Good reply theletterq!!!
Creed, Nickelback, Default and all those other bands in the genre Zeke is talking about are most likely NOT using triggers....
I have all those albums, and they are all live drums.
Knowing how to tune the drums is king.... Then the brand of drum your using comes in next..... Then the room.. and the mic come in....
If your using a poorly tuned, shit quality snare in a bedroom, and trying to get Creeds sound, you most likely won't achieve it.
But.. Don't fret.... You can get a decent sound... Work on the tuning.. Thats a start.
Nevermind these stupid tuning bibles and similar websites.. Take the snare to a music store and have a knowledgable drum guy (If you can find one), show you how to tune.
Good Luck Zeke.
Joe