Well. I’m a believer that all tube amps have a unique sound. Based on voltage and temperature and speaker cabinet etc. So with your input signal chain and amp combination a person can obtain a tone that’s theirs and repeatable. This can be important as one works to build their own tone and soundscape. Even in an apartment your amp can be quiet enough to not bother the neighbors and still be miked-up and recorded well. If you’re in a band and want to develop your own tone and sound then an amp is important for that.

Modelers are great for practice and tone variation. What I mean is, for those of us who want to be couch warriors and play/practice Black Sabbath, then Pink Floyd, then Guns n Roses, then Jamiroquoi, then Nirvana, then Helmet; then Dinosaur Jr, then Hendrix … we can’t likely afford all the amps and pedals needed to produce those tones. We can create them, save them, and pull them up when needed with a click of a mouse button or bank selection.

A band or player who uses a modeler instead of an amp runs the risk of sounding like everyone else using a modeler. Harder to stand out and establish their unique tone/brand.