Annoying pick struck noise when recoring thru line

[Dexter_prog]

Hey. It's my first post in here (this sub-forum) and you may have already realized I am a newbie :P
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:
4shared.com - online file sharing and storage - download Untitled3.mp3


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

Sorry if this is the wrong forum. Thanks in advance

[paul999]

Hey welcome to the forum. The problem is most certainly all of the pork in your pick-ups. The little piggy just wants to go to market and not get on stage. I'm just razzin' ya I hope you don't scare easily. BTW they are called Humbuckers.

Seriously I don't download stuff but you can post it as an MP3. I bet that there are multiple factors. How you play. The guitar set up (you might be hitting the pickups). The metal zone won't help and the fact that you line in direct will all exaggerate this. Some pick noise is good and I make sure I set the attacks on my compressors to keep it if I am diggin' it.

Cheers

[hessodreamy]

Yeah the metalzone will be accentuating those high frequencies where the pick strokes sit.
I find this problem a fair bit.
You could try striking the strings less hard? Also, try picking the string less close to the selected pickup. If you're using the neck pickup, try to play nearer the bridge pickup, and vice versa. Usually improves the situation a bit.

[magno]

Sounds like you're actually scraping the pick against the string, instead of plucking it. Try plucking at a different spot, like a couple inches forward or back from where you are now. This may decrease the harmonics that are being created.

[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?

[Penniesfromheaven]

It's the Metal Zone. Gain is too high. You are also picking too hard, and the pick sounds like you stop it on the string momentarily before actually plucking. You are also digging into the string too much. Try a thinner pick maybe also.

But no, as far as normal goes, I would say it is normally undesirable.

[Dexter_prog]

But, on my last post I mentioned I didn't use the metal zone and I picked at very slow speeds (even slower than the recording) to avoid picking at an angle, digging too much, etc :/

[Penniesfromheaven]

By that I take it to mean you tried the Dirac impulses instead of the stomp box?

[Dexter_prog]

exactly .

[Penniesfromheaven]

Well, ok. I don't know much about impulses, almost nothing. Anyway, I guess that has nothing to do with it. It did sound more like a gain srtucture problem, like you were overdriving an input somewhere. By the way, I've been a guitar teacher for about 25 years, but it sounds like you've been doing the right things as far as experimenting with picking technique.

I'd be glad to stay on this problem with you, I can learn a few things myself!