Thanks again for more feedback.

I do use a lot of modeling stuff (for recording, as well as live) but the weird part is I am finding myself becoming accustomed to modeled sound I think.. which I am not sure that I really want, lol. I want to really get better at having an unbiased ear, if that makes sense. Once I do better with that, then I feel like I'll have a better ability to choose the right tone for the right setting... or at least have a more accurate depiction of my tone in comparison with others.
As far as the exciter goes, I actually am not sure if there is something on there that could be causing such a thing.. very possible. I'll have to poke around in there and see. The funny part is, I didn't hear what you were describing at all as I was recording or listening to it back... which is exactly what I was talking about in the last paragraph.. lol.
EVENTUALLY, I want to get a Fractal Axe EFX II... but given their price tag, that may be quite a big eventually.

I've never used one personally, but everyone that I talk to always goes bananas over them. Leaps and bounds ahead of anything else.