h3ndrix wrote:I have a hard time seeing the question as illogical when it is just a question of what someone would do in a similar situation. I didn't ask what someone would suggest or what someone's grand advice would be--maybe it's illogical of me to think that people like to hold conversations?
I was being kind by using the word 'illogical' (which your question is), so don't take offence. It just seems like an unusual dilemma, but not one that I haven't experienced personally when I was starting out with other gear decisions.
The fact that you're split between upgrading to XL or buying a processor suggests you haven't got much money to play with, so in that respect I would advise you go the VST route where you can get a bunch of quality stuff for free. That will free up your funds for XL which is a great investment.
If you want to make House music, you quickly realise how effects heavy it is and how many layers of dynamic processing it takes to get a good sound. Not to mention stacks of automation. To achieve the same or similar with hardware takes a lot of investment and knowledge, but even then you majorly sacrifice the total recall ability of a good DAW.
If you just want something to play with, go ahead and buy a hardware processor. There's a lot of benefits, but the tradeoff is that you tend to get steered into the destructive use of effects. In other words, you can't undo the processing you apply to your sounds. This is especially problematic with reverb.
It's the LAW that an older head HAS to impart advice, so don't take what i say as a criticism. It's all still part of the conversation.
