Man, I really appreciate all of the research you have been doing and before my next gig I will try going into the interface in my studio like you did. So another thing I might try is lowering the output on each patch and then making that up with the PC volume knob, since as you suggested, that would have no impact on the XLR out
Here is my signal flow:
Guitar(with the Dimarzio black angel sytem which has a piezo and magnetic pickups) stereo out into a Grace Felix (with each channel having separate EQ) -> the Quad
Cortex )using an API modeled preamp,Verb, DDL and then another EQ. Coming out of the PC+, it sounds like God and if not for the clipping, it should sound pretty close in the PA. YOu have given me plenty of ideas to trouble shoot before my next acoustic gig which is this Thursday with another on Friday and then Sunday.
The PA that I had the problem with is for my Thursday night gig. I'll hopefully have tried out everything you've suggested between now and then.
Thanks again and I hope that I can pass your kindness forward, although sometimes it is hard to find someone who know less than me!
rick