if I might, I have one more comment and then I'm out...
I've been involved with professional audio, in one form or another, for over 40 years. The race to the bottom is real, and I choose to not participate.
"Good enough is the new quality" - can't remember who said it, but it is true. And it irks me.
It irks me that someone would listen to and judge a recording based on a lossy MP3 copy through ear buds. Don't get me wrong, that's a very convenient setup, but it is not a setting for critical listening.
It irks me more that people no longer strive for excellence, they settle for good enough. We all lose when that happens.
I am NOT suggesting that one should spend every penny they have on gear, but rather that one should make informed decisions based on their goals, their workflow, their income, and yes, opinions of others sometimes.
Two examples -
I also have a Townsend Labs Sphere L22, I think the microphone alone was worth what I paid for it - it is a great sounding and extremely well behave microphone. Add in the software and it is a mind-blowing experience. I have not used the Slate virtual microphone in a long time, but my experience then was not entirely positive. I think I knew I had to own an L22 withing 5 minutes of opening the box. OK, maybe 10 minutes.
That meant a compromise - it would be a while, if ever, before I bought a "really cool" microphone. Which works out for me because I no longer record others, and I have a very nice microphone locker already - no ELA M 251s mind you, but some really good workhorse microphones, that I still use along side the L22.
There are two microphones I still dream of owning, two pairs actually - a pair of U67s and a pair of KM84s. I'm less excited about the U67s because the Townsend Labs model sounds as good as any U67 I've used - that could be poor memory, or I want it to after the purchase, regardless I am really pretty happy with the U-67 models, and have no need for the real hardware anymore (especially since a U67 in pristine condition would be nigh impossible to find!)
The KM-84 is a different deal - there is a model of the KM-54 (tube predecessor to the solid state KM-84) in one of the Townsend Labs collections. It is also very good, but it is not a replacement for the real hardware. There is something missing in terms of the sound, and it is impossible to place the L22 the same way I'd place a KM-84.
And this is not fantasy or even nostalgia - I spent a little over a month with a pair of KM-84s late last year. I had borrowed them to prove to myself that they were not all that special. Sadly I was wrong, they are that special.
A pair in decent shape would cost about $3k, which I could afford, except I no longer record anyone but myself, the microphones would never pay for themselves. Pity! All my other microphones paid for themselves long ago. I was willing to gamble that the L22 might, or might not pay for itself. Can't make that same gamble with a pair of KM-84s. So I just have to get better at using the microphones I own.
Example 2 - where I have gone fully over to the side of "good enough". I still play out (well before the lockdown) a few times a year. I have all the guitars, amplifiers, and stomp boxes I've collected over the last 40 years. I can get some amazing tones with them.
When I play out I take one, maybe two guitars, and a Line6 Helix. No one in the audience knows, or cares, that I do not have a Marshall stack and a Fender Twin behind me, they couldn't tell the difference in the settings where I play.
I'm not selling off the gear, and I still use it for recording - some of the time. But I won't lug that stuff out for a casual gig or even a pit gig. AND, music directors like me better when I show up with a backpack instead of a cart full of gear.
All this to suggest that everything, including "good enough" plugins, has a place.
If you care enough to strive for that last 10% (or 20% or whatever rule you prefer) then invest in the best you can afford. Even if you are the only one that knows, there is a benefit for always shooting for the best. And there is a benefit to only investing what you can afford.
Tricky balancing act, glad I collected the majority of my gear decades ago!!!
So to Val my advice remains the same... start small, an interface and an accellerator, and a handful of plugins you can use on most of your projects. Add plugins, and even horsepower as sales allow, and needs demand.
I think the UA plugins are better, to my ears, and worth the investment. Only you can decide if that is true for you.
One last reason to start small(ish)... should you decide that I am full of (fill in the blank) and they are no better than their less expensive counterparts you will have no problem re-selling, and you will lose very little of your investment. If you purchase the entire collection you will have a lot more trouble finding a buyer.
OK... I'm done<G>!