Pick Attack Too Loud - Stumped

[Ugly Bunny]

Sounds completely normal to me. Wait... have I been doing it wrong all these years? lol

 

[sixtystring]

check out the Compressor block's Compander type. per the wiki:

Compander — The Transients control adjusts the transient modification. Values less than zero soften the attack, value greater than zero emphasize the attack.

At one point in time I used this to help automate volume swells without using a pedal

 

[sixtystring]

A Compander is a compressor followed by an expander. If the time constant of the compressor and expander are the same (and the "channel" is perfect, i.e. linear and lossless) then a Compander is transparent. If you change the time constant of one vs. the other the transients will become distorted.

The "Transients" knob controls the time constant mismatch. Negative values smooth the transients, positive values enhance the transients.

A Compander with transient enhancement can be used on kick drums, bass, etc. to add punch. Transient reduction can be used to reduce plosives.

For guitar you can use the Compander to add or remove pick attack.

emphasis mine

 

[Michael R]

Could it be the pickups?
I had an Ibanez Prestige that had the Dimarzio Tone Zone / Air Notrton and it had some pretty loud pick attack. I never noticed it until I was recording with a modeler (Not a Fractal). I cured it by swapping the pickups to something different.

 

[∞Fractals]

Compress it out?

 

[RifferMcDuck]

Could it be the pickups?
I had an Ibanez Prestige that had the Dimarzio Tone Zone / Air Notrton and it had some pretty loud pick attack. I never noticed it until I was recording with a modeler (Not a Fractal). I cured it by swapping the pickups to something different.

I agree with this, when I play on my Pegasus bridge pickup the pick attack and "hardness" of the notes are super prominent, and I also use the 5153 most often.

 

[FullThrottle]

Don't pick so hard

See Holdsworth, Allan

 

[ApocalypticKatana]

It doesn't have any particular frequency. Pick attack is impulsive so, by definition, it contains all frequencies. The standard approach to reducing attack is to use dynamics processing. The Axe-Fx II has a Pick Attack parameter which can be used to reduce the attack but the AX-8 does not have this parameter.

You can try using the Gate/Expander to soften the attack.

 

[trancegodz]

Any tips for reducing pick attack?

Your sound clip sounds like an icepick in the ear. Way too piercing. Dial out the icepick high end with eq. That's the problem.

 

[Tannhauser]

Post the preset!

 

[japri]

Could it be the pickups?
I had an Ibanez Prestige that had the Dimarzio Tone Zone / Air Notrton and it had some pretty loud pick attack. I never noticed it until I was recording with a modeler (Not a Fractal). I cured it by swapping the pickups to something different.

this happened to my when using jb and 59 seymour duncan.

 

[ruso]

this happened to my when using jb and 59 seymour duncan.

I liked the 59, but hated the JB in my Charvel. Very weird voicing, and I’m into that era of music.

 

[Piing]

Your sound clip sounds like an icepick in the ear. Way too piercing. Dial out the icepick high end with eq. That's the problem.

That's right. Even with soft fingerpicking technique, that preset may sound ear-piercing