Hi John - I see that you offer Stem mastering at Massive. Is that really a worthwhile consideration - or does it primarily benefit lower quality mixes?
I'm finishing up material for another CD and am interested in Massive. The reason I ask is that my mixes are OK, but with some issues on the low end translating well to all different mediums - car, boombox, hi-fi etc. But it may be that the stem approach could resolve some of those issues. I know you're not interested in mastering crappy mixes.

If I can afford it, I may send the material out to be professionally mixed, but I don't know who to trust.

I could steer you at a place or two for mixing... It can get a little costly (even with budget-friendly services).

Stems... Eh... I'm torn on them. It does give a little more flexibility - With low end, the problems seem to be pretty evenly spread across stems if there are issues (okay, maybe not the vocal stem).

If nothing else, wherever you send them - Here, there, somewhere else, make sure that everything is "right on" at the group level where you're creating the stems from. Non unusually, some of the extra time involved is simply lining everything up - Either slate the whole thing, or make sure the rendered stems are exactly the same length (or both). Make it easy to line them up with sample accuracy.

And in any case, maybe before you do anything, invest in some broadband absorption and bass trapping - GIK 244's are dirt cheap for what they're worth. $600 can completely and totally change the way you're hearing the low end in your working space. It's a big, big deal. Low end problems that you have now might be easily fixed with a reasonable amount of trapping.

Broadband absorbtion and some (in my case) very small bass traps was something I should of installed a long time ago.
A good room is so important,the traps and some absorbtion pads is the way I "too" would go after.