You can use whatever fx plugins you wish in Reaper. Reaper's included stuff. Your favorite Roland stuff. Maybe a few things you might not have considered that might raise your eyebrows pretty high.
You ask the question as though you perceive a restriction or must choose one vs another plugin. No such restrictions in DAW production.
Control surface:
My 2c is the bang for the buck with everything else is so incredibly high that mixing with a mouse doesn't even hit the radar. For me, trying to make a mix on one of those early digital units like that Roland would be really painful vs almost any DAW even with only a mouse. Just some comments. Not trying to talk you out of a control surface!
The Faderport 16 might be something to look at.
Aside:
I mostly only use a control surface with Reaper for running live sound. I pull it out rarely in the studio. Mouse, keyboard, trackpad.
I have a UC-33 (you wouldn't like the cheap faders), a original single Faderport, and an iPad. MIDI controllers over a wi-fi USB hub and iPad via remote desktop.
Compressors:
Back 20 years ago all digital compressors sucked.
UA came along with the first eyebrow raising plugins for Protools TDM.
Those UA plugins eventually went to (sort of) VST versions but with a hardware card needed (just like Protools back then). And then they stopped...
They literally still sell them needing that pci card business.
I still have them but don't recommend them anymore.
I'd just dial up what I needed with ReaComp in a pinch and wouldn't miss them. Which is what I do now when that antique card maxes out.
I'd give the DAW approach a try. You can always integrate your old Roland into the mix if you like something it does. If it sounds right it is right.