It's usually not until the mix that some may find themselves struggling to get the bass to sit properly. Sure, it's got plenty of low end but does it serve its rightful place in the overall mix?

More often than not, the bass plays two significant roles: Musically, it's a foundational element of the rhythm section and sets the groove. Sonically, it may carry most of the low end content in your mix.

Let's Record some Bass

Lets starting at the source. Is the player capable of playing the part correctly, with good phrasing and conviction? Is the bass set up correctly, buzz-free with good intonation? Cool. Once you’ve cleared those initial hurdles, things become pretty straightforward. 
I believe in the “chain is only as strong as its weakest link” approch to recording, which for Bass means using good cables no longer than they need to be, from here plug the bass into a good quality D.I. box, I like the Radial Engineering JDI MK3 Passive Direct Box. Then go from the D.I. to the bass amp. There is no need for the amp to be huge, for recording purposes it’s the amp tone not volume you’re after. I like the sound of the time honored Ampeg SVT-VR Vintage Reissue 300 Watt SVT Amp Head, with its classic “Motown and beyond” tone running into a Ampeg BA600-115 1 x 15 Bass Combo Amp it is one of my favorite bass amp combination's to record and it is the archetypical studio bass amp for Soul and R&B.

Mic up the amp with a large diaphragm condenser like the Neumann TLM 103 Condenser Microphone. Also you may want to consider a ribbon mic like the Royer R-121 Ribbon Microphone, just don’t place it too close. Record the D.I. and amp signals through reliable outboard mic pres, I uses Focusrite MH441 ISA428 Pre Pack 4-Channel Mic Preamp, and consider using just a touch of compression from ether a Universal Audio 1176LN Solid State Limiting Amplifier.

Some insist on tracking bass with no compression, how ever I find that a littel on the way in can allow you to use smaller amounts with fewer artifacts when mixing latter. That said, I don’t recommend over EQ-ing while tracking, and keep in mind that it’s generally easier to add low end to a tinny bass track than it is to add highs or mids, so make sure the tone of the bass and amp are delivering enough mids and high mids to cut through a mix.

Finally, check the phase relationship between the two tracks. Often times, the polarity of one track will need to be reversed to avoid the dreaded "all lows, no mids" effect. Sometimes a device such as the Little Labs IBP can save the day if both bass tracks refuse to combine in a graceful way.