Clark:
If there is a point of principle or business consideration that you are working on, I apologize in advance for missing that point. However, if you are about making your guitar sound and feel as good as possible, I'll quickly share my comments:
I totally hear the difference in your clips. Absolutely. I also believe that I know what that difference "felt like" to you as well, because I went through the same thing trying to make my Axe sound and feel EXACTLY like my favourite tube rig. I never succeeded. However, what I did is after a while I ignored my tube rig and focused on getting my Axe to produce exactly the sound and feel I had in my head (striving for the "perfect" tone with the gear at hand, not trying to copy anything). When I recently fired up the tube rig I discovered that I liked the sounds I had dialed in my Axe better. Still not the same, just better.
Mack
If there is a point of principle or business consideration that you are working on, I apologize in advance for missing that point. However, if you are about making your guitar sound and feel as good as possible, I'll quickly share my comments:
I totally hear the difference in your clips. Absolutely. I also believe that I know what that difference "felt like" to you as well, because I went through the same thing trying to make my Axe sound and feel EXACTLY like my favourite tube rig. I never succeeded. However, what I did is after a while I ignored my tube rig and focused on getting my Axe to produce exactly the sound and feel I had in my head (striving for the "perfect" tone with the gear at hand, not trying to copy anything). When I recently fired up the tube rig I discovered that I liked the sounds I had dialed in my Axe better. Still not the same, just better.
Mack