Im no expert but the way i record bass is to mic up the amp with a bass drum mic, im not sure this is the best way but i find it gives you a more even and clear sound, i find the biggest problem with bass is that some parts are louder then others and even with it compressed bits still stick out like a sore thumb.
Also i find when i di anything it gives a really bad cracking sort of sound so i also mic a guiyar amp rather then di it
Like i said im no expert but i find this the best way.
Good luck

Your sound card is probably UNBALANCED LINE IN only. So the direct line from from you Bass Amp is the only way to get a quality input.
In order to use the XLR output from the TE You would need a BALANCED LINE IN.
In order to use a MIC you would need a MIC PRE (many of them also have a BALANCED DI input)

Bottom line, without more gear, the way you're doing it is best.

Thanks for your replys. Yes I thought that much natural, I'm gunna have to get an audio interface of some sort aren't I. Do you think there will be signifcant increase in quality doing it that way? I have another thread asking about what I might be able to buy interface wise if you'd read it
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Thanks for the advice

There is no "best way" to record anything except what creatively supports the song/recording. That means on some songs you will go direct, others you will mic.

In the digital age, with more tracks than I ever dreamed of 30 years ago, my preference is to do both. Quite often I end up with a blend of the two.

whocareswhoitis wrote:
I have a DI XLR out from my bigger trace elliott amp, would connecting to my sound card this way improve my signal any?

Technically no. But you might prefer the sound.

whocareswhoitis wrote: and how would I connect up this way? Use a standard microphone lead (XLR to 1/4" mono jack).

That should work.

whocareswhoitis wrote: or a XLR to 1/4" stereo Jack?.

Definitely not. In this case the 1/4 TRS jack would be balanced, but you would be plugging it into a stereo TRS input. Bad idea.

whocareswhoitis wrote: I'm gunna have to get an audio interface of some sort aren't I. Do you think there will be signifcant increase in quality doing it that way?

Yes. There will be a noticeable improvement, both in recording quality and in playback quality.

Also, if you get a card with balanced inputs (usually on TRS jacks) you could use a balanced cable from the Trace to the interface, and so achieve a technical improvement (lower noise floor). However, just because it is balanced does not mean it will sound better than the other amp.