Thanks Dimi, appreciate the input and effort.
A Torpedo or other load-box approach is not without it's own issues though. There will still have the usual....amp inconsistencies, extreme heat generated by the amps (which in a small home DAW can be an issue), tube wear, etc. And as for tone the amp is likely to react differently since a load box cannot (AFAIK) replicate a real speaker's interactions with the amp. This will likely make the biggest difference with cranked amp tones, I suspect. All that said, something like a Torpedo may be claiming to have new technology, and I am not up to speed on any potential recent developments in this area. But my inclination is I'd simply be trading the risks of one 'new technology" path for another, which is why trying to run the issues to ground with the KPA/profiling seems just as much a feasible place to focus time & effort at the moment. Although admittedly, lately I sometimes feel like giving up.
Sonic