I am the only one to NOT agree here! I'll second Eventides stance. TC Electronic tried, but all that tube distortion is elusive at best. All modellers (software plug ins) today tends to have a "sameness" to them. I e regardless how vast and many variations there are, "Fender Twin" or "High Gain", after a while when initial honeymoon has passed, you're left with an underwhelming sense.
I think even tube-screamers today, and all real analog pedals is a kind of one trick pony. No one I've heard are as long lasting as a good tube amps distortion in the long run. I've played with high end boutiqe pedals, and while they are very good, there's something to them that makes you press the footswitch, and de-activate them and go "aaaaahhhhh…." again. A sigh of relief so to speak.
HOWEVER! This is only a live thing, and when playing through them for real. Just listening to them, they all sound good, when someone else plays through them. Even Kemper profiling amp, and Ultra Axe FX tries to nail it, and it is always closer, and closer but no real cigar.
See, distortion, at least tube amp distortion, as opposed to time based effects, has an immediacy and real response and feeling to it, that it is really NOT AN EFFECT AS SUCH, but a part of the instrument. All time based effects later on, ModFactor, PitchFactor, Space, TimeFactor, are time based effects that are USUALLY laid on on the decaying end of the note. And as an effect (as with all effects) should be used more sparingly, than the un-effected sound (i e tube amps saturation and "natural" distortion"). It is very ambiguos rant, but I can run an amp longer, for two hours, on full blast, than ANY preset on any FX-pedal out there. And boost/distortion pedal too. After a while, you get the listening fatigue.
And it is the same with tube-equipped pedals. There's always a gnarl in there, something that is "same same" sounding.
