The best non-pitch percussion notation system I have seen was first,
I believe, used by Elliot Fine. For drum set, draw two horizontal
lines which would be one staff. Add a time signature at the left.
Note positions relative to these two lines indicate which hand/foot
the note is for.
============== KEY ================
Right Hand == above the upper line. (bottom of note rests on top of line)
Left Hand == below the upper line. (top of note hangs from bottom of line)
Right Foot == above the lower line.
Left Foot == below the lower line.
===================================
Notes are grouped per line (e.g. alternating 8th notes in the hands
should be connected by one beam).
Different instruments are indicated by using different note heads.
The feet are almost always Bass Drum and Hi-Hat.
Indicate cymbals, usually in the right hand, with an X along with
a note stem.
After getting used to playing this notation, one can easily read very
difficult/complex sounding drum music. Elliot used to transcribe
Billy Combham and Elvin Jones solos and beats and have me sight read
them. I was alway struck by how something thats sounds so complex is
really rather simple (just a bunch of distributed 16th notes).
The down side is that your MIDI software probably will not draw you
a two line staff.
Craig