Thanks for the insight, guys.
I guess the only thing that's still holding me back from getting the Stomp AND Native is this: if the recording quality through the Stomp alone is on par with Native + another interface (in my case, Scarlett Solo), doesn't it make more sense to just get Native and save some money? I don't have speakers in my music room, as I live in a row house and don't want to annoy my neighbours. I always listen through headphones. The Stomp, if I got it, would not utilize any other outputs besides the USB out.
To get an idea for how my PC performs while directly monitoring a CPU-intensive plugin, I downloaded the free version of Amplitube 5 (don't worry, I don't plan on buying that - I read the reviews, listened to the muddy clips, and ugh). I was able to monitor with no latency that I could notice, and without any pops or fizz. I tried it in isolation on a track of its own, and then plonked it into a very busy 25+ track Cubase project, and it still performed well. Do any of you know how Native compares, CPU-use wise? I unfortunately used up my free trial when it first came out, so I can't compare myself.
Of course, there's also the issue of the expression pedal. I know there are expression pedals that work with the Stomp, but has anyone been able to set up midi expression pedals with Native to control Whammy pitch-shifting, wah, etc?
EDIT 1: Just want to clarify that I did search extensively to see if anyone has been able to set up a midi expression pedal with Native, but all the posts I'm finding are from 2018/2019, and I know that Native has been updated since then, so I'm not sure if there's better support now for midi expression pedals or even just midi pedals in general.
EDIT 2: In the absence of a compatible midi expression pedal, is it possible to create automation lanes that can control various parameters within Native (e.g. wah or pitch shifting) after you've recorded your track, like you can with midi tracks? If so, that would be a really simple solution that would honestly be preferable to buying a midi expression pedal. Wouldn't be able to hear the wah or pitch shifting while actually recording the guitar, no, but at least it would be an inexpensive workaround.