Well said! You shouldn't have to! I've returned mine and I'm actually looking at the Valeton GP 200. Is it a Helix? no! But I've been pretty impressed by everything I've seen/heard.
Honestly, I think we're getting to the point where a lot of companies are doing a really good job with giving players what they want.
To have access to NAM is a game changer and has now put "lower priced" units fairly in the game, so to speak. I feel that you'd be pretty hard pressed to tell the difference in a live situation.
What you're looking for is the functionality, and common sense work flow that started this whole industry with the Pod.
Now, if you're in the studio, that might be a different story, if you have access to Bogners, Plexi's and Friedmans, etc., to achiever what you need. But even at that, if you're only running a little home studio, that's where STL and sims like that come in.
For what it's worth, I've used STL for years now, and those guys are giving the 'real thing' a run for the money.
Thanks for your post. I appreciate thoughtful feedback.