i use fruityloops and samples... there is some softsynths that you can create kick's and percussions with, but i haven't really tried any..... just use samples

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Daniel

I have a similar problem, I use Kontact because you can eq each drum, which is way cool and still have it in the same track.
The thing is it takes a while to assign stuff to the right keys and kills creativity.
So I use battery to set out a beat because it has the 'In kit preview function' but you cant eq them seperatly so I then right down what wav's I used and reproduce it in kontakt......

I made a trance template in fruityloops.... Basically I go to bank B, make the first track (17) "Drums Master", and put fruity compressor on it with the 'drums' setting. I then have 18 Kick, 20 Clap, 22 OHH, 23 CHH, etc etc all with a little EQ, my fav samples, and routing all back to "Drums Master". After color coding all the tracks, the channels, and the patterns, I saved it as "TranceTemplate.zip" (yes, fruity zips are THE BEST way to go). Now all I have to do is open that file instead of starting a new file.

The sad part? I'm so fast at it all now that I usually don't even use the template anymore.

Edit: and yeah its best to start from scratch for creativity or whatever BS i'm about to hear for that, but this helps me going, and I can always change the samples after I have a basic beat going... Sometimes the point is just to back up the new melody I wrote, not to write a new sounding beat.