i wish it was that simple
im a tone freak (and i dont play guitar) and there's something about the feel of modellers that just dont sit right. modellers dont translate dynamics and distortion well...i wish i can afford an eleven rack.
i do prefer micing with a real amp but if i buy a real amp, my limited budget will only get me one entry-level-at-best amp. i'll have to wait another year before i can purchase another. i will be stuck and might get bored with the sound of my lonely amp.
on that issue, it might be true that modellers can't beat the "feel" of a real amp. still you have to look at it in the context of a mix. can one actually pick out a real amp vs an amp sim within a stereo mix? if not then it might be more economical to go with an amp sim.
however
if you're set on getting an amp, second hand nalang para the 20k can take you a bit farther
but true, the guitar players you record might need a bunch of peds to vary the sound a little. you can build it up from there.
the eleven rack is GREAT with clean tone. may mga instances siguro na wala nang pinag iba yung amp and eleven rack from the perspective of tone. shempre iba siguro pakiramdam ng gitarista, although Sancho told me yesterday that it really does feel like paying through a real amp.
it's true amp sims find a bit of difficulty when it comes to distortion but the eleven rack does a very good job in that area too
the mic selection is dead on ...
with that said, i would still use an amp whenever possible. call me old school.
there's a certain 3D-ness to a recorded amp sound ... probably the amp+room interaction ... call it vibe if you want, it just makes mixing a little easier ...
then again, hindi rin palagi. sometimes amp sims win over real amps
then again ...
... this monologue might go on for a while ...