bad pick attack sound when recording

[guitardoodguy]

hello i just started recording a few days ago and the pick attack is so scratchy and ugly sounding, and chirps quite a bit. im using abasi archetype and plini amp sims atm and will have jason richardsons mixwave tomorrow. my interface is an axe i/o pickups are 7 string illuminator set, ernie ball prodigy pick and black jazz 3s. ive tried everything other than EQ but i want to at least minimize how much ill have to EQ so i can maintain my tone. ive tried lowering my bridge pickup, picking over the pickup, lower gain, noisegate, compression, picking softer, im going for a really bright sound but idk if its possible if i need to cut all the high pick attack out, i do like the sound of pretty little clicks as pick attack but this sounds terrible very scratchy oh also im using ernie ball paradigm strings. any recommendations would help thank you !

 

[Drew]

So, this isn't just a problem when recording - this is a problem when playing, it just gets a lot more obvious to you when you listen back to a recording.


What kind of pick are you using? Generally pick "chirp" is more pronounced with thicker picks, so if you're using something like one of the heavier Dunlop Flow picks, switching to something thinner might help.

 

[guitardoodguy]

So, this isn't just a problem when recording - this is a problem when playing, it just gets a lot more obvious to you when you listen back to a recording.


What kind of pick are you using? Generally pick "chirp" is more pronounced with thicker picks, so if you're using something like one of the heavier Dunlop Flow picks, switching to something thinner might help.

well if you listen to most bands songs you cant hear pick attack that much. im using probably on of the thinnest picks its a ernie ball prodigy jazz 3 shape

 

[tedtan]

I’d experiment with various picks until you find one that you like, as they’ll have not only different tone based on the material, thickness, tip shape and edge rounding/bevel, but also different attacks, chirp, scratchiness, etc.

Also, a new pick will often sound better than one that’s been played a while; I find they can become a bit scratchier as they get worn from playing.

 

[Drew]

well if you listen to most bands songs you cant hear pick attack that much. im using probably on of the thinnest picks its a ernie ball prodigy jazz 3 shape

Derlin is definitely on the "chirpier" end of materials, and maybe I'm not seeing the full range but it looks like most of the Prodigy picks are 1.5mm or thicker? That's not even remotely close to being one of the thinnest picks.

I've been using Dunlop Ultex Flow picks in 1.0mm, which I'd consider a reasonably heavy pick. I've found much heavier than the Flow 1.14mm pick and pick chirp really becomes more pronounced, particularly in the bridge position. There seems to be some subjectivity here, as Petrucci's signature Flow picks were like 3.0 and for me chirped like mad, but he used them without noticeable issue for a while (or, maybe did have issue and thats why he moved on, I don't know if I've heard anything he actually recorded with them).

But, I'd try either a thinner pick, or a slightly softer pick material.

 

[soldierkahn]

Dunlop Ultex Sharp 2.0mm is the chirpiest ive used. I switched over to the Fang versions that are .94mm and 1.14mm and theyre a lot less chirpier

 

[ArtDecade]

 

[melomanic]

Try one of the red nylon jazz III picks, they're the least chirpy in my experience.

 

[guitardoodguy]

Try one of the red nylon jazz III picks, they're the least chirpy in my experience.

u mean the red ones?

 

[guitardoodguy]

Derlin is definitely on the "chirpier" end of materials, and maybe I'm not seeing the full range but it looks like most of the Prodigy picks are 1.5mm or thicker? That's not even remotely close to being one of the thinnest picks.

I've been using Dunlop Ultex Flow picks in 1.0mm, which I'd consider a reasonably heavy pick. I've found much heavier than the Flow 1.14mm pick and pick chirp really becomes more pronounced, particularly in the bridge position. There seems to be some subjectivity here, as Petrucci's signature Flow picks were like 3.0 and for me chirped like mad, but he used them without noticeable issue for a while (or, maybe did have issue and thats why he moved on, I don't know if I've heard anything he actually recorded with them).

But, I'd try either a thinner pick, or a slightly softer pick material.

yea its 1.5 which seems fairly thin to me...no its not a floppy 10 cent pick for sure. its got a bevel on it its papper thin at the tip...i got some thinner picks laying around ill try and report back

 

[soldierkahn]

u mean the red ones?

Yes, thats why he said "Try one of the RED nylon jazz III picks"

 

[Drew]

yea its 1.5 which seems fairly thin to me...no its not a floppy 10 cent pick for sure. its got a bevel on it its papper thin at the tip...i got some thinner picks laying around ill try and report back

a 1.5mm is an objectively thick pick. I think it's worth keeping in mind that a Fender medium is probably the "standard" pick or the "neutral" pick in the guitar world, and those are 0.73mm. You're using basically two of those stuck together.

A red Jazz III is a great suggestion here though, it's a similar size and shape but a less, oh, "plinky" material so it'll soften the pick attack.

 

[guitardoodguy]

Yes, thats why he said "Try one of the RED nylon jazz III picks"

Lol sorry i got 100 things on the go atm. ya i will try the nylon but they are much thicker than the edge of the prodigy

 

[melomanic]

The red nylon jazz IIIs are different from the black ones, so keep that in mind.

 

[CleansingCarnage]

Apart from changing your pick, you can also probably mitigate a lot of your pick noise through technique. Make sure that when you're playing, your picking hand is as relaxed as possible and you're not gripping the pick too stiffly. If you have a kung fu grip and you're trying to muscle through the strings, that will drastically increase pick noise.

 

[Neon_Knight_]

I find Ultex to be the chirpiest of all Dunlop Jazz III variants. Black is also chirpier than red, despite both being nylon (black is also stiffer...hence the "stiffo" marketing). Tortex (Delrin) is the least chirpy Jazz III variant ime, but I prefer nylon 'Max Grip'.

For me, it's a matter of finding a compromise between not too chirpy / scratchy and not too dull. Aggressive tones need an aggressive pick attack imo.

I love this song, but the pick noise in the opening 20 seconds bugs me:

 

[vark]

Don’t pick with the edge of the pick

 

[BabUShka]

I used to have this problem when I used bright sounding pickups and distortion pedals in front of the amps with lots of gain.
Sometimes its not only the pick, but the whole setup.

Maybe if you somehow can scoop some of the mid/high frequencies early in the signal chain to suppress the scratching sound and add more brightness and mids later in the process - in theory you'll be able to avoid amplifying the scratchy sound all the way in the signal chain? Maybe easier said than done

 

[budda]

Picks are cheap - buy a bunch and rotate til the chirp goes away.

 

[GunpointMetal]

I used to have this problem when I used bright sounding pickups and distortion pedals in front of the amps with lots of gain.
Sometimes its not only the pick, but the whole setup.

Maybe if you somehow can scoop some of the mid/high frequencies early in the signal chain to suppress the scratching sound and add more brightness and mids later in the process - in theory you'll be able to avoid amplifying the scratchy sound all the way in the signal chain? Maybe easier said than done

For me it’s definitely a sum of parts. I like to play with big strings and thick, stiff picks. With those as my “first-in-the-chain” preferences everything else is built around that, kind of. Amp models and OD models and cab sims that don’t over-accentuate the negative sounds that can come from those early choices. I tend not to use V30 cab sims for recording because they tend to accentuate the pick chirp. Same reason I don’t use everyone’s favorite Badonk model much, either. Down to about G everything is cool, below that it’s just scratch and string noise and pick chirp.