Taming Pick Attack

[abt]

I think my pick attack sounds pretty normal but I'm noticing it sounding kind of unpleasant when layering up guitar parts. As part of the pick attack there is some pick scrape in there that seems to be the problem, or at least part of the problem.

I've tried changing the pick angle so that it is dead flat against the strings, I normally play with a bit of an angle, and I've tried different picks, I normally use a pick with a more pointed tip. These seem to help a bit but not much.

Maybe it's EMG pickups.

Does anyone else have this problem?

Does anyone know any magic frequencies or tricks for taming the pick attack? On pro recordings the attack is still there it just seems less percussive and smoother.

 

[Brandon E.]

clips?

 

[egan.]

I don't know that there is anything helpful in the thread but:
http://www.ultimatemetal.com/forum/andy-sneap/268321-minimising-pick-attack-during-solos-leads.html

 

[lolzgreg]

You're over thinking it. It disappears in the mix. If it doesn't compress it.

If you listen to Petrucci's solos (Dream Theater) carefully, you will hear massive amounts of pick attack. It's just part of how hard he plays. Heavier pick=more pick attack.

 

[Eduardo Apolonia]

I've seen this problem in two situations:

- Guitar player picks in an angle that every time he hits the string the pick scratches the string.

- EMG pickup being too close to the strings. Gives a strange sound to the pick sound.

 

[John_C]

I found that the 18V mod reduced nasty pick attack noises. I wouldn't worry about it too much though, as people said you can compress/limit it and it'll probably blend into the mix fine anyway

 

[Nuno Filipe]

You can also change your technique for solos and do it with a lot of pull offs and hammer ons, it´s much smoother.

 

[Dexter_prog]

I've had this same problem, in fact I think that was my first post in this forum: http://www.ultimatemetal.com/forum/...oise-when-recoring-thru-line.html#post8385152

I've changed many things after that, as you can see I didn't know about impulses or amp sims. Anyway, none of those tips people posted helped me.

 

[mick thompson]

I think my pick attack sounds pretty normal but I'm noticing it sounding kind of unpleasant when layering up guitar parts. As part of the pick attack there is some pick scrape in there that seems to be the problem, or at least part of the problem.

I've tried changing the pick angle so that it is dead flat against the strings, I normally play with a bit of an angle, and I've tried different picks, I normally use a pick with a more pointed tip. These seem to help a bit but not much.

Maybe it's EMG pickups.

Does anyone else have this problem?

Does anyone know any magic frequencies or tricks for taming the pick attack? On pro recordings the attack is still there it just seems less percussive and smoother.

im playing around 10 years now and i've noticed my style is very close to michael amott from arch enemy ( fav band = following their playing style) where i seem to almost over-use rakes on a lot of lead patterns to achieve a bit more dynamics and to make it cut through but it came to the stage where i didn't even realize i was doing it so much. it could very well be that your playing is just close to mine and your raking the strings by habit without realizing it. if so its up to yourself to change that habit.

i've found that when playing if i keep my fingers tucked up near my palm i rake the strings a lot more then when i have them fully extended so when im playing fast staccato styled riffs i tend to extend my picking hands fingers so as not to rake the strings, i dont know why extending them works for me but it just does - its just a muscle memory thing which you need to work on

IMHO

 

[abt]

Thanks for the tips , I haven't tried any of them yet. Instead of replying to you all individually I'll post all questions/comments here.

So far I've got:
- 18v mod - I can't wait to try this

- Over thinking - Very likely to be a factor

- Pickup height - I think this is okay but I'll experiment

- Compression - Like a lot of people I'm not the greatest when it comes to compression. I certainly wouldn't know where to start with this

- The pick - I use a dunlop sharp pick, does anyone else use a pick with a sharp tip? Does it cause attack problems?

- Waves Trans-X plugin - Has anyone tried this?

