I generally use Channel 1 for the cleanest, most bubbly clean sounds that I can get. That usually happens when I use Ch 1/Tweed/Spongy/Low Gain (10:00)/High Presence/2x6L6/Tube tracking, and the open side of the RK 4x12 cab. I also have a John Petrucci Music Man with the piezo option, so I use a mix of the piezo and the custom center pickup selector to refine my clean sound. One of the (many) reasons that I bought my RK was that I really liked the options that it offered for a clean sound.
With that said, the one (and only) negative thing that I can say about my RK is that I am forced to trade a high-quality, bubbly and sparkling clean sound for high volume. That is, when I need to play at high volume, I have to change from only 2x6L6 to 2x6L6 plus 2xEL34 (or 4x6L6). I also have to turn up the gain to at least 1:00. After I make those changes, my pristine clean sound starts to break up slightly at high volumes (mostly due to the increased gain). And that really pisses me off because if I wanted tube breakup, I would have used channel 2.
I can remove almost all of the breakup if use all 4x6L6 plus 2xEL34, but for all those who aren't familiar with the RK, when you select all 6 power tubes, the amp forces itself to use the silicon diodes to perform the signal rectification (they literally didnt' have enough room to add a third 5AU4G recitifier tube to support all 6 power tubes, so they force you to use the silicon diodes in this case). In my opinion, silicon diode rectification really makes a clean tone sound really sterile and lifeless, so I refuse to use all 6 powertubes for my clean sound.
So yeah, you're not alone.
