The trial version only shows you the basics of this program. You can't create your own patterns, or save patterns, or export .wav files. It will do ALL of this with the pro version. What you do is create a pattern for a measure, save it, and then you move it into the play window. If you need that part played more than once, you put it in the play window as many times as you need it. If you need the pattern to change, just create a differnt pattern, bring it into the play window, and put it in where you need it. Even if you already have some patterns lined up in the play window, and decide that you need a different pattern somewhere in the middle, no problem. Just drag it from the create window, and put it where you want it. I write with my guitar and bass, but I usually create the drum track first, just for timing. I usually write a rough draft of the drum track, which will correspond with a guitar piece I wrote. Then, after adding a little of this and a little of that with the guitar, or maybe (for example)I'll decide that I want a part of the chorus to repeat, I'll just go into the drum program, pull up my saved song, and insert drum patterns where I want them, and save the new work.
Most of my work is rock-based, so my drum measures repeat themselves a lot. What I might do, just to make it not-so-repetitive, is.....if 8 measures in a row are the same, I may take measure 3, keep the beat the same, but add in a crash symbal, or a couple tom-hits, or do some off-beat hi-hat work, or something to make it sound a little different from the other measures. And then maybe take measure 8, and using the last 2 beats of the measure, do a drum roll....which may lead into another part of the song......chorus, verse, bridge, etc.
It really is a breeze to use, once you start getting into it. I really like that I can import other .wav sounds into the program. I finally found a couple of dance beat bassdrum .wav's (you know, the kind that make your car stereo go boom!), and imported them. I'm looking forward to adding them into a couple songs that I have going. My friends know that I'm really only a bass player....just started playing guitar about 4-5 months ago. It's fun to watch their eyes when they listen to something I wrote, and tell them that I did the guitars, bass, AND the drums. Now they think I'm a drummer, too! Hmmph.....now if it was only that easy to do my vocal tracks! LOL!!
Like I said before, get the pro version. The standard version will only export as midi. The pro version can export both midi and .wav, and with the pro version, you can also download the other drum kit from pcdrummer called the midikit.....which is really just the pro version with some other percussion-type samples. Matter of fact, in a couple weeks, there is supposed to be another kit come out called the 'wild kit'. Don't yet know what it will have, or if will be free like the midikit, though. I got the pro version for the same reason that you sound like you need it.....wav file export. I don't do midi! The additional kits are a nice touch, but I usually find my own samples on the net, and import them into the program.