This is the most frustrating thing I have ever encountered. I'm not sure if it's the bass I'm using, the preamp, I don't know.
I'm running a Yamaha bass, not sure of the model, through a Crate bass combo as a replacement for a DI box, into Reaper. Recording the bass just gives me the signal from the combo itself, so I have to play insanely softly even with the gain on the amp turned down to barely registering to keep the signal from clipping.
I did this same thing with guitar on a small guitar combo, and it worked beautifully. Not only could I play as hard or as soft as I wanted, but my monitor output during recording had my FX chain active. However, with the bass, the monitor output is just the clean signal, and the FX chain isn't becoming active until after I record. I try to use FX to make it hearable in the mix (Eq, already carved space for it from the guitars and drums, compressor, etc.) but nothing is working.
Somebody help me. What can I do to get a decent recording of a bass guitar? I come to you as a broken man. F'ing bass.