Welcome, Eric.
Which version of the software do you have?
There is a learning curve with any of them, but the more basic versions have fewer distractions. Plan on spending some time learning your new environment.
When you say "clicking on the strings", I'm guessing you are referring to Studio Instruments Bass. For what it's worth, you can't record that anyway. That is provided as a way to audition your sounds. This is true of any synth that provides a way to trigger notes in the GUI.
The most confusing thing for new users is that you don't record the sound from a softsynth.
You record the MIDI data that tells the synth what notes to play.
Understanding this is a crucial first step to getting comfortable with soft synths.
This is where the PRV(Piano Roll View) comes in.
It is actually very versatile. You can enter different note values (quarter, half, whole, etc) or manually draw in notes, and stretch them out to any length you desire.
You can also adjust the dynamics of particular notes with your velocity control. This will affect loudness, and depending on the synth, timbre of the note.
Read the help files on PRV, and play around with it.
Again, give it time. You're not going to get it in a few hours, or a few days.
Stick with it, read the help files, and try stuff. You will get it.
And of course, feel free to ask questions here. We may not get back to you right away, but someone is usually around to help.
Good luck, and enjoy the journey.