Annoying pick struck noise when recoring thru line

[Dexter_prog]

Hey. It's my first post in here and you may have already realized I am a newbie
First of all, I've done searches in this forum, others, and in internet and couldn't quite find my problem.

The thing is I am recording my first song (actually, a cover song) and the first problem I've face is that my guitar's humbuckers pick a lot of my pick-strokes noise. It's very annoying. Here's an example:
http://www.4shared.com/file/115591914/a9cac11a/Untitled3.html


I was wondering if that is produced because of the humbuckers, my distortion pedal or if it is a normal thing and can be removed somehow

This is my setup:
guitar: Ibanez rg7321 (stock humbuckers)
pedal: boss metal zone 2
DAW: Cubase
interface: Presonus firebox
OS: Windows XP

This is how I am recording:
guitar -> mt2 -> presouns firebox instrument in 1

 

[supermother]

When DI tracking you should use a cab. sim or impulses
Remove the fizzy sound with a Highpass filter.


EDIT: of course i mean a lowpass filter

 

[Dexter_prog]

Could you recommend me a high-pass filter plugin? And also how to set them up to remove this noise?

 

[Fox Mulder]

Are you using any cab sim or impulses?

You can apply a high-pass filter with any EQ plugin out there.

 

[Dexter_prog]

No, I was not using cab sims or impulses. I will try some, I remember reading a couple of very long threads about impulses.
Sorry to be a newbie, but I don't quite understand what a "high-pass filter" is or how I can do it with an EQ. I mean, I am sure it cuts some frequencies, but still. I've tried EQing out that noise, but as you see, it varies with every string and with different positions when picking

 

[supermother]

Just use en EQ to apply the lowpass filter, set to cutoff somewhere between 8 and 12Khz after taste.

 

[Trevoire520]

Really the best advice I can give is to try and work on your picking technique. You seem to be digging in quite a bit. Using too much gain can also cause everything to be more compressed, bringing up the sound of the pick attack in comparison to the actual note.

You might be surprised at how much the pick sound disappears once you've got drums and bass guitar into the mix.

And dude, its "hUmbuckers" lol

 

[AudioGeekZine]

*Homer* mmmm hambuckers.drrool

Dexter you need to learn about the basic tools of audio processing so we can all communicate on at least the most basic level.
I have a 7 part series on audio effects here: http://www.audiogeekzine.com/?cat=753



The angle you pick makes a big difference. If the pick is hitting the string at an angle you also slightly scrape it, which can be unwanted.

 

[Dexter_prog]

ok. Things I've tried
1) Technique: I didn't consider it a technique problem, but I still tried playing REALLY slow so that there is no chance that the pick wouldn't hit the strings at a 90-degree angle. Still the same noise
2) Using impulses. I tried revalver with some GuitarHack's impulses. Same noise
3) Another guitar. I've got another Ibanez with I haven't used in a while (it's uncalibrated). This guitar has a Dimarzio Evolution pickup. Still, the same noise

All this lead me to some conclusions:
1) I am cursed
2) Maybe the old strings can make this sound stand out. Both of my guitars have old strings (probably more than 6-month-old strings or even more)
3) Too much gain?

I still managed to lower that noise in the clip I uploaded by EQing, but my main question was if this sound was normal (and then everybody EQ it out) or if I was doing something wrong.

What do you think, people?


pd: AudioGeekZine, I read all your stuff about plugins and effects. Really good info in there

 

[Moonlight_Seeker]

Maybe your pick is too hard???? Dunno. But if you have recorded in clean in a DI you can use melodyne and simply remove the darn fuckers.

 

[Dexter_prog]

My pick is 2mm thick. I don't it is too hard. It's a Jim Dunlop Big Stubby.

I've never used melodyne, what type of pluging/whatever is it?

 

[Fox Mulder]

Why'd you wanna go over 1mm, dude?

 

[NicholasDWolfwood]

it'll probably disappear in a full mix fyi

 

[Moonlight_Seeker]

Well I would not use a 2mm pick for the leads. And melodyne is all over google. Or just an elastic audio thing.

 

[Dexter_prog]

it'll probably disappear in a full mix fyi

I thought so, but what if this was a riff for an intro? I mean, if the intro was just this riff and no other instruments

Why'd you wanna go over 1mm, dude?

1mm picks bend too much plus I can't play fast riffs with thing picks

Well I would not use a 2mm pick for the leads. And melodyne is all over google. Or just an elastic audio thing.

really? Most of the guitar players I know use at least 2mm picks for leads and solos. I don't mean that I use them just because the guitar players of the bands I like do, but I have found 2mm quite good for me (I've tried from <1mm up to 3mm)

 

[Trevoire520]

I'm another here who uses 2mm picks (I find thicker picks nicer to play as the don't bend out of the way as you strike the strings) not had any problems with excessive pick noise except when I was doing this one REALLY fast trill picking riff on the high strings of the guitar, which I plan to re-track as I think with a change in pick angle it would be much less noticeable.

 

[AudioGeekZine]

Those big stubby picks are super hard plastic, try a normal thick pick like Brain or Tortex

 

[Erik Monsonis]

I know where does your problem come from. Lower the pickup. I get the same kind of a noise when I palm mute pressing down too much with my picking hand. I actually like that clicky sound, but in controlled amounts. If it's not that, I'm out of ideas and could be anything that's been said here

 

[JBroll]

A hard pick, used properly, doesn't have to increase pick noise - it's those damned flexible picks that sound like they're jerking the string off with sandpaper...

Jeff

 

[supermother]

A hard pick, used properly, doesn't have to increase pick noise - it's those damned flexible picks that sound like they're jerking the string off with sandpaper...

+1 to that