Everyone will have an opinion on this and not necessarily in line with each other.
Mine:
- When dialing in tones (especially gainier/medium to high gain tones), you have to do this at close or right at stage/gig volume.
- I typically run my big volume knob all the way up, or close to it, and back down the main L/R output volume. I just make sure to tell the sound guy "Start with the channel gain a 0 and EQ flat". It sort of emulates a cranked amp better and really gives you the best of all frequencies, as well as, dynamics and punch.
- When going full direct to FOH, keep in mind...PA speakers do not have that same mid range, low mid range guitar friendly punch and "body" that a speaker cab in the room has. Same as when you physically mic a cab and what comes out of the PA half the time is underwhelming. So the biggest headache for me, is really a lot of tweaking and trial and error and really experimenting with EQ, mid range. I find that tones may sound great at home, then turned up at a gig....it may sound buried in the mix and not a lot of that mid range, tube amp girth. So if you're dialing in tones at home and it sounds mid range heavy, chances are in the context of a loud PA or a band mix, it's just right.
- Another trick on gain tones, is adding the minotaur in front...gain all the way down, tone higher up (then pulling highs down on the amp)..and the level up to taste. That adds so much clarity and dynamic to the tone.
- Another trick you can try is turning the sag down a bit. Tightens the amp up.