Even on the same amplifier, every channel will react in its own personal way to the sound coming out from your stompboxes.
This is particularly true for the LEVEL coming OUT from your pedal rig, which will influence the way you may DRIVE and BOOST the INPUT stage of your amp.
Unlike you could think, the cleaner the channel, the more it will react in terms of VOLUME.
The clean channel of a Fender Twin will increase the volume A LOT as you increase the OUTPUT VOLUME on your overdrive pedal*. And what's more, it will preserve your transients.
While the lead channel of the same amp (let alone a Marshall) will result in a more saturated and compressed sound but the VOLUME will nearly stay the same.
The more you push your input stage, the most muffled and confused your sound will come out from the amp, due to the circuitry of your amp, like tube load and stuff like that.
Which is pretty cool in terms of SOUND, but it is totally useless in term of "song arrangement" such as PUMP UP your volume during a solo.
So it really depends on your needs. You just have to look around a little bit with your settings and try different pedal order in your rig to find what works for your personal needs. Both with your own amp, and every time you're going to play with a backline amp.
Sometimes I end with using the crunch cannel for the clean parts, and switching to the clean channel + overdrive* for the solo section.
You may think it is a paradox and yes it is, but it works.
Check it out, your sound engineer will be happier than ever!
It happened to me during a gig to use my regular fuzz setting I was used to use on the crunch cannel of my VHT Pitbull amp on the clean channel of a Fender amp.
Don't do it, unless you want to transform your reggae party in a Manowar show.
* or no matter what other kind of distortion / boost unit.