- Pick angle - I think I need to work on this anyway. I've always picked on a slight angle and never really thought about it. Should your pick be parallel to the stings? Ie no angle at all?


I think it maybe a combination of some of the above.

 

[abt]

Okay, so here's what I've tried:

- 18v mod - Didn't really help the pick attack, it did sound a little different but not much. I have only tested it di into an amp sim and not a real amp. I'm interested in testing this further for other reasons.

- Over thinking - Definitely a factor, isn't that what we do?

- Pickup height - It's not this.

- Compression - I still suck at compression so no luck here

- The pick - This has helped a bit. Needs more experimenting.

- Pick angle - Helps a bit.

 

[Metaltastic]

Clips always help

 

[Brandon E.]

Dunlop sharp could be a big problem...I use Jazz IIIs and I'm fine with pick attack but once I switched to the Jazz III XLs (sortve like the sharps in terms of size) I had a huge scraping sound before every hard pickstroke and in a quadtracked mix it was just far too much...back to the regular Jazz IIIs for me.

Keep in mind that you shouldn't really have to do any post processing because I don't know, that's kinda ridiculous to use post processing to edit out something that's 100% caused by your technique

 

[abt]

Dunlop sharp could be a big problem...I use Jazz IIIs and I'm fine with pick attack but once I switched to the Jazz III XLs (sortve like the sharps in terms of size) I had a huge scraping sound before every hard pickstroke and in a quadtracked mix it was just far too much...back to the regular Jazz IIIs for me.

I actually bought some picks yesterday, unfortunately they only had the red Jazz III XLs. They helped a little bit.

Keep in mind that you shouldn't really have to do any post processing because I don't know, that's kinda ridiculous to use post processing to edit out something that's 100% caused by your technique

I'm not sure that it is my technique, it could be, I'm always interested in what others are doing.

 

[Brendan.Clace]

Having the exact same problem right now. I think mine could be caused by pickup height, but also the Jazz III's and my actual attack seems to be too much. I find that quadtracking the guitars makes the chugging almost to be like "clicking". AKA...NOT good in the mix. Honestly, I think its a combination of all of these. No matter how hard I tried (amp sim editing etc), I could not fix this, so I got my buddy to bring over his guitar and to play the same riff, and it is fine. I think it is a combination of pickup height, pick, and technique.

 

[abt]

Having the exact same problem right now. I think mine could be caused by pickup height, but also the Jazz III's and my actual attack seems to be too much. I find that quadtracking the guitars makes the chugging almost to be like "clicking". AKA...NOT good in the mix. Honestly, I think its a combination of all of these. No matter how hard I tried (amp sim editing etc), I could not fix this, so I got my buddy to bring over his guitar and to play the same riff, and it is fine. I think it is a combination of pickup height, pick, and technique.

What pickups do you have? I lowered the height of the on my EMGs, sounded exactly the same just lower in volume.

Did you try you buddies guitar? You've got and opportunity that I don't have, the power of elimination. If the problems is still there on a guitar you know works then you've got to look at the common factor.

 

[BrettT]

What amp/sim are you playing through? Some amps emphasize pick attack much moreso than others.

 

[abt]

What amp/sim are you playing through? Some amps emphasize pick attack much moreso than others.

I was actually wondering if this is the problem, I've been using guitar rig. I don't plan on using it for the final guitar sound though, those will be reamped in a pro studio.

I've been playing around with picks and the 18v mod, starting to sound pretty good, it could be the difference.

 

[Dexter_prog]

Dude, post some clips. I want to listen to how this evolves (if it does ) as I have the same problem. By the way, did you feel any difference in this with old and new strings?

 

[abt]

Dude, post some clips.

I know, I know It's hard at the moment because I'm working so much . I'll have to dig something out. It would be better if I could find the time to do a full before and after comparison.

did you feel any difference in this with old and new strings?

I wouldn't know, I never let my strings get that old, new strings would have a brighter attack which is good but it would also make pick scrapes etc more obvious.