I can understand the need for certain tricks in a recording situation to doctor up your gear for the mics. The idea of putting a shim under your snare wires or dampening a cymbal stand tube because you are getting a resonant hum are things that you do on the spot. Snare wires are the most difficult and frustrating thing to get just right when you are tuning your snare, but you can get them just right, but it requires some work. I see all of this as a part of the drummer's craft. I know a lot of drummers that just want to go out there and play and they don't spend a lot of time honing their tuning. I'm a bit OCD when it comes to tuning my drums and I catch a lot of grief for it from other drummers, but they all love playing my drums and are always asking what my trick is to get such good sound. There's no trick, just a lot of hard work.
A lot of the sessions that I play at, I may use the studio kit, but I always bring my own snare, metal, pedal and hi-hat. I get there early enough that I can adjust the tuning of the kick and toms and set them up. It's never completely to my liking, but I make it work well enough. You are only going to sound as good as your skills in equal mix with how good your instrument sounds.
I also prefer to record in a live session, but I don't like it if all the musicians are in the same room. I've done my share of recording overdubs when I'm hired for a session and that is the way most recordings are done, but when it comes to our band, we prefer to record in live session, but with isolated tracks. Most of the studios we record in have a windowed drum room, an isolated room for singer or an acoustic instrument and another isolated room (all with windows) in addition to the larger room where the musicians with direct-ins can work together. We can see each other and hear each other on the cans. Even on stage in a loud club, I will wear an in ear monitor. This isn't the 1940's and we are working with a lot of electric sound. You really need to hear what's happening.
What you hear sitting over your kit isn't the same as what's heard in the audience and it certainly isn't the same as how the mics are hearing it.
Doesn't anybody use their snare throw off any more? At those times when the drums are silent, we old timers always throw off the snare wires (cause there is always a very slight buzz when the bass is playing those few notes that will effect the snare) and then you throw them on again before you play. It just becomes a habit after a while.
I suggest you rethink your attitude and accept that playing in the studio is going to require different disciplines than practice (like wearing head phones). Even playing live, you come to depend on stage monitors.
