Humanize and swing

Perfectly quantized drums often feel robotic. Two cures:

• Swing: shift every other 16th note slightly later. Most DAWs have a global swing knob.
• Velocity variation: vary how loud each hi-hat is. Ghost notes (very quiet snares) add motion.
• Micro-timing: shift the snare 5-15 ms late for a laid-back feel, or early for urgency.