I am a big fan of Pete Thorn's youtube gear and question and answer videos. He talked about using speaker IRs with his Suhr amp. In fact, in the video he made an IR and compared the mic'd version and the IR version. Over youtube they both sounded good to me.
 
I downloaded some free IRs from Redwirez and Ownhammer to try and they just don't do it for me. I know that if I record them, they will sound fine but I just don't like how it "feels" when I am playing.
 
I have several amp sims (TH2 Producer, ABG, S-Gear 2, Amplitube free and Guitar Rig 4) and I don't love them like I do my amps. If I record with the sims and listen to the recording later, I like it. That is, I can't tell that is was a sim. I just don't feel it when I am playing through them. For lack of a better term, it sounds like "plastic".
 
So I thought going the speaker IR route with my own amp would be a good solution. Especially since I don't have all the mics I want. I have an SM57 but I love the mic Pete used (a ribbon mic) to mix in during his video. It is a couple hundred dollars though. The IRs are much cheaper!
 
Maybe the "plastic" feel and sound are my speakers and headphones?
 
What do you guys do and if you feel the same way, how do you get over it? :-)
 
 

For "silent" recording, two ways.

1. Sansamp character series. The "Blonde" does a pretty good Fender-like tone.

2. Valve amplifier->Palmer PDI09 DI/speaker emulator connected to amplifier speaker out -> Palmer load box. The load box is absolutely vital - run a valve amplifier without the correct loading at the speaker terminals and you will quite probably very rapidly destroy the power amp valves, the output transformer and maybe the power transformer and a bunch of passive components as well.

I've experimented with it. I have the Redwirez bundles also tried cabinets from Amplatube, Pod Farm, and GR5.
Some sounded great with some tweaking, some not so great. I guess that's because no matter what IR you use, it is being recabed by your cab. I have much better satisfaction running amp sims and cabs through my powered stage monitor.

In my case, I am bypassing my cab. I am taking the signal from my power amp stage into my interface. Or maybe I misunderstood what you said. :-)
 
I think my issue is that I have a sound in my head based on my amps. When I use a sim or a cab IR, it never sounds like what I want. I spend so much time fiddling with it, what little creativity I can muster is gone. lol

Does not get much better than this for playing a real amp, then faking the cab.  Load box and cab sim wrapped into one.  Just run your head right out to this.
 
http://www.two-notes.com/en/

maximumpower
In my case, I am bypassing my cab. I am taking the signal from my power amp stage into my interface. Or maybe I misunderstood what you said. :-)
 
I think my issue is that I have a sound in my head based on my amps. When I use a sim or a cab IR, it never sounds like what I want. I spend so much time fiddling with it, what little creativity I can muster is gone. lol

  Not sure what amp you have. My amp sounds like crap if I just use a high z preamp line out without using my DI box. Fortunate for me, my Johnson millennium has stereo xlr out, but still doesn't sound quit right until I enable the integrated cabinet sim in the amp for direct recording.
 
 If your amp isn't set up like that, I would have to say your best bet is to use either the amp with a mic or a sim.
Since I have the amp within 5' of my DAW, I'm finding it's just easier and get better results just micing the amp.  
 
If you're using the pre out in the back of the amp, you're not really using your amp, just the pre. Pretty much the same as plugging in a distortion box DI. Your interface has a preamp too so the recording chain would be preamp, preamp virtual preamp, amp, fx if any then cab? I'm sure with a bunch of tweaking you could get expected results and may stumble on something that you really love. Pretty complex setup though, I can understand why you're not hearing what you think you should be.   

I have a Carvin V3 and a Carvin Legacy 3. They both have a power amp output. My audio interface has a 1M ohm input impedance.
 
Sure, I can just mic the amp, I usually get decent results that way. However, after watching Pete Thorn create and use his IRs with his mics, I thought I could bypass buying his expensive ribbon mic and just use IRs. I just haven't been excited about my results with cab/speaker IRs with my amps.
 
The amps alone sound great (to me). I was just curious if others were doing this and if they were getting good results.
 
Thanks

NP, sweet looking amp. Looks like you have a nice direct out setup already. Having a hard time seeing it but looks like the control next to the line out level is an integrated cabinet sim feature. I think you may find you like that better than IR's for direct recording.
 

 

You know, I never engaged the cab sim. I just assumed it would not be that good lol. 

 I overlooked and way underestimated mine for several years before I seen on youtube,folks regard it as a great recording amp direct in with it on.