I want to make my 4 on the floor beats more interesting. I try different things, but I just can't seem to come up with cool patterns. I've included an example of a track that has a 4 to the floor pattern, but it's really interesting and has a lot of elements. I'm not saying I want to recreate this, I just want to know how I can start to think of good patterns like this.

http://soundcloud.com/sonsofmaria/sons-of-maria-need-you1
This is a track that I'm working on that has REALLY boring drums.

http://soundcloud.com/panskimusic/motm-remix-premaster-export-2/s-okzVG
Any advice/feedback would be very helpful.

 

I would also appreciate anyone's response to this. For me mapping drums is so difficult to wrap my head around,and most of my drums sound very rigid and boring or just off.

 

Add syncopated percussion. Try flam'd percussion. Add some swing to the rhythm. Make variations (in pitch and timbre) when choosing samples (mix up shakers, cabasas, blocks, taps, clucks, etc). Also add variation in velocity (you could even humanize velocity and timing to get it to become more interesting).

Don't forget that the silence between the drums/hits are equally as important. Don't just insert alot of 16ths just to have them there. Add stuff that fill enough gaps.

As a drummer (since early age) I'd rather play adlib/improv rhythms on a MIDI controller (pads, keys) to get something I like. When I draw stuff in the piano-roll or add note data in a tracker the end result doesn't seem as natural. But you might be different, so do whatever feels/sounds the best to you.

I like Dire Straits. These boys can play.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2AA64eCt2zs