I've a big problem with amp sims in that I own real, hardware versions of much of the stuff I would need to simulate to get my basic setup.

I've yet to find an amp sim that actually sounds or behaves like the hardware version of what they claim to emulate. They also require very careful gain staging unless you want your low-output vintage style Strat or Tele to sound like some pointy heavy metal machine. The Sansamp Character series are reasonably close and, in my opinion, react and feel much more like and amplifier.

Out of the software emulators I find Amplitube the least offensive, though its models of the Orange Tiny Terror and Fender valve reverb don't sound or feel like the real thing. Nor for that matter does their Marshall plexi.

Another option is something like the Blackheart B1H1, a quarter watt valve amp that's not outrageously expensive. Add a small speaker cab and it's a very nice setup at domestic volume levels.

One thing to watch with vst amp sims is latency. You will be monitoring the guitar via Sonar's input echo. Unless your DAW and interface can give you a "round trip" time of 10 milliseconds or less expect to find it rather difficult to play accurately (or at all) as the gap between playing the not and actually hearing it come out of your monitors gets very noticable once latency gets much over 10ms.

tlw
I've a big problem with amp sims in that I own real, hardware versions of much of the stuff I would need to simulate to get my basic setup.

I've yet to find an amp sim that actually sounds or behaves like the hardware version of what they claim to emulate. They also require very careful gain staging unless you want your low-output vintage style Strat or Tele to sound like some pointy heavy metal machine.

This best summarizes my daily struggle with amp sims...especially surrounded by the guitar-rich community of Nashville and wiz-player sessions.  I have yet to capture a WARM, creamy, sustaining tone, similar to today's modern country styles using any of the amp sims out there.  Not the AC/DC sounding cheese of Brantley Gilbert or Jason Aldean, but the stuff on recent McGraw and Blake Shelton tunes.  I'm sure a lot are double tracked...or more...and played by the top players in the world through the best gear in the best studios in the world...so I'm not a (total) dope.
 
Just once I would love to pick up my real guitar, plug it into my fake guitar amp (lol), and have it sound like this:
 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m4CDXtBqKcA
 
 

Bear in mind if you like me have a dislike for licencers that the Scuffham will give you another of those soft licencers running in the background of your computers.

Will latency be a problem with software sims using something like a Focusrite 6i6 via direct monitoring?

Really dumb question(I'm a newbie)....I can't even find Overloud in the plug-in's.  I have the Studio version.....what am I missing??

yellowcake64 - you will get all kinds of help here on the forum to get your latency under control.

I have three kinds of audio interfaces. I switch between two for just the reason you've asked. I use a Focusrite for everything but guitar recording essentially. It's easy in Sonar to switch between two audio interfaces if you happen to have more than one. My second, the one I use for guitar recording, is a Line 6 KB-37. Very affordable, lots of upsides in capabilities, and completely unnoticeable latency. With effects applied and fully loaded when monitoring it is real time, sounds like it's coming out of an amp.

Here are a couple links about it:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cRpCXWSC8TE

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zwBR1OfHRtM

I should note that I'm the only one who ever mentions this device. But I can say that it works as I've described and I use it all the time for that purpose.

Scuffham uses challenge/response, as far as I know there is no background licenser running. Maybe this changed recently, I've only had it for six months or so.

Yellowcake64, you can not use a "direct monitoring" feature while playing through an ampsim. Direct monitoring is a feature of your soundcard which basically sends the input signals right back out, meaning not passing through any other software. This helps to keep latency down for recording purposes but means you won't be able to use any VST based FX during recording. If you want to use FX like ampsims while recording, you need to use the "normal" route and fidget with the buffer size until you get acceptable roundtrip latency settings. Quite possible though, with a reasonably modern computer and your soundcard. You may have to adjust settings again when your project fills up with tracks and fx, but for recording you will be able to make it work.

i've hardly used the TH2 cause it didn't do much for me... I didn't spend the time to really learn the fine tuning of it, and it reminded me of the amp sim in UAD, which i didn't like.  Haven't used GR5 much, but I like some of the sounds on it. I've used Amp. 3 for years because of the variety.  What you want to look for is their 'group buy' sale where you buy one and get two or so free. Depending on how many people buy them, they offer more.  I have their SVX for bass, Amp Metal, Amp Fender, and the Orange series.  You get that many amps and you can do about whatever you want, IMO.
 
there's this review:
http://www.musicradar.com...the-world-today-427789

sharke
 
I've thought about this too, but I guess at the end of the day these amp sims are more suited toward recording guitar, not sitting around jamming.

I'm not much of a guitar player, and maybe this only applies to loud rock, but watching others I thought that there was some sort of interaction between the player/guitar and the sound coming back at them from the cab.  I can't see this happening through software and studio monitors.  How do you simulate the sound from the speaker feeding back to guitar and strings ?
 
 

If you play your monitors loud enough this works the same way. I can get feedback tones and all that.