In a “DAW”, for mixing purposes, I use only very few effects (usually reverb) and some EQ to create a demo. Track recordings are most often dry and occasionally with baked-in effects. Then the project goes to a pro for mixing and mastering.
For creative purposes, I have built a simple hardware effects chain consisting of (in their order of appearance): analog delay, saturation&double-tracking, tape delay and vintage reverb. Hands-on control is what makes this hardware chain suitable for creative purposes.