This last trick is actually a favorite of mine.

If you can make your drums hit hard and sound great at low volumes, they'll cut right through the mix when you crank it up.

The only thing you want to be careful about is your low-frequency perception at higher volumes. You don't hear the bass as well at lower volumes, as explained by the Fletcher-Munson curve, so double-checking your drums at both quiet and loud levels relative to the low-end frequency balance is crucial.

If you'd like more drum mixing tips, I've put together my entire process of practical drum mixing tips into once package inside the Drum Mix Toolkit.

Grab it here:

www.DrumMixToolkit.com