VST Guitar Plugins sound like CRAP! after recording direct guitar...

[abbated]

First off I want to thank EVERYONE whose tips, tricks, tones, screen shots, impulses, tutorials, suggestions and EVERY other helpful post has done wonders for my mixes... Mixes of course that still need LOTS of practice. I'm working on that.

Today's problem: My guitar tones sound like garbage after recording direct and then using Gearbox and/or Revalver to create the tone. If I use the standalone version of either software my tones sound just as I created them. However, even if I use the EXACT same settings on the direct signal the sound is MUCH worse. VERY NOTICEABLE.

I don't have a whole lot of gear but I have tried recording the direct guitar through the "direct out" of my L6 Toneport (I know it's crap but it IS what it was created for so I had to try). I have tried the instrument input on my MOTU 828 MKIII (even at it's lowest trim way to hot) and I've tried through my Joe Meek Twin Q. I have tried recording at EVERY level on my DAW (Sonar 7) from barely audible to "purposely" clipping for testing's sake. Is there something I am missing here? How do all of you go about preparing/recording your direct signal for use with an amp sim? Any insight would be greatly appreciated.

And yes, I have read Oz's guide to preparing tracks for reamping, SEVERAL times.

 

[abbated]

Actually the direct guitar sounds just fine. In fact, clean tones sound great when I use an amp sim. It's just distorted tones that sound... "Depleted" for lack of a better term. They have no life or depth. I know that is a common side effect of amp sims but the stand alone programs aren't nearly as "empty."

 

[deffi]

yes. that's weird, Try to record via usb 2 tracks - unprocessed and processed (gearbox), then put unprocessed into gearbox with same presets, record and compare, you shouldn't hear the big difference (sorry for my english, i'm language dope).

 

[Jarkko Mattheiszen]

You didn't mention what guitar you use for recording. A cheapo strat copy with crap, single coil stock pups easily ruins a hi-gain tone, while using a decent axe with [put your favourite humbuckers here (as long as they're EMG 81's )] really makes it hard to go wrong with, say, Revalver MKIII's 5150 model.

EDIT:
Ah, crap, missed the "but the stand alone programs aren't nearly as "empty."" part. Sorry.

 

[abbated]

deffi: Excellent idea! Why didn't I try that already? I will try it as soon as I get home tonight from work.

jhawkwe: I'm using a late 90's Robin with EMG 81's and a Mcnaught (my baby - which cost more than my damn car) with Texas RIO Hum's (passive I know but VERY good sounding). Both guitars suffer the same tone loss on reamping through plugins.

Thanks so much for your answers. I have some food for thought now!