Errr... the distressors sound 'clean'? What are you doing to them?
Try Dist2 or Dist3. Also, when tracking try to hit the Link button without actually linking two units... nice sound variation. For room mics (or other tracks you'd like to compress heavily), try the Nuke ratio (the one with the nice blue LED), squash the **** out of the signal and blend this signal with the original, uncompressed track.
Maybe it's me, but I still have to find a nice clean setting on the Distressor... and loving every minute of it.
Cheers
Arthur