btw, ckemper can I ask a specific question about Liquid Profiling:
In cases where an amps tonestack is located between pre and power amp stages, how does a liquid tonestack simulate this?
e.g. say the treble control on such an amp is set very low - this doesn't just lower the volume of the high freq's (as a post-amp EQ would), but it also alters the way the high freq's are subsequently driven by the power amp - so less distortion on them, or at least a different character. So, with a liquid tonestack modelled on such an amp, when you e.g. lower treble, does it also alter the distortion character of these high freq's?
The answer is yes!
To answer the theories of the adjaced posts:
There is sometimes a common believe that all tube stages of an amp contribute to the overall distortion. But this is not exactly true.
Some rules of thump:
When nothing distorts, it doesn't matter where you put an EQ/tonestack. Always the same result.
For example it doesn't matter, if you place an EQ before or after a delay or reverb, as long as the latter don't distort.
On a vintage tube amp up to the Marshall Plexi, only the power amp section distorts. No master volume control, only gain.
On later tube amps starting with the JCM800, the pre-amp section was given the ability to distort as well. A master volume knob was added to the power amp, to play distorted sounds at moderate levels.
If a preamp distortion is prominent, the volume peaks of your guitar are compressed by the distortion, hindering the power amp from distorting on top. You have to crank the master volume to extreme values to have that second distortion. That additional power amp distortion tends to mudden the sound, so expecially in metal music one relies on preamp distortion only.
You can of course lower the gain so that the preamp is clean and crank the master volume to have power amp distortion instead. This works well on "vintage master volume amps" such as the JCM800. But on dedicated modern high-gain amps the power amp section is highly linearized to provide less additional coloration (mud) at higher volumes.
The Profiler is made for capturing (profiling) the most prominent distortion stage, that is either the preamp or power amp.
For a Liquid Profile, you should be aware which stage you made distort, and set the EQ Position to Pre, if the power amp does the prominent distortion, or Post, if the preamp does the prominent distortion.