Guitar buzz on playback

[Cone8834]

My setup:

-MacBook Pro, version 10.6.4 (not the newer MacBook Pro)
-MBOX 2 (regular)
-Pro Tools 8.0.3
-Gibson J45
-Studiophile DX4 monitors
-instrument cables connect the MBOX 2 output to the Studiophile inputs

Here's my problem:

When I record simple G,C, and D chords and play them back, it sounds rough. Every strum sounds very buzzy and nothing close to clean. This happens through my monitors and isn't as noticeable through headphones. Does anyone know why this is happening?

Thanks for your time and let me know if you need more details.

[stainless]

well... without knowing how you're recording the guitar (internal pup? mic'd) it's a bit hard to say... but if we rule out fret buzz... it's in the signal chain... how close to 0 dB are you recording? could be the level meter/indicator is off... and you're clipping

or a bad cable

[Cone8834]

Hey Stainless,

Sorry for the lack of info. I am recording the guitar through the DI. The problem is that every little detail is getting picked up, so everytime I strum the strings, you can hear the pick or my fingers slide by, and it's VERY noticeable.

I'm keeping the level in the yellow, so it's not clipping. Maybe fret buzz is also a factor?

[albee1952]

If the guitar has a battery inside, that would be the first thing I would change. I was also curious about fret buzz, but that would be audible when playing unplugged. I doubt it matters here, but, if the monitors have balanced inputs, using balanced cables is still a better hookup. FWIW, I always record at 24 bit and try to keep recording levels just into the yellow.