Bass guitar amp sim

So, I play a real bass on all my tracks, and it's an important part of my writing and recording. I'm looking for a good bass amp sim. Great clean tones are a priority, but I also need flexibility depending on the song.

I have Sonar TH3, and the bass amps are fine, as far as they go.
Amplitube seem to have two offerings - Ampeg and Bass Bundle, and I don't really know the difference, or how good they are.
I have Waves GTR 3 and I struggle to get the bass amp sounds I want out of that. Maybe I should try harder, but amongst other things I yearn for a deep ultra clean tone.
I own S Gear and it's been rumoured that 3.0 will include a bass amp - judging by the fantastic quality of the guitar amps, I would have high hopes but it is currently an if but and maybe.
Others have mentioned Softube Bass Amp Room, but I read it was ilok. Not been down that road before, not sure what's involved.

I would love to hear your views on what you play your bass through.

Guitar Rig 5 has a number of clean bass sounds.  I use it on all my songs these days.

Real Bass player over here also when I need a bass part for a tune I'm working on .
I will use what I have to use to get a decent performance into SONAR and then all bets are off
I have recorded w AmpliTube 4 and The Vandal full version ....
FWIW,  I don't think there is a bass amp sim that's gonna get me where I want to go using a Bass amp sim only ...
When recording my 4 string bass or my  8 string guitar , I have found that I much prefer to pretend that SPlat is a virtual collection of hardware gear that is there to use at my disposal ...
I treat my signal chain exactly as if I was using rack mount hardware as a pre amp combined w an amp sim ...
Very rarely will I use what comes with the stock amp sims them self's for my EQ or compression ...
I like to use per track effects going in before the amp sim and then combine that with the Pro Channel ...
 
all the best,
 
Kenny
 

+1 to Amplitube Ampeg SVX - I use this on all of my real bass recordings

I used to use every Bass amp sim you could think of until I went for a more realistic approach. (no not an amp)
Running the bass direct and using EQ, Compression and some saturation. there's your amp sim right there.
 
Any Sim will introduce characteristics but will also introduce noise as well.
I want the cleanest bass sound I can get. This mean a direct signal and applying FX. that's it.
I typically layer bass tracks though. some playing octaves, sometimes a distorted retro clav or pianos lows mixed in to create a bass sound as a whole. this takes practice and caution. If the layered tracks fall out of synch they become reversed polarity and cancel out the others signal thus sounding thin in areas.
 
Guitar amp Sims are another ballgame all together, more often than not your looking to reproduce an authentic tube sound. So a good amp sim is critical for those areas. Bass though, I have found its better left as clean as possible with only compression and EQ (and some saturation). Below is a list of FX and methods I use for hard rock by they still apply across the board:
 
*Do not use all at once. these are different methods to choose but I typically use 3 to 4 bass tracks in all.
1 main stringed bass guitar track and 2 or 3 alternatives mixed in a bit lower then the main bass track.
 
Recording:
- Bass direct in to a DI box
- Alesis 3630 Compressor 4:1 ratio using only light compression to round of spikes (go very light)
- New strings or boiled string for a snappy sound.
 
Plug ins:
- Softubes Grand Summit (EQ / Compressor)
- Softubes Saturation knob
- Cakewalks CA2A PC Module Compressor
- Cakewalks Percussion strip (EQ / Compressor)
 
Tracking:
- Double your tracks using a soft synth like SI Bass. use a higher frequency snappy setting.
- Double your tracks using a soft synth like Toontracks EZ Keys Grand piano (only the lower range of piano)
- Double your tracks using a soft synth like Toontracks EZ Keys Retro Clavinet (Distorted preset)
- Double your tracks using 2 more Bass tracks. Not played through the whole song but only on choruses, bridges ,exc..
  (play these parts on octaves).
 
This method can be heard here:
https://soundcloud.com/charlie-roy/seven

The Amplitube Ampeg-SVX is nice, but a bit long in the tooth.  My go-to is the AD200 in the Amplitube Orange collection.  Sounds fantastic.

I use this:
http://www.uaudio.com/uad-plugins/ampeg-b15n.html
 
Unfortunately a bit expensive.
 

I really like the Line 6 Bass POD.

Don't forget Audiffed GK Amplification Pro 2!! I have all the ones already mentioned and they all are great. If you are looking for the Gallien-Krueger flavor, you can't go wrong there. It was my goto bass amp sim for years and still fills the bill for that special bass tone that others don't fill.

I agree with Chuck Jones.  I stopped using bass amp sims a while ago.  The path I use to great sounding real bass is a great sounding, in tune bass plugged into a nice direct box ( I use the Neve RNDI but still love my old ART Tube Pac) into a good mic pre into my interface.
Once I've recorded and bounced my bass performance to a file, I make 2 clone audio tracks of the file.
I low pass the DI track at 600hz, insert a Waves CLA 1176 and use that purely for my clean bottom end sound.
On track 2 of the clone I'll high pass at 600hz and insert a Waves CLA bass plugin for punch and just boost a little top end on the eq. To achieve the amp in a room sound I'll send that track to the room reverb aux mixed about 15% giving it realistic depth.
On track 3 of the clone I'll high pass at 250hz and run Decapitator for harmonic distortion and grit.  Blending track 3 to taste with 1 and 2 gives a great bass sound.  
I'll then send all 3 tracks to a bus and insert a multiband compressor on it. On the bus EQ I'll boost 60hz about 3db and cut 100hz at 4db.  Also pull out 4db at 400.  Mud there.  Boost 2.5db at 5k.   Et viola!  Full, 3 dimensional bass sound without flattening it out with a amp sim.
 
Mark.
 

Sidroe
Don't forget Audiffed GK Amplification Pro 2!! I have all the ones already mentioned and they all are great. If you are looking for the Gallien-Krueger flavor, you can't go wrong there. It was my goto bass amp sim for years and still fills the bill for that special bass tone that others don't fill.

Thanks for everyone's input. I have downloaded the free LE version of Audified's GK Amplification - it is absolutely brilliant! Never heard of these guys before - thanks for the lead! I will probably upgrade to the full version, but my first impressions of the LE version is that it will give me most of what I was after. 
 
There is a lot of choice out there - I totally respect you guys crafting your own tone without a sim - thanks for sharing. 
 
Back to the music...

To Chuck's way:
 
When I record my P-Bass, Line 6 Bass or my Custom 5 String they always go "DI" into my LA-610 then dbx 266xs into my RME UFX. The typical chain is then FabFilter ProQ2 (for highpass), UAD Helios EQ, and any of the compressors I have depending on the song. Then when I really want bite I'll add chorus and distortion (via EZMix2's bass chorus).
 
When I record my Alembic (oh, did I mention I have an 1977 Alembic Series I bass? ) I use my F2B preamp into the RME. Because the Alembic can have separate out for the bridge and neck pickups I record separate tracks and may EQ/FX them differently. Or I may record it in mono. Just depends on the song and what I'm after.
 
When I do use bass amp sims I will use IK's Ampeg or Bassman, Softube's Bass Room, Line 6 POD Farm. I do have Recabinet 4 from Karzog but for some reason it does not get much use.

I generally use an MXR bass pre-amp/DI as the basis then eq that as required post record. I find it adds something sometimes that software alone seems to lack, especially if there's an envelope filter in front of it.

As for bass amp emulators, the one I prefer is the Ampeg model that comes with Logic Pro, then second best to me is the Amplitube Ampeg B15.

Though as has already been said, a combination of eq and compression alone can produce perfectly good results. As demonstrated by thousands of recordings that were made by plugging the bass direct to the deck.

I wouldn't even bother with a bass cab unless you have something exceptional. not mention needing a good bass mic such as the Heil PR40 and the Shure Beta 52. using a sure sm58 wont cut it like it does on a guitar amp.
I suggest direct and use something like I use (a sansamp) or your mic pres.
 
With that being said, there are some who swear by vintage techniques (micing a bass cab) but even as far back as Aerosmith's early albums most of the signal your hearing on Hamilton's bass is a direct feed from the Spectrasonics desk in the Record plant studio A. along with his Ampeg B15.
But like I said, micing a cab is something many still swear by. so its only my opinion to go direct for most uses.
 
I know Jay Massina who was the engineer on Toys in the attic recorded my bass amp..no let me correct that (I had a peavey tnt :-) so he used one of his Amps (sorry not a b15). This was back in 1992. If I were to ask him now im sure he is still doing it the same way except for some recordings.

Hey Kenny.
A lot of session guys bring a flatwound P bass to jobs.  
I am actually building a Franken 59 P bass with Lindy Fralins and LaBella Deep Talkin' flats to go with all my other basses.
Love that sound through a good DI and mic pre.
Best.
Mark.