No offense taken here, and thanks for your reply and insight. When I was gigging often, I totally shared your perspective - if it sounds good, it really doesn’t matter how I got the tone. Now, due to work, grad school, flaky bandmates, etc, I find myself dialing in tones at home just for fun. So, I guess I’m getting wrapped up in the how and why of tone creation as a means of entertainment for myself.
Like you mentioned, the Helix provides many avenues toward the same result. I’m focusing (maybe too much) on the subtle differences between a traditional high gain model and a clean amp with pedals.