Also consider using the Drum Replacer.

Guitarhacker
To remove the noise and garbage in a track I will use 2 things. Both work extremely well.
 
First is the volume automation envelope.  I add the nodes manually and zoom in so that I can get surgical precision. Whether the automation is sloped to ease in or out, or if it's vertical for instantaneous changes, depends on the circumstance. I use both.  There's often a lot of work involved because each event requires setting 4 nodes and adjusting them accordingly.
 

 
That's very similar to what I do.  Can you not achieve the same result by simply cutting the space between events and then zooming in and drawing volume slopes before and after the event?  Probably not using the correct terminology...but nodes are not used.  
 
The problem I had with nodes is changing their values proved to be tediously difficult.  Maybe Sonar improves this, I'm stuck on Home Studio II.  Do you find placing nodes is easier?
 
 

Guitarhacker
 
BTW: I don't think I have ever used the "remove silence" function. 

I have.  Cakewalk calls it the "record" button. 

Guitarhacker
 
First is the volume automation envelope.  I add the nodes manually and zoom in so that I can get surgical precision. Whether the automation is sloped to ease in or out, or if it's vertical for instantaneous changes, depends on the circumstance. I use both.  There's often a lot of work involved because each event requires setting 4 nodes and adjusting them accordingly.

to me this sounds at least as cumbersome as going in with the scissor and just cut the parts where toms don't play and then fade the clips (of course checking by ear).
 
plus it leaves automation for later purposes ... which is volume automation of the track with respect to the overall mix ... and trimmed audio clips are less error prone (or have you never accidently selected and modified the wrong automation line?)

So much about automation... :) I used automation with Sonar 4-8... yawn, tweaking tedious and there's just something I hate about it. :) lol
 
I want to keep things simpler then that. its not lazy it's just me looking for something else.
I'm kind of back to the "remove silence" option, then I can push up the tom tracks and use the overheads and room mic to fill-in the organics of the live sound. If I could set the remove silence right the full track cuts all at once and I can move on with something consistent. Come on, I have to try it... :)
 
Using eq this evening worked well on the laptop and I came close:) I'm ReRecording with a new drum mic setup and new tuning next week. Getting close but I want the toms where they "are not" right now and when I push them up I get the rest... Still need to try a gate. I have a few gate here now to look thru.  No rush... right... ;)
 
Thanks to all for all the ideas, they are important things to know, that feed the flames of creation. :)
 
Peace!
 

Voda La Void

Guitarhacker
To remove the noise and garbage in a track I will use 2 things. Both work extremely well.
 
First is the volume automation envelope.  I add the nodes manually and zoom in so that I can get surgical precision. Whether the automation is sloped to ease in or out, or if it's vertical for instantaneous changes, depends on the circumstance. I use both.  There's often a lot of work involved because each event requires setting 4 nodes and adjusting them accordingly.
 

 
That's very similar to what I do.  Can you not achieve the same result by simply cutting the space between events and then zooming in and drawing volume slopes before and after the event?  Probably not using the correct terminology...but nodes are not used.  
 
The problem I had with nodes is changing their values proved to be tediously difficult.  Maybe Sonar improves this, I'm stuck on Home Studio II.  Do you find placing nodes is easier?
 
 

Guitarhacker
 
BTW: I don't think I have ever used the "remove silence" function. 

I have.  Cakewalk calls it the "record" button. 

 
Now THAT's funny... "Cakewalk calls it the RECORD button....." 
 
I don't find nodes to be a problem.  I insert the envelope and it shows as a solid straight line in the track based on the default starting volume level.  I simply click on that line to add my nodes. If I'm looking to alter a since note/noise event/or anything else, I can simply zoom in to the point where there's space visible between the event and what surrounds it. Placing the nodes is easy at that point... then I zoom back out as needed.  

Since most of the things I do involve bringing an instrument in or out.... the zoom really isn't needed for that. If I'm cleaning up a noisy vocal track, yeah, it helps to zoom in a bit so precise placement is easier to achieve. I refer to it as surgical editing. By having nodes, I can easily go back to this track and if I need to bring that edit up or move it down further, I can simply grab the horizontal line and drag it up or down.
 
Quite often I will insert nodes on parts that I'm not sure if I want them in or not. By having the nodes in place, I can use them as volume controls for those parts. You can see that in the picture below in Track 7. 
 
 

 
As with many things involving Cakewalk and recording in general, I have found that there are often several equally viable ways to accomplish something. So what I'm saying is.... this is the way I do this. They way you described is equally viable as long as it works the way you want it to and the listener can't tell there was an edit.
 
 

If there isn't a lot of tom hits in the song, cutting around the them is a good way to go. I do this unless there's a lot of toms, in which case I go the gate route.

PC4K, Sonnitus or another gate/expander is mostly how I do this kind of thing. Usually for removing background hiss from choppy guitar tracks. For longer periods of noise I automate the volume.

The way to prevent the volume automation conflicting with the fader-set volume when it comes to mixdown is to take the track with the automation on it, turn off all effects on the rrack then bounce it to a new track. Move the fx etc. over to the new track or duplicate the settings and problem solved. If you're sure whatever processing is going on on the "source" track is what you'll be keeping it's even easier, just leave the fx on and bounce the track to another then mute, archive or (maybe a bit dangerously) delete the original.

Remove silence should work properly. It doesn't. Cakewalk knows this.

Rob[atSound-Rehab]

Guitarhacker
First is the volume automation envelope.  I add the nodes manually and zoom in so that I can get surgical precision. Whether the automation is sloped to ease in or out, or if it's vertical for instantaneous changes, depends on the circumstance. I use both.  There's often a lot of work involved because each event requires setting 4 nodes and adjusting them accordingly.

to me this sounds at least as cumbersome as going in with the scissor and just cut the parts where toms don't play and then fade the clips (of course checking by ear).
 
plus it leaves automation for later purposes ... which is volume automation of the track with respect to the overall mix ... and trimmed audio clips are less error prone (or have you never accidently selected and modified the wrong automation line?)

Nothing cumbersome about it at all.
 
Just Click & Drag in the lower half of the track (Edit Filter set to Volume), move to the top half of the track (cursor changes) then just click & drag up/down. All 4 nodes are created automatically.
 
And, the envelopes are all ready and waiting for when you want to adjust the volumes of different sections.
 
I do this all the time.
 
"have you never accidently selected and modified the wrong automation line?"
 
Nope. For a start they are all colour coded and a quick glance at the Edit Filter serves as confirmation

http://www.wilkinsonaudio.com/product/debleeder/
 This works very good on kick and snare