If you don't already know:
127 velocity sounds great for crash/china cymbal hits, unless you are riding on the crash/china like a high hat, then it is too much
Find the pulse and make the 1 and 3 the accents (assuming we are in 4/4)
Build up velocities if you want to build up dynamics from one section to another (sonar has a scale velocity feature which is great for this, whatever program you use probably has a similar feature) so the last few bars before the big chorus rise in velocity and give a dynamic build up
Real drummers practice limb independance, normally that means hitting the snare really hard but going lighter on the hats for rock/metal. 127 on hats/ride almost always sounds horrible, even heavy sections seem to like it closer to 100. But make the hats/ride hits much higher in velocity when they fall with the snare drum. That helps the pulse or groove, I find it sounds like Lars on Load/Reload, he obviously has never heard of limb independance but it sounds great for a mid tempo groovey section.
Experiment putting cymbals before and after the snares/kicks on the grid, sometimes just a touch early or late makes all the difference
I think superior metal foundry has great cymbals and more than enough articulations to get a nice sound. My latest recording call "Lunarvore" at my bancamp site has lots of these ideas being used, about 2 minutes in and you'll hear heaps of dynamic cymbal work.
