I like to record my bass direct and any good studio should have several DIs that you can try, but for a novice my advice is to go along with the engineer's preferrence. Look at each studio session not only as a chance to record but also to learn about studios, the process and sound in general.
As far as effects go it all depends on whether or not your amp is a major part of your "tone" or not. When you get into amping up in the studio you are looking at a lot more time and trouble, where to set up, which mic to use, how to mic the cab then what signal chain, compression, limiting, reverb on and on and on.
For all those reasons my sounds & effects are designed to record direct and my live amp is simply a way to get those sounds louder.
DI quality does make a difference especially when you solo the bass thru studio monitors but that quality is mostly lost when you add the other instruments in the mix. I generally use my own trusty old Countryman Type 85 or whatever the preference is at the studio. My effects are at line level so they can go thru a DI or right into the board. There is a growing popularity to run bass thru higher end mic preamps especially tube preamps and those do add a nice quality to your tone. I have played thru some of the higher end mic pres (Avalon, Millenia and Manley) and they are all wonderful. But in more than one occasion those tracks were not used in the final mix over the track recorded with the Type 85 was used because it sat better in the track. But here you start taking things to another level that never ends.
What you really want to worry about is for your bass to be in tip top shape, and that you are ready to record great bass lines.
