topic.

how can you tell if your bass is the right level compared to everything else? I can never get bass righ

i recommend you put some songs you like in a daw and run them through a spectrum analyzer and look at the shape of the frequencies below 250hz and volume compared to the frequencies above 250hz

Best trick i do is to turn the volume of the final track super low. If one of the track elements seems to overpower or you can't hear a part go back adjust until everything sounds equal at a low level. Also listen to your tracks on different speakers, headphones etc etc.

yeah basicily you want it to sound good on a stereo, so if the bass is to loud turn it down, headphones suck for mixing.

Try with flat monitors and after doing that listen the result with different systems as formal said yet.
I think that specifically for the "bass question" sometimes is not bad to leave its level high; it also depends on what feel you're searching for that specific track.

one suggestion, make sure you carve out a space for the bass, so it has a place to fit. Many times, when bass doesn't sound right... there are frequency conflicts with other elements used in the track. A sample might have a low frequency rumble in it that's just killing the bass without it even being obvious. So apply a little filtering to make some room. Layer then compress to thicken it up (if you want it to seem louder), but then pull the make up down so it's not over powering everything.

a friend of mine who is a good engineer once said to me:
"too much bass means not enough highs"
so if you have a deep crazy bass just make sure you have some nice crispy highs too. but the bass frequencies are the biggest problem with my mixes. or the highs:)

^genius theory. the trick is to check your mix on more than one set of speakers. check it on headphones, and then i check my mix on a system with a subwoofer turned all the way up check it in your car too, find the balance between the 3 types of speaker configurations. i tend to favor super bassy stuff but i also try to achieve balance.

totally, listen to it on a few different systems, on the tv, what ever, if you can get it to sound good on a shitty system then you've got a good mix. As for too much or too little bass, if it feels too much or too little for you then it is, it's your music, make it sound how you like it, if you like shit loads of rumbling sub bass then slap it in there, it's your art at the end of the day

^This.

I always play something I know and check the frequencies to get a sense of where my tracks should be.

Flat monitors as ellaguru said is the best remedy to decipher frequencies. Use headphones only if you know them well and how they translate to other speakers. Eccentric producers use headphones but they know what goes where automatically like Timbaland and his mixes are off the chain.

Any recommendations for spectrum analysers that are stand alone (ie- don't require a DAW)? Bonus points for legit free downloads.

+1 being guilty & mixing with headphones. Just set my monitors back up after years of silence... Great thread.