laying down drumtracks...not recording them

[pedro_sandchez]

well, I've just started getting into computer recording and I'm using ableton live.
I dont have a way to record drum tracks so i've been just laying down basic beats in ableton to go with my bass lines.
The way I do it is:
1. record a rough track of the bass line.
2. using small wav files i have of basic drum hits (I have a variety of snares, cymbols, toms, bass drums, etc.) I lay down first the high hats/ ride cymbol since this is the main aspect of keeping time.
3. add in the simplest snare and bass drum hits (again using wav files).
4. rerecord the bass line, this time along with the basic drum line I just set up so to make sure the timing is constant and correct for the line
5. add in accent beats with cymbols, toms, snare, and bass drum hits
6. add in rolls using the same drum hits (this is the hardest part).

In the end, I get a beat that is in perfect time with the bass line and in perfectly consistant time.
the problem is that though the basic beat sounds great, things like rolls and accent beats often sound 'robotic' and unnatural.
add in the fact that this is extremely tedious and painstaking and I soon start to realize that there has to be a better way to lay these drum tracks down.

what do you guys do?

I've tried using some midi softsynths and controlling them from my computer keyboard (I dont yet have a midi controller) but playing out complicated beats on my real drums is hard enough, much less playing them with my fingers on a computer keyboard.

 

[tmix]

In addition to what you do, a totally different alternative to doing it yourself is the old fashioned idea of collaboration.
You can often find drummers wanting / needing recording favors.
There are tons of website dedicated totally to internet song collabs. I do it all the time. I have others email me mp3s of their tunes one witn a click track and one without, and I lay drums tracks to them. Then I email or upload via FTP the raw tracks back for them to add to there project.
It can be a lot of fun if you have the time to work within each others time limitations.

 

[pedro_sandchez]

thanks for your input
that sounds like a good idea.

So basically, i'm doing the drums the proper way?
I was thinking there would be an alternative perhaps using midi in some way that would work out better.
hmm...

 

[Sirnothingness]

I use drum programing, so I lay down a click track or rough basic drum track at the correct tempo. Then I generally start adding all other instruments (not programmed!). Then I go back and lay down my final drum tracks then vocals.