Or I may want a reel tape, played on a tape deck that has vacuum tubes.
Yes, I fully understand that tubes have worse specs than transistors. A couple of tape recorders that I have (that use tubes) are objectively worse than my transistor tape decks. However, listening to older music (like the Beatles) is much more enjoyable on the tube devices, the sound is "different". At the same time, if I want to record a more modern song I'll use one of my transistor tape decks.
And yes, I am sure that with enough DSPs it would be possible to digitally produce the "tube sound", but then I have to ask - why would I want it? I already have the devices, I can use them and also it's not just the sound, it's the whole experience of playing a record or a reel tape that makes it "better" than digital for me.