Hey Joe: I can't listen right now, b/c I'm giving my wife a break from being sonically blasted into the back of the kitchen, lol...(little Mothers' Day Gift). However, I thought I'd throw in a little "knowledge" I've picked up over the past few months about drum loops.
First, I think pre-recorded drum loops can really help make a recording sound "bigger" than it otherwise would. For one thing, it's probably a $5,000 Kit recorded in a $50,000 Iso-booth or (even more expensive) an actual room that sounds good, lol. I don't have the ability to do that. Secondly, it's an actual human being playing, so some of the stiffness of midi type programming or self-constructed loops from individual samples is lessened.
However, I don't treat them like I treat real drum tracks when I'm lucky enough to get those from somebody. Usually, when somebody gives me 4 or 5 drum tracks for a song (kick, snare, hat, toms, ride/cymbals), I start from there and record UP, starting with the bass, then guitars/pno, then vocals. Even if somebody has recorded drums to a track that I've already recorded, I think the recording ends up a ton better if you start over after getting a good drum track....plus, if somebody goes through the incredible trouble to mic a kit and send me 5 tracks, it's the least I can do, right?
But with loops, I think it's best to kind of record backwards. Find ONE loop (one or 2 measures) that's gonna' be the basis of the tune, and use THAT like a metronome. Next, record guitars and vocals...so rhythmically, it should all gel together later. THEN, start putting in your little tom rolls and crashes, b/c you can just line them up with the drum loop that's already there...then, take out those sections of the loop that don't jive with what you've added...(drummer shouldn't be hitting the snare and the hat and the ride and a crash all at the same time, lol). Maybe throw in some additional kicks in the chorus...whatever...just change the monatony of the loop some...For me, this usually just means adding a little double kick and ride in the chorus... THEN record bass (to match up with whatever the kick is doing).
Nobody is ever going to compliment me on my drums, but for me, the goal is just to have them NOT be a distraction, and to get them out of the way as soon as possible. And this next comment may get my IP address banned, but honestly...I've been a lot more impressed with the sounds of loops people use than with the sounds people get when they mic their drums. I respect the hell out of the latter a lot more, but in the end, I'm just not a drum person...and you're not either, lol.
I'm looking forward to hitting this on the monitors tomorrow.
So I feel your pain!
