Thanks for the thoughtful replies. A couple more details about my situation. I will only be using this rig when recording at the band's request. Out here in Hawaii, there aren't many shows, but when they happen, they're often unusual, and with an Aloha vibe. There is a total lack of location recording services, and as production manager, I'm frequently asked to try and find something. The quotes I get are ridiculous. Enough so that one or two shows could cover my interface costs.
As for inserts, I was thinking I could build cables that short the send to the return, and not have to half-click. The FOH engineer is gonna be working for me, so if I ask him to do it, I imagine he will.
Good idea on the monitor outs, hadn't thought of that one. I guess I'm really gonna need to do "all of the above", so I can be ready for any situation. Time to heat up the iron.....
Chris