Hi. I am also a new Line 6 user. Just bought a Spider 4 HD150 Half-stack.

To address the first question:

Once you have the tone you want, to store it, simply press one of the 4 Bank/Preset buttons on the front of the amp and hold it in for a few seconds.

When it is in store mode, all four lights will blink, and you will see in the LCD display that it as asking, where you want it, and if you want to rename it.

Using the directional pad up/down, you can choose one of the 16 user banks.

     - banks holding 4 presets each

Also using the Directional pad, left/right, you can move the cursor across the name of the current tone. Here You can change the letters or numbers or symbols you want to be deisplayed for your new tone.

     - pressing the selector knob will change from CAPS to lower case to number, to blank space.

     - using the knob turning left and right, you can change whatever the cursor is currently under.

          - example you will see " Tone Name " and as the cursor is under "T" turning knob left wil go to S, R, etc. Right will go to U, V, etc.

          - pressing the knob while cursor is under "T" will change it to lower case, pressing again will turn into "0" (zero), one more time will produce a blank space

Once you are happy with the name, and the bank you want to store it in, then simply press A B C D blinking button, to store it there.

     - example if you used the directional pad up/down to bank 10, and you pressed C from the blinking bank light/buttons, it would store you tone in bank 10, preset C

To address the second question:

I have found that the settings you are describing do in fact reference 1 thru 10. As you turn the Swoosh knob for the desired control, look at the LCD window while turning it, you will see a little line, emulating what would be the marker on a standard amp knob.

     - example Using Drive at 6 , you would turn the swoosh for drive dead up center, and go 1 line space to the right as viewed in the LCD window.

When I add my settings I reference both the clock and the Dial

     - example from one of my posts: http://line6.com/community/message/292018#292018

*****

Solo Track - Sweet Lead, from the artist presets - Killswitch Engage

     - backed off gain to about 1 o'clock (or 6 if straight up and down on the swoosh is 5)

Harmony Lead - Sweet Lead, again from Killswitch

*****

I hope this helps you. Congratulations on your new amp. Line 6 Does Not Dissapoint.

Enjoy.

Seth