Mixing And Compression Options

[jebbels]

I'm attempting to mix several songs I recorded for my band on Cubase sx. I have all sorts of filters that boost and compress but it seems that whatever I do puts the track into the red zone on the mixer. So I'm wondering if it's ok to have an individual track in the red as long as the master mixer isn't clipping. I've tried mixing the songs quieter over all, but some tracks like the base drum seem too quiet unless I crank them up. I don't really understand how to use the Dynamics VST, is there a way to boost tracks like this without having them go into the red. Should I be living in constant fear of the red zone? I got the impression that when the meter was in the red, it would cause crackling. Can some one point me to a good tutorial or explane the basic of compresion and how to avoid clipping but still get your mix at a decent volume? The Cubase manual doesn't have any practical examples for compression settings. All of my mixdowns are significantly quieter than commercial mixes on my cd player. Thanks for the help.