Earlier quoted context omitted.
Most plugins used in music software do take that approach. Where the plugin interfaces are modelled to look 'like hardware' in most cases, with nobs, sliders, all the things you'd expect on a hardware compressor / synth etc. I like it.
The dressing up of digital controls to mimic analog controls is called skeuomorphic although I have not encountered the term in a long time. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skeuomorph
I want actual physical knobs.not sure what that would be called. Potentiometers?