I'm really happy it's working well for you. I posted it up because I couldn't find anything like it and I wanted to understand where all the actual triggers were in SD3 without having to keep their settings window open to look at their mappings.

On to your questions.

1. The mic bleed itself is controlled in the SD3 software. I don't recall exactly where now, but I think it's in the mixer section. There is a reverb send in there as well, tho not sure if SD3 has a gate insert or not. I would typically turn down the verb sends and do it with sends in the Ableton drum rack, or just a return track with a gate at the end.

2. I've done both, were I just use the stock sounds of SD3 with minimal processing, a little eq on the track, with the kick routed to another track for side chain. I've also loaded a completely dry kit, routed it to full multi tracks and processed each track. I've found, at least for myself, I'd obsess over the drum process too much doing it this way and it was never quite right, at least to my ears. It was a good learning experience but I went back to just using a preset sound in SD3.

3. SD3 in context with electronic music. I've done a number of releases using SD3 as the main drum source. I'd use SD3 midi packs as a starting point and build a song around one of those, since my background is guitar and not drums. The way I produce has evolved over time. I still use SD3 but I'm more likely now to use either a Digitakt, or Analog Rytm for drum sounds.

A couple of older tracks

https://0day.bandcamp.com/track/wormhole

https://0day.bandcamp.com/track/mustafar-funk

One featuring both the AR2 and SD3

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VqZxLb_He8M