Had some fun playing around last night.  However, I was thrown by this from gswitz's awesome post from earlier:  "11. On the right hand side, third button down, click SEARCH."  I'm using the TH2 version that came with Producer (not the full upgraded version) and I swear I can't find this anywhere.  Therefore, I had no way to play with the presets.  I did find that in the "chain", I could access 6 or 8 different amps by clicking the arrows in the onscreen amp, so I was able to get some different sounds that way.  And I'm sure I only scraped 5% or so of the sound-shaping possibilities.  I'm just wondering if I'm missing something as far as accessing the presets...

TH2 Producer comes with a few presets. Just below the header panel containing I/O controls at the top of the UI is the sound panel which contains preset info. Click the 001 on the left to toggle between the factory and user bank 001. There should be presets in 001 factiory. To the right is the sound number 01.1. Just below these numbers are the variations for this sound number. The search button on the far right of the sound panel will open a window displaying all the presets available. At the bottom right of the UI is a manual button. This will open the TH2 pdf.
Depending on how long you have had TH2 Producer, your store account may have additional presets in a line item Free TH2 Producer content pack. I believe it was added in late 2012.

The tubes react to the amount of signal they are being hit with. A real tube amp can be set for lower gain settings or low channel volume with high master volume so the signal from the guitar is clean when the guitar is wide open. Higher gain settings in the channel or preamp causes the preamp tubes to overdrive when the guitar is full up so you turn the master down to compensate for the volume change. When you increase the volume of the guitar it causes the preamp tubes to slightly be pushed harder. Depending on the relationship of the channel and the master volume depends on how much crunch or distortion the tubes give you. This is the basic way a real tube amp works.
There is a universe of subtle changes involved in adjusting the preamp and master controls. Keep in mind that this is just the amp alone. For versatility, you may want to use the amp set clean and use an overdrive or distortion pedal for your shredding. That way if you need a clean rhythm sound after your metal solo, you just switch off the distortion pedal. That's the basis of most live rigs that have to be more versatile than just going with the same sound all night long.

Thanks Scook!  I forgot to disengage the master button, and so I actually had no sound panel below the master panel.  Once I clicked master, there were the presets!  And I'm embarrassed to have missed the manual.  I will read that when the screaming babies allow...

I too, have never tried TH2. No time and I am sort of old school in thinking I want the real thing with an SM57 in front of my tube amp.
 
But I can't wait to get home now and try this, thanks guys...great thread.

As a guitarist for almost 50 years I can attest to the fact that NOTHING beats a really good tube guitar amp with the classic dynamic or condenser mic placed correctly. The amp sims still are not quite there but they sure make it easier to get a killer sound quickly. And it is much easier to re-amp a track with a plugin than setting up all the hardware to re-amp the real thing.
At the end of the day, it is all about versatility. If you are a session player or a composer that is called on to create many different kinds of music, you probably want as many choices of amps and FX as you can get.
If you are what I refer to as a specialist, someone who has built their rep on their one distinct style and tone you really want to stick close to the sound that is keeping you working.
In the big budget session it is all about getting that song down as quickly as possible so anything you can have in your toolbox that helps you get it done is a plus. I think the most important thing of all is to find the one amp or amp sim that you really like and learn it inside out so there's not much mucking around time.
BTW, there are a ton of videos about TH2 on YouTube.

Babies can't sleep through the real thing.

This comment caught my eye and made another question come to mind...
 

Sidroe
As a guitarist for almost 50 years I can attest to the fact that NOTHING beats a really good tube guitar amp with the classic dynamic or condenser mic placed correctly.

25 years ago, when I first started playing guitar, research showed that pedals (granted hardware) could not replicate true tube amp sounds so I opted to get a nice Carvin tube amp. At that time "MOSFET technology" was coming onboard, but not mature, although looked promising to replicate a tube amp sound in the future...
 
Granted, stomp boxes/pedal boards are hardware, but I was curious if you feel they can replicate a tube amp nowadays? I never tracked the MOSFET hype since I would never need it, but it is now 25 years after the fact (ugh).
 
I also agree in two things 100% regarding amp sims... 1) the convenience of them and 2) the ability to alter the sound drastically during the mixing phase since the clean tone is what is actually recorded. Even new applications like Melodyne do not take well to being fed a distorted signal.

Mettelus, I converted over to using a POD 2.0 when they first came out and while it took getting used to as far as the feel and response of the guitar being a little different it sure made my life easier both on stage and in the studio. I took so much flak because I was the first guy around here to go straight in the PA. Horror of horrors! Are you crazy? Go get your amp! They freaked when they were still tearing down gear to load out and I was unplugged and getting in the car! It took a while but soon some other guys started following down the path. I now use a Line 6 HD500 and I would say that the industry is very close to getting it right as far as the sound and the response under your fingers. Even Fractal Audio is designing their new pedalboards to look almost like Line 6s.
MOSFET was not anything close to the process of modeling. I never owned a MOSFET amp but among my amp collection sits an old solid state Fender UltraChorus amp. Many of my friends and fellow studio guys have been amazed at how it sounds and feels very much like a tube amp. They used something called "Dynamic Articulation Technology" if I remember correctly. I suspect it is probably a MOSFET setup in there.
Anyway, the quick answer is I think we will see a day when people are chasing amp sims just as much as they chase the ultimate tone of that old Twin or Marshall. LOL!
I think right now we are at a place where even the most critical listener will not tell the difference if it's real or an amp sim in a mix. You noticed I said in a mix. There still are ways to tell if the track is soloed whether it's the real deal.

Sidroe
 I think we will see a day when people are chasing amp sims just as much as they chase the ultimate tone of that old Twin or Marshall.

That day may be closer than you think.
I haven't had access to a "real" amp for quite some time. Even if I did, I wouldn't really be able to use it much. I'm too old to be dealing with evictions (and my wife's response to said evictions).
Amp sims have been a godsend. I do much of my recording in the late evening when noise is not an option, so sims and headphones are the modus operandi.
On days off, I have a little more leeway and I can pump the sims through my monitors.
Not perfect, perhaps, but it beats having my guitars become nice ornaments.