Mixing Down A Beat

So I have a production question I was hoping somebody could help me out with. I make beats on the MPC 5000, and I'm trying to figure out the best way to mix down my beats to get the clearest and loudest sound. For a while there, I would simply go to hd record and mixdown to 16 bits, load the beat as a sample and then normalize it and call it a day. But lately I've been trying to get better quality with my music, so I've been experimenting with mixing down to 24 bits and then normalizing it on Audacity. The only thing is that Audacity exports to 16 bits anyway, so I don't know if recording in 24 bits really makes a difference. I've made really nice sounding beats using both methods, but I just need to figure out which is better and more reliable more quality and loudness. I've also been playing around with the output volume on my MPC, even turning it up to 0db, but it seems like this muddies the quality a little bit or maybe that's just my ears, who knows. Well I think I've rambled on long enough. Any tips or tutorials would be appreciated!
Thanks,
Matthematic

If you export to 16 bit with audacity, i'm pretty sure that it's useless to record at 24 bit first. For the output, i don't think it's a good idea to push it up to 0db, you should try to keep it around -3db or something like that. Having the highest level possible is a mastering issue, if you want to do it yourself you can put a limiter on your beat, it will increase the level(make sure it doesn't go over 0db!)

If you'd like to have a better sound quality, i think you should track out your beat one track at a time(first track out your kick, then your snare, then your sample...). It allows you to have more control to add effects on each track and do a proper mix.
You should maybe try another DAW(you can download Reaper for free for example) cause it would be easier to use for multi tracking out than audacity.

Thanks for the reply! Yeah, that's what I was figuring about using Audacity, that it probably takes off the little bit of extra quality when it exports to 16 bits. Well, I don't typically track out everything like it. I'm not having trouble with quality per se. I mean my mixes sound awesome through my headphones while I'm listening directly from the MPC. It's just that the final recorded product seems to be missing something, especially if I play it in my car. With headphones it still sounds decent, but on any kind of good speakers it just sounds quiet and kinda weak to me.

I co-sign on the reaper suggestion too. But I don't think many folks are hip to another decent freeware editor called wavosaur.