With my working habits I can't see much difference between a software synth and a hardware modelling synth, other than that when you load a tune up with a software synth everything is how you left it.

Especially if you have something like a remote 25 or some other controller keyboard with lots of programmable knobs.

However software reverb tends to suck a lot. For dance music I could live with software compression unless there's vocals to be done in which case there's nothing like a really posh compressor.

Software flangers and phasers and things are getting really good, I still occasionally use a Roland Dimension D because I can't find a software chorus plugin I really like ...

I reckon decent hardware EQ would be amazing but how many channels would you need unless you were prepared to commit and bounce the EQ settings down ...