Use a hardware or software compressor to reduce the sharp peak in the waveform for drums such as the snare and the kick. This will allow you to increase the volume of each of these drum tracks in the overall mix without having to worry about clipping or audio distortion. When adjusting the parameters of the compressors, ensure that you have created a very rapid attack time in order to successfully "catch" the wave before it peaks.
If you have recorded separate drum tracks for each of the percussive instruments you are using, consider panning them to unique areas of the stereo field to create a surround sound effect. The pans you make do not need to be significant: for example, placing the snare to the right of of the kick may help the listener to distinguish between the two instruments. This method of sound displacement will also help to create a realistic, authentic feel to the recording.
Although the temptation exists to drastically lower the volume levels of the percussion tracks in order to keep them from overpowering instrumental or vocal melodic lines, the "punch" of the drums is an essential element of a studio-quality recording. Use the graphic equalizer in your hardware or software workstation to gently raise the low-mid frequencies. This adjustment will allow you to decrease the overall volume of the drums while still incorporating the feel of the drum impact.
Gently raise the high-mid frequencies to enhance the "bite" of the snare and tom drums. As these instruments are known for their brittle quality, this slight alteration will allow them to speak clearly while still maintaining a reduced volume level.
If necessary, compress the entire drum mix of the audio recording in order to ensure that peaking will not occur. As with the compression described in Step 1, you will need to configure the compressor to attack the drum hits rapidly in order to balance the audio recording.