One problem with using drum maps would be finding a dummy note to route to, in the case of VSTis not treated as drums per se. For example, on Bodhran, it would have to be higher than C7. On Turkish percussion, if must be higher than G#7. These World Percussion VSTis (and some HALion Factory presets with drum sounds) lack drum maps. Even in presets that were designed to use drum maps, the unused notes vary widely. I suppose extreme high notes might be a good enough dumping ground.
I mentioned this kind of approach in alternative #4, which I indeed did not try because the thought of setting up all these drum maps was too foreboding. What happens when you decide you want to reactivate a sound that’s mapped to a dummy note? You must rewrite the drum map just to check out how it flows with your pattern. In addition, you must get rid of the sound you were using, which probably means rewriting that drum map as well. The idea of tinkering for hours to find a solution that I know (in advance) can’t put into practice remains unappealing.
I want to be able to explore possibilities easily. Awkward work-arounds are fine after you’ve figured out the specifics, but are impractical for experimentation. The inefficiency is highly disruptive. Imagine trying to do an A/B compare when you have to rewrite drum maps in the process. OK, you make duplicate tracks. Still, it’s a bigger mess than in the original problem.
The logic editor might solve the problem more easily, say by setting the velocity on unused notes to zero. It’s still pretty brutal. You’d have to go into the logic editor every time you wanted to try something new. This too is probably more brutal than the original problem.