Recording accoustic guitar: Getting rid of pick noise

OK, I'll throw no pick on to the pile when I attempt to re-track. :) It is an upbeat pop song, so I don't want the guitar too dark, but we'll see what happens.
 
The pick noise is usually between the 5-7K range. Follow what SS454 said and dial in the frequency of the pick noise and then cut it.

This is easily done with a parametric EQ. Narrow the Q as much as possible, do a sweep between 5-7K, find where the pick noise is most annoying, then cut at that frequency. If you need to widen the Q a bit, then do so. However, as you widen, it will remove some of the presence of the guitar. A narrow band cut will usually not impact the overall sound.

Frankly, I don't believe getting the player to lose the pick is the answer on the style of song you are refering to.

Hope this helps.
 
You say the pick attack is overpowering the hihat. Is this the main problem? If it is, try panning the hat and the guitar differently. As a wise man once said "You can spend an hour trying to separate or blend instruments with EQ when a simple pan can do the trick".
 
OK, it looks like mixing in generous amounts of room mic along with a little eq might have solved the problem without re-tracking. I'll post my current mix in the MP3 clinic later today.
 
OK, I put up a thread in the mixing clinic if anybody wants to here how it turned out. The song is called "Scare the Night".
 
the pick is probily a Real LITE pick. Get a heavyer pick and try cut the eq arould alittle of the hight freq.
 
I listened to the MP3, and it sounds pretty good. However, I believe you've gone too far on trying to eliminate the pick noise. The guitar is beginning to sound like a keyboard patch almost.
 
Try the sm57's or 58's at the 12th fret about 4-6 inches away from the neck. This is the method I use when recording my acoustic and don't have a pick noise problem. If you have the same problem after recording the track, try EQing it out or using a compressor.
 
Alright..

Read this article.

http://www.taylorguitars.com/news/community/ws_spring_2003.pdf#page=10

Though his conclusions may not be exactly what you want, the methodology for determining your answer is sound.

I don't happen to believe that you can MAKE the guitarist play better (or, what you consider to be better); your job is to make what he plays sound like it's SUPPOSED to. If you can't get rid of the string noise by backing off a foot, back up two feet and compensate.

The bottom line is that you need to find a spot where what he plays sounds as it's intended to sound. I guarantee that a "hard strummer" doesn't project pick noise further than string noise. You need to find that spot. :)

I think the article touches on the "way" to do that....

Good luck. ;)
 
Here's one thing I've noticed: If you grasp the pick too lightly there's more pick noise, and it's a really annoying sound. Not really sure why, but it sounds like that might be what you're describing. And when it comes to mic placement, inches can make a big difference. 12th fret.
 
My wife got me a pick-making machine a few years ago. :-) It looks kind of like a stapler and you insert any kind of flat stock, squeeze it (like a stapler) and it cuts out a pick from the flat stock. So I tried lots of different flat stock materials. Credit cards work okay. Anyway, I tried the cardboard piece on the back of a paper tablet. That thick paper/cardboard stuff made a decent pick that would last maybe one song before it disintegrated. These little cardboard picks are very quiet with respect to pick noise. Someone mentioned felt picks earlier in this thread. I have a couple of those and they don't make as much noise as a regular pick, but they are noisier than the paper picks. They sell the pick-making gizmos on Amazon if you are interested. :-)
 
You are on a bit of a hiding to nothing here Chibi! Historically the acoustic guitar was never meant to be played with a pick. That really started with electric guitars, indeed they are often called "plectrum guitars".
Guitars went from gut strings to metal to get louder, a pick does much the same.

The main problem however is close micc'ing. We listen to guitars from several mtrs away NOT 300mm! The same applies to most instruments. Put a mic under a piano and you will capture all the rattles of the action. Clarinets 'clatter'.

My son plays classical guitar (and electric and bass) and was told some years ago that squeaks, buzzes and poor intonation are due to poor technique and he has worked very hard to eliminate those noises. I fear your guitarists needs to do the same?

Dave.
 
A heavier pick adds a ton of low mids and bass plus is much more rounded off that it's difficult to hear any pick attack at all IME. That's why I don't like using them on full bodied acoustics. Those light bendy nylon picks are too slappy, and the pick attack sounds way too loud to me. Medium picks work well enough for me to add more or take some away with EQ from there on if I want to.

If you have a bad balance from placing the mic or scooping out low mids with EQ then the pick attack will sound obnoxiously bad
 
I'm a hardcore thin picker, on bass and guitar. I'm also a hard strummer - trying to make a single guitar express a whole band. I had to switch to a medium and use a condenser at the 14th fret on my acoustic to reduce pick noise. This works ok - my acoustic is a smaller body and a little bright. I haven't tried heavier gauge strings yet as the original lights are still sounding pretty good, though they are getting a little grody around the first few frets.
 
Last edited:
I am guessing this thread got resurrected by a new sub. My two c: I agree with Dave about mic distance with this caveat- use go-bos or similar to reduce room noise, as that can kill the 'intimacy' as the op pointed out.

I also agree that moving the mic to farther up and/or pointing away from the strumming hand helps; also nobody has mentioned guitar choice or string gauge. I realize they are less likely to create a major difference, however I have found some guitars and string gauges do, in fact, change how much pick noise comes through.

Finally, to fix an already tracked guitar sound I recommend using a de-esser instead of a multi-band compressor. It's basically the same idea, but simpler to setup.
 
There's a lot of good suggestions that I agree with and use including:

Change the angle of the pick
Use a lighter pick or one with different material
Find the offending frequency and reduce with EQ
Try coated strings
 
Pick noise is very easy to get rid of within a DAW - very difficult to get rid of when recording on a Mackie VLZ 1404 to a Roland 2480 - you could try a Parametric EQ and
notch out the frequencies - but that tends to introduce some wierd phase issues.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top