Someone was talking about maybe they should mix with more bass cuz they want it bassy... DONT DO IT!! I have been mastering for about 5 years now, and that is a mistake everyone makes. It is easier for a mastering engineer to add bass than take it out. If anything, if your songs are going to be mastered, mix them with a little LESS bass than you think you need and communicate to the mastering engineer that you want heavy bass. Since I master mostly Hip Hop, everyone was always concerned primarily with the low-end. So many times people would bring me mixes to master that had the low-end severely cranked up, and I would have to bust out drastic eq curves (which is never great to do) just to get it close to listenable... whereas if the bass had been lacking, a simple, strategic boost of the low-end can be done where it will fit in the mix better. Also, there are ways to add and enhance bass without actually EQing that can yield some great, clean results. So... moral of the story is do not boost you bass in the mix just because you want it to be heavy after it's mastered... mix your low-end conservatively. It's better for a mastering engineer that way... let the mastering "boost" the bass for you. There's a lot more to a nice punchy mastered low-end than just turning up the bass.
