[quote name='r16ktx' timestamp='1501061831' post='3342121']
[color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]Wouldn't a really minimalist system would be a Zoom B3 (or similar) with an iPad into the aux, a bass, and headphones for monitoring?[/font][/color]
[/quote]
I was going to say - like the OP I was looking for al all in one solution so I could play music and play bass at my desk. I ended up with quite a complicated system which works really well albeit using headphones rather than speakers. Basically:
Computer + Bass
--into--
VB99
--into--
HIFI
+
Headphones
+
TC BH800 into Tecamp Bassboard
This way I can use the VB99 as a controller for the music on my computer, feeding the bass to the bassboard for some bottom shaking and the rest to the hifi, and when I want to play bass I simply plug it in and switch to a bass patch on the VB99 instead of my HIFI setting (with bass input off). I get full stereo effects and sound through the headphones and can record everything in real time on the computer and take off my headphones to hear it from the HIFI instantly.
For a while I also ran two bass cabs in stereo from a power amp (also connected to the setup above) but found I much preferred using headphones. The cabs (SWR 4x8) sounded really good with music and bass, to be honest - though I can't recall ever being able to hear both at the same time very clearly.