I disagree slightly. Live sound does matter and if you are cutting costs that drastically, why get a world class pro level modeler and pair it with a possibly, and highly likely, sub-standard power amp and speakers? IMO, based on your assessment, just get a used and very cheap Line 6 POD. To each their own, but I tend to want my "Ferrari" to have high quality gas and tires versus super cheap alternatives. Again your reasons are not wrong, I just look at it different. Most here would say that the speakers and power amp do make a huge difference and we have all tried many different types and budget lines, before coming to a happy medium.