VS Guitar Tones

[raab]

Question for VS users on guitar tracking:

I've been using a VS 840 EX, plugging in direct and using the amp models inside it. It has sounded great for clean tones. But on distorted tones it sounds tinny and fake.

Anybody out there using VS's and miking amps? If so, how have the distorted sounds come out? I'm curious how the sound difference will be...

[Outlaws]

Well, I have a 1680, so I have a few extra tracks to work with.....but I am happy with most of my distortion tones.

Here is a song for reference to what I am going to explain.
http://berntson.us/songs/Laidback.mp3

After the beginning there is a "chorus" with distortion.

I have 4 guitars going. 2 clean and two with distortion. Panned hard left and hard right, one clean and one distortion for each. I also alternated between neck and bridge pickups. I can't remember which side it which, but one side would be neck pickup clean, bridge distortion...the otehr would be bridge clean, neck distortion. Then I added a bit of reverb to blend the two sides together and make it all mush well. If you can afford the tracks to get it all laid down and keep two tracks for a stereo mixdown, its a thick sound that is 100% digital.

But you still can't beat mic'ing an amp.