So, let me start over...
To replace drum sounds you need a few things to start off with. 1) a DAW/host that uses VST plug-ins. 2) A VST plug-in that performs the replacement, such as Drumagog, apTrigga or if you are using ProTools HD/LE then SoundReplacer. 3) a set of samples to replace the existing original sound(s), and 4) some original tracks to work with.
Each host is about the same. When I say DAW or host, what I mean is the software you are using to record/mix in. Cubase, Nuendo, ProTools, Sonar, Acid, Vegas, Logic, Digital Performer and Audition are all DAWs or hosts. Each one has a feature where you can add a VST effect/plug-in to a channel.
I'm going to assume that you have some drum tracks already setup in your host. Now you want to replace the kick, for example. So to begin you'll have to add the sound replacement plug-in to the kick track. I have owned and used Drumagog in the past and it works, but the past year or so I have been using apTrigga and have noticed that it is much easier, and faster, for me to get it set for a natural and clean replacement. You will have to demo both of them to figure out which one you like more. Another thing to consider is that apTrigga is much less of a resource hog than Drumagog, so if your machine isn't hearty in the memory department, apTrigga will be the better choice. And the fact that apTrigga is like $40US vs. Drumagog's $200US (for the Basic version, to be precise) price tag....the price difference doesn't hurt
Once you have your plug-in on the track, lets just use apTrigga for example, then you need to load some samples into it. With apTrigga you just hit "add sample" and then it opens up a browser. Browse and find where you have your samples stored. By the way, you can find a really good zip with tons of great kick samples linked in the FAQ for the main Sneap Forum. So pick your kick sample. If you have more than one, great, click on the tab that says "2" and then click "add sample" again and load your next sample for that drum. Typically you will find a lot of single drum samples for kicks. That's fine, you can still work with it. If you want, you can load the same sample in again and pitch it down a little, or up a little...but the key word is little. Too much either way and it won't work out quite right. Pitching the sample up or down will create the effect of multiple samples. So, if you've pitched one up, then you can load the sample again, in the tab labeled "3", and pitch it down a tad. So now, from 1 sample, you have 3 "different" samples.
So you have the samples loaded. Next up is setting the threshold and blending for your track. If you want to completely replace the original, as in the only thing you want to hear is the awesome sample you just downloaded, then turn the "Dry" knob to 0 (zero). If you want 50/50, then turn the dry knob to...50. apTrigga can be a little confusing since the dry and wet knobs go from 0-200, but just fuck with the knobs and you'll get a feel for how they work.
Ok, so regardless of how much original sound and how much sample sound you want to hear, you need to set the threshold properly so that you are only hearing the plug-in play the sample when a kick is being hit. If you have a lot of bleed in your kick mic then you'll need to either edit it out or set up a gate before apTrigga so that it only sees the clean audio. Once you have a clean kick track you can start working on setting the threshold. In apTrigga there is a meter showing you where the signal is peaking when the kick is being hit. Set the threshold just below the lowest peaking kick hit.
That should be it, for the most part. Now you should be hearing the sample every time the kick is being played. With apTrigga there are a few cool modes to play with, Dynamic, Stack and Random. There are a couple others but these are the only 3 I use most often. Dynamic is exactly as it sounds, it will play a sample at a certain volume based on where your threshold is set and how much higher the original signal peaks above the threshold. So, for example, if it just barely peaks over the thresh, then apTrigga will play a sample, but at a quieter volume than if it peaks way over the thresh, in which case it will play a sample at full blast. Stack is cool if you have a couple of different samples that are good when played at the same time, apTrigga just stacks them and plays them both every time it is triggered. My favorite mode is Random. In this mode it, again as it sounds, plays a random sample every time the input goes over the threshold.
The same basic method is used for any other part of the drumkit (snare and toms, etc.). However, the blending and modes are completely dependent on what you are going for.
~006