Thanks guys, what I seem to do is make a redrum/kong instrument and get all the instruments I need in there (snare, precussion, kick, cymbal, hihats, etc.) and add all the eqing, compression, limiting and stereo imaging. But just recently I've added a seperate channel for a snare and another for a kick so there is a more prominant hit on the kick and snare (I've done this on my new track, Fissure - in signature). This process gives me the chance to phatten (add more low and mid levels) to the kick, snare and preccussion of the entire beat so that it gives it more punch outside of the two outter channels that focus on the low and mid of the kick, and the mid and high of the snare). I hate my beats sounding too tinny or crisp because it gives it a fake sense of realism (IMO), but I like to take away some high end frequency because majority of the time it makes the beat sound more phat.
That's what I do, I dunno what you guys do, but hopefully this gives a more open illumination of the way I do things via breaks.