Here’s another observation, which probably serves little more than to consume a few more kilobytes on a server someplace…but here goes…!
Although I choose to remain blissfully schizophrenic when it comes to this whole topic, as I will happily use any of these technologies, there is a certain irritation I have with the whole processor/modeler thing - and it has nothing to do with how they sound.
The thing that puts fur on my eyeballs is the seeming planned obsolescence and marketing thing. A unit will come out and the marketing hype will be, “We’ve got all these great amp models!” Then, the next unit will come out a few years later and the marketing hype will be, “These amp models are even better!” Of course, there will be the same thing with the next model, “This time we really mean it. These amp models are the best!”
Of course, if you (as in ME!) are the poor sap who bought the earlier model, you’re stuck with a unit that has very low resale value, has no more software/firmware updates, and is likely not even supported by the manufacturer - meaning they won’t fix it even if you offer to pay them - and there are no third-party techs who will fix it either. What makes it even more infuriating is that even if you’re willing to buy the newer model, the patches you spent hours building with the older model may not be uploadable to the newer model. I know this to be true from personal experience.
Now, I realize each manufacturer does things a little differently, so not every issue I described may be true for every one of them, but they are a very real risk. You need to do some real research on whatever you want to buy - both the product and the company.
Again, this is not a commentary on how they sound. And, while I have highlighted some issues, this is not meant to argue against the idea of buying and using processors. But, it does help explain some of the appeal of tube amps. There is a certain timelessness to them.
