where the two uses that popped into my head.
You can use the Msum and M for subs as well. But the lost mix is really just lost. 
If you’re not already using the M bus for something else, yeah, in my experience that works great. It doesn’t solve the problem of the inaccessible mix though. On systems where FoH and monitors are run from a shared MixRack, it’s pretty easy to run out of mixes.
Or maybe the real suggestion is to let us allocate an odd number of mono mixes since one mono matrix would solve the problem nearly as well as having a LFE send on those “only 3 mixes even though they take up 4 mixes” main mix configurations.
Edit: Wait a sec… that mitigates the issue somewhat if you’re running out of mixes, but it still doesn’t actually let you access the missing mix!
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I wouldn’t be opposed to a 7.1 mains mode. If tha texisted I woul dbe using it in one of our rooms. It isn’t proper surround specifications, but has all the corresponding speaker channels.
Since there is not a 7.1 option, I set it up mains as 5.1 with an additional stereo aux for the rear speakers. Admittedly, that has not caused any real problems.
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