I am currently running X3 Producer. I use SSD4 for my drum sounds (not read a fan of session or AD2) I use the step sequencer to program my drums. Here's some questions that's been on my mind about this. I'm asking a lot I know but I appreciate any and all help.

*1st for your normal power drum hit what velocity do you usually program to? i.e. for a good cracking snare sound do you just leave the velocity at the default value or do you push it up a bit like say to 100 or 115? The hits seem kinda week in tonality and impact especially the snares and toms.

*2nd can you edit the default velocity value for the step sequencer?

*3rd is there a function on Sonar like Abelton has where you can tie multiple instrument plug ins to the same midi track? i.e. if I want to use SSD4 for my kicks and snares and AD2 for toms etc.? How would/could I do that.

*4th what's the easiest way to save multiple step sequencer patterns? Like if I want to transfer them into a different project or on to my laptop for portable editing?

*5th I am going to try recording a drummer for a project using a TD20 kit midi then use SSD4 for the drum sounds, once recorded is the piano roll the only way to edit the midi recording i.e. change this particular cymbal hit to another crash or ad an extra hit, take one away, fix an odd timing etc...?

*6th where is the best tutorial resource to learn how to edit drums via piano roll?

Lots of questions I know but I figured I'd get them all out here and enjoy what ever answers any on her can offer. Any help is appreciated more than I can express.
Thank you!

I'll try to answer some. I'm a big fan of Steven slate drums and use them as my main drum source. I do use AD2 as well in certain projects. I did play drums  for a number of years when I was younger. As for velocity, I leave the default velocity alone unless I need softer hits. As for saving SS patterns, I save the instruments but I don't enter any beats. The beats change from song to song.
 
  As for Piano roll, I don't use it. Someone else will have to help you there. There are tutorials on how to get the sound of a real drummer on YouTube.
 
  Good Luck,
    BC

Quickie thoughts:
 
The 'right' velocity is totally dependent on the synth and the loaded kit. Recording the drums from a controller is the best way to find out what the right velocity is as you'll naturally adjust your playing to find the sweet spot for a particular kit in a particular song. I often find that it's mostly about avoiding velocity ranges or maybe just a particular velocity-switched sample that doesn't sound so great.
 
I prefer to edit drums in the PRV, precisely because it's easier to see and adjust many velocity values quickly by various methods (drawing, dragging hotspots, Event Inspector, Edit Find/Change, etc.), depending on what you need to accomplish. To me, working with Step Sequencer is like building a sand castle with tweezers at the end a 100-ft. pole while looking through binoculars. Okay, maybe that's a bit of an exaggeration, but you get the idea. 
 
Setting an appropriate Drum Map as the output of the MIDI track will help you to see what's what in the PRV (actually the Drum Pane of the PRV), and you can set different output ports for different note numbers to drive different synths from the same track. Putting different parts in different lanes of the track can also be helpful, but in some cases I'll put a part on its own track so I can use the Vel+ (a.k.a. MIDI 'Gain') control to change the velocity offset on the fly or automate it to get the right sound when mixing with audio volume alone isn't doing the trick.
 
You'll get the best sounding MIDI performance from your drummer if you can arrange to have him record while playing the SSD4 kit because of the aforementioned kit-specific velocity response characteristics.
 
 
 
 

I try to keep moderate velocities on drum patterns only opting for the hardest velocity for accents. Example=that one little snare shot or kick hit that peeks out of the rest of the 4 or 8 bar pattern. Also, one thing I learned from watching drummers for the last 40 some odd years is that in the hihat pattern, they always hit the downbeat of the cymbals harder than the 8th or 16th notes in between 1,2,3, or 4! They all say they don't do it but they do.
I, also, use separate midi tracks for each kit piece so I can really zero in on getting the velocity more life-like. It also makes it easier to slide the snare or kick around on the clock.
Most tracks sound very mechanical because a lot of us tend to quantize everything to the beat. Drummers are not perfect time keepers and by nature of this can bring a whole world of expression by playing the snare a little behind for a relaxed feel or rushing the snare or kick a little ahead for tension in a fast beat. I try to use all those tools when I sequence a drum track.
Another little trick I do is to adjust the velocity down for all kit pieces during the verses! This is also done for any other midi tracks playing at that time. It gives the impression that the band has backed off a little so that vox tracks really take center stage. When the chorus kicks in with a little heavier velocity it really lifts the whole song. This makes for less volume automation and if your vst instruments are velocity-layered it can make for some very realistic texturing.
Just a few tricks I use. Try them out. Maybe it will help you.

 
Just yesterday I stumbled across this short article which offers a few things to think about : 
Virtual Drumming for Rookies
 
 

Nice link Paul I can't wait to try it out.