Emrys:
I feel your pain. As has been observed on the general forum, there just isn't a substitute for a real drummer.

I've been advised by many folks here that using a sampler for drums is second, as you can record, tweek, and sequence the exact sound you want, and aren't dependent on what the manufacturer burned on the ROM. 3rd place goes to the better quality modules, Roland's V-Drums seemingly getting the most favorable reviews overall (I've heard a TD-8 - it's good). Better drum modules can allow tweeking, which might allow you to find a tom sound which sounds good rolled.

All:
I wasn't going to list my equipment, but as I'm 1/3 of the way through a home CD project which is going better than expected, here's what I'm using:

Sequences: Noteworthy Composer running on a bailing-wire-and-bubblegum W98 machine (AMD-2 450, 160 meg RAM - my son and I build computers).

Sound equipment:
Roland JV-1010
Yamaha PSR-270 (almost unused)
MOTU MicroExpress MIDI patch module
DBX 266XL Compressor/Limiter/Gate
Yamaha REV100 reverb/delay
Yamaha DGStomp guitar preamp
Guild G41 steel string guitar
Palmer Pretend-a-Strat guitar
Alesis Studio 12R mixer (pick up tomorrow)
Rented for this project:
Alesis LX20 8-track ADAT
Alesis Studio 24
I'll be burning the final CD on a Tascam CD-RW700 CD Recorder, which is owned by the school at which I'm technology coordinator.

Most of this equipment was really cheap, but has worked flawlessly (with the exception of the Yamaha DGStomp, which quit after 3 days of use). Despite the abuse it's taken on this forum (some from me!), the JV-1010 has really proved to be a pleasure to work with. I have the orchestral expansion card on order, hoping to increase its usefulness. The DBX compresser unit is really great for how cheap it was, and the Yamaha reverb, found used for $125, has been amazing! The MOTU unit is being under-utilized, but as it takes all the hassle out of MIDI routing, it'll come into its own as I add modules in the next few weeks.

Back to work . . .

[This message has been edited by OldSchool (edited 01-01-2001).]