CHUMAKOV ALEXANDER

Alexander Chumakov - interview for IN / OUT
Questions of forming an electric guitar sound is constantly covered in the pages of our magazine. Guitarists, . especially beginners, . difficult to make a choice in purchasing tool, . amplifier, . preamp, . guitar processor, etc., . due to, . that currently manufacturers have released a lot of guitar equipment, . which is available for sale in Russia and the music market,
. Indeed, even experienced guitar player can get lost in a dense forest, various pedals, processors, preamps ... But fortunately in our country we have musicians who through his many years of experience can answer many of the "delicate questions of guitar Philosophy. With one of those guitarists I'm very familiar. This Alexander Chumakov.

Alexander Chumakov rightly considered one of the best guitarists in Russia