OTOH, emulations can be considerably more accessible. Consider a noob approaching this:
 

Versus this:

Zactly. Looking at that Melda plug I can tell what most of that stuff probably does (and the more specific stuff... which kind of looks like routing matrix type things I could spend a bit of time reading up on).
 
I however have spent the past 3 years studying DAW/music production stuff independently almost daily and have put a particular emphasis on various FX over the past few months. I still consider myself a n00b but 3 years ago that Melda thing would have made baby Beepster cry. Now it looks useful, cool and not really challenging aside from perhaps learning how the route it all and get a good balance between everything (the latter of which is where I really am a n00b... because I lack actual mix experience but that's what I'm building up to with all this studying... hopefully).
 
The LA2A models (I bought the PC2A and now the CA2A CST version) are straight forward to use fer shure and seem to almost always make things sound good with very little effort (I seriously have to force myself to not automatically put it on everything but it really does seem to work on bloody everything). But I, being the curious weirdo I am wonder exactly what is going on with it.
 
I think I would kind of like to see the Sonitus Compressor or some other similar ultra flexible/precise comp that has graphical info and precise numbered controls be forced to emulate an LA2A model so we could see what the heck it is actually doing.
 
Like somehow set up and FX Chain module or something that can precisely control all the necessary parameters within the Sonitus Comp to emulate LA2A model's response to the simple control adjustments. That way as the mapped virtual controls are twisted all the Sonitus controls move just like an LA2A model would. Maybe secondary plugs like an EQ would be necessary to fully duplicate it. If so put that in there too.
 
I'm not an electrical engineer or computer programmer so the nature of the LA2A might be such that would be impossible to really define it in such a way but I also figure these models HAVE to be able to be baked down to raw numbers if they managed to be turned into computer emulations.
 
Doubt anyone would bother doing that aside from folks creating plugs for sale and they obviously wouldn't necessarily want that type of thing published but it would certainly be interesting to see.
 
Somewhat related... that T-Racks version does not seem to have the R37 HF/Flat "screw" adjustment the CA2A does. Is it just hidden? That little screw does a lot for me (mostly on guitar stuff... seems to really dial in the sweet spots of hi-mid/hi range freqs). Just wondering if that is a unique feature of the Cake version.
 
Anyway... cool, thought provoking replies. Love this subforum. Always learn something or get inspired here.
 
Cheers.

that's a good list

Hi, bats. It's been helpful and I've found a few more since. I know you are more of a hardware purist and obviously that's ideal but really... that ain't gonna happen for me any time soon. Hunting down the precise model names has been letting me hunt around youtube for examples of the real deal in action so when I'm playing with sims I have an idea of what I SHOULD be hearing and how adjustments should affect things.
 
I've actually trashed GR5 pretty hard in the past but now that I've been tearing it apart component by component I gott say... it's actually pretty good. It's just the initial settings and presets that suck and you have to REALLY dig at to find out how to push and tweak the models. Now I'm finding that I get much more realistic results driving the amps harder on the pre (just like a real amp) using volume or gain components before the actual amp components. A lot of the effects and doodads were unknown to me too so after looking around at real world versions and digging into the NI released components reference guide (which has instructions for every little tweakable parameter) it's all becoming much more useful and realistic.
 
TH2 is still more useful right out of the box but does not have nearly the spectrum of tools. Glad I decided to take a second look at GR. 
Been having a lot of fun and getting a lot of ideas spending the past week or so trying everything out.
 
Cheers.