real bass.
 
the only thing for me.
 
it's just a matter of how to get the best capture for me....
still experimenting, after 30 years.
LOL
 
 

You guyz are right l nothing more difficult to argue about amp sim since tone is the essence of subjectivity ....

That said i tried to point out objectif easy to judge stuff ti juge a solution :

1) interface , easy to tweak and reach sound
2) value for money
3) cpu hit , maintenance , vendor ... who you re f... with
4) dynamic , quality if the saturation
5) most important : in context mix/track integration ...too many time i judge A better than B but but def sits better in a mix ...so A sounds more naturale aka like the real thing , but B sounds like a record ;)

Thks all for your valuable feedback , keep it going ...

By the way , for a beginner , the best all arounder : squier , or yamaha trbx 174 ?

I have a a Squier VM Jazz bass and I'm totally happy with it. If you go for a squire, then I'd suggest the extra fr a VM as apposed to an Affinity. 
 
The Jazzbass has two pick ups, each with it's own tone and volume, so very flexible. The P-Bass has a split singe pick up, so eave the volume on max and just mess with the tone. It has a certain sund that the JazzBass can get (even when just set to one pick up) because the pick up is positioned on the string to get it. The should I get a Jazz or Precision was overcome to some degree by the PJ, which used both the standard singe coil of the Jazz and the split of the Precision. I dn't think the is  Squier
 
I don't know the Yamaha, but a quick look and the it seems to be based n the PJ format, of two pick ups and one is a split. It just has 3 knobs, two volume and one master tone.
 
For versatility it seems mre comparison of the Jazz VS TRB. Jazz has the extra tone knob, TRB the Spit (P Style) pick up.
 
It's going to be close, but when you compare, I'd be cmparing the VM (Vintage Modified) price against the Yamaha.
 
As far as beginner goes, It the set-up that really matters. Truss-rod, bridge height, intonation and nut height. I've learnt to do this myself, but the best bass in the world with a bad set up, will not be great to learn on. Cheap basses are very good nowadays it seems and are generally capable of a good set-up.

Thks kamikaze , planning on playing with amp sim ....for now

I am a guitarist, keyboard player, etc! I have two inexpensive basses that are bangers.
One is the aforementioned Squier VM Jazz bass. It's a fretless and for the money is a very good investment.
The other is one I bought out of curiosity. It's a Harley Benton! 5 string, active preamp that can be switched on or off! Bought from Thomann website in Germany. $170 smackers. Highly recommended for a banger or a beginner.

Anther Angle is the MusicMan Stering SUB range,  which are StingRay Active Basses. Active Bass have a different Tone.

Zo
By the way , for a beginner , the best all arounder : squier , or yamaha trbx 174 ?

For a good all around "studio bass", Squier.
Imho

Zo

HeatherHaze
How about NI's Guitar Rig 5?

Never liked it ...sounds to artificial for me but i use it more like a color box , like waves gtr 3

I use Guitar Rig almost exclusively and find that it sounds great. But I'm also using it with real basses. If what comes out of it sounds artificial, its probably because artificial is what you're putting in.

I sometimes use Trilogy on projects instead of real bass. I can usually get something acceptable out of it. It will replicate the part and it will sound like bass and fit in the mix ok. But it will always lack that certain something that sounds like you had a person come in a play an actual bass in the room. It will sound good, and there's lots of little tricks you throw in to help 'humanize' the part (finger noises, slides, etc). But it will always sound just a tad bit 'plastic' to me. If you want to end up with something that sounds like real bass, you need to start with real bass IMO. No amp sim is going to take sampled bass and make it sound real.

Thanks for the input on Guitar Rig 5.  I've used it on guitars and always been happy with it.  

On the topic of basses...

I'm a crappy bass player, so take this with a grain of salt.  But I absolutely adore my Ibanez GSR205SM 5-string.  It's gorgeous, easy to play and sounds great.  It's also very lightweight, which is a plus.  They run about $300, a bargain by my measure.  

Squires are hit or miss.  Quality control is practically non-existent.  You can get a Squire that plays and sounds great, or you can get a lemon.  You never know.  I have a hot little red Squire Stratocaster I got for busking.  It's really light and fun to play.  A lot depends on how well it's set up.  Usually, however, the old adage remains in effect:  You get what you pay for.  There are some rare exceptions to the rule, of course...like Cakewalk by Bandlab.  :)