I have owned and used a line out from a Line6 Microspider amp and a Peavey Vyper amp. They are both designed as amp simulators with a real amp built in, but the simulator sound direct out still gives a kind of cabby feel to it, a bit of resonance and amp tone even on a clean setting is way better than the dry raw direct sound. The plus of these is that you can use them as actual amps too but, in the case of the microspider, don't bother. The microspyder has 4 models, "clean" "crunch" "metal" and "insane" and very limited controls for effects. The amp types modelled are not named, but what's in a name? Either you like how it sounds or you dont. Personally, I only liked the 'crunch' and 'clean' sounds. Its very expensive for its size too, maybe because it is made to be portable, run on batteries all that. In short... don't bother, it is hardly loud enough to matter.
The Peavey Vyper 15 is quite passable as a practice amp, loud enough to play with drums, but not so big it that it needs a lot of room to store. It has a big selection of clean and dirty versions of all kinds of popular amp tones plus it has delay/reverb. Also, "authenticity" I guess, some of the settings on the knobs vary depending on which amp model you select which I think is really cool. Like the 'bright' channel is available on modeller settings of amps that had a bright channel, EQs are more or less responsive in certain areas just like (allegedly) the real thing they want to be like (not that I have any AC30s or Rectifiers laying around to compare with). The amp is bypassed and a mic + cabinet emulator is automatically switched on when you plug in a line out of the headphone jack, or the USB port (yes it has a USB. Very cool for a cheap little amp)
I have some amp sim pedals too, a Digitech RP pedal which is just hopeless. I don't use it for the amp sim any more, just for an extra modulation or delay effect, but the cabinet emulator/amp sim just sounds awful. Tinny, too gainy (like still overbearing with the gain turned all the way down) and the cabinet emulator isn't responsive, it just sounds like a presence/EQ setting saved. I do not like it at all (tell us how you really feel?) but the effects on it work fine so I still like it, I just don't recommend it as an amp substitute.
Zoom G1 and G2.1 both have great sounding tones in them (same tones actually, just the 2.1 has a few more, and a more programmable interface). I really like my G2.1, it USBs, it has a ton of other effects, It sounds very thick, none of the tinny buzzy brittle sound of the digitech they sound like amps and I actually get a ringing harmonic/feedbacky "live" response feel playing some of them. I am no engineer I can't explain what it is, but the sounds themselves just seem like so much more detail was put into them recreating the response of a tube.
What's the remedy for this type of situation? It was a good take, and I tried re-recording but couldn't really get anything as nearly as good... I know, there's no "fix-in-the-mix". I guess I just want to know the smart way to go about this so I don't repeat the same mistakes again...Will an amp emulator help? Is it worth it to spend $$ on something like a sansamp GT2?
