ilovefuzz.com

Basically I want my guitar to not sound like trash with my headphones and dirt pedals. For recording/late night jam sessions.

Do I get one of those Tech 21 things? I've got a Joyo copy of the AC30 modeler, but I don't think it has a cabinet simulator so distortion tones get wampus.

I have 2 cheap devices that do what you want just OK:

-Vox Amplug Ac30. I set the gain low and plug it in last in my chain when I can't use an amp at home(if the GF is watching TV/playing video games). Works OK with dirt pedals.
-Behringer "Bass amp sim DI"(Tech 21 copy, can't remember the name).
Made for bass, but sounds ok with guitar as well. Dirt sounds OK with this as well.

For generic headphone practice, almost anything will work.

Recording, you may want more (Amp VSTs, hardware modelers, etc).

There're a lot of cheaper modelers that would work depending on how many different sounds you'd like to have. Those older Roland Micro Cubes are well under $100, sound particularly good at low volumes, have a headphone out, some decent effects, and a speaker if you don't need total isolation. You can get a 2.0 POD for practically free now too, and they sound pretty good if you want a desktop option.

I have just tried this speaker simulator (that is a simple VST), and the result is really really nice. http://www.two-notes.com/logiciels/torp ... -of-sound/
you can choose between a lot of cabs, mics, mic placements... And the sound is really nice with stompboxes, even with fuzz that sound like shite when recorded directly

I think the amplug sounds ass with füzz.

The best that I've tried is using the Two Notes Wall of Sound plugin in my daw. It's super rad, and I think free. You get a couple of cabs and you can buy other ones. I still can't quite dial in the presence exactly like a real mic'd speaker but it's definitely good enough.
*just read the post above. Like this dude says. It's good!!

Otherwise I'm keen to try the palmer pocket amp.

For the longest I couldn't stand DI guitar in any capacity. It just doesn't...work. For me.
DI bass is great, deep & lush even when it's flat & clinical. But guitar...it's painfully lack luster. Boring.
I have to cut several dB at 200hz, boost a few at 700hz & 4khz just to start getting the type of response I like in a guitar amp...minus the feedback from playing around a cab.
Now I could get by if no other options were available but it is far from a preference.
It's OK for practice but it is never satisfying in the same way as pre-amp+power amp+speakers each coloring the signal by committee.

I have a pair of tube pres with DI. They're clones of 1950s RCA Consolette channels, single 12ay7 driven with transformer in and out. Everything going into them sounds huge...except fuzz...which loses its edge unless the additional EQing [to respond more like a guitar pre+power combo]. Otherwise it sounds flubby and dull

I recently borrowed a tech 21 British and Liverpool for demo/pre-production recordings. I was floored by how good they sound direct into my DAW. After using it extensively for a week, I highly recommend them. Honestly it sounds so close to the actual amps, my mind was blown, especially if you use a touch of reverb. Going to buy both now. Only one downside: they don't take dirt pedals in front very well, but I've heard the tech 21 blonde is better for that.

ADA GSC-3....then you can use any of your dirt pedals. Has a headphone jack and vol pot, too.

Micro terror is what I used for this purpose

I use a decent amp sim plug in. Plenty are free / really cheap. I use Logic's because I own logic and it came with it

i'm very interested in this question as well; except i don't really use computers for recordings, so i'd rather not rely on plugins and the like. i usually record into cassette or digital 4-track. i'm generally down with the "lo-fi" vibe i get with just plugging pedals straight in, but have been considering trying some device to get a more "real" sound.

was really interested in checking out the joyo actone (especially since its so cheap!); but ThurburMingus, you say nah? also thought about a carl martin rock bug. many years ago i remember getting decent results with a little korg toneworks pandora px1.

The Pandora is way old tech. For the low dollar stuff now, go with either the baseline Digitech RP or the new Boss GT-1 (same engine, just not two signal chains at once, as the high-end model).

AC Tone is okay. I got it for DI purposes and it works better than straight in, but not great. I think it's lacking the cab sim of the Tech21 pedals. I'd really like to try one of those out. For $30 it's pretty good at making boring practice amps sound a little better.

I found that I get acceptable results with my iPad running Garageband's amp sim. I'm using an iRig so it's fairly noisy. I need a decent interface in the worst way.

Get a GT-001 - it has 1/4" or phantom (available, not eternally on like some recent TC products). Solves sim *and* interface, in one shot, plus reamp.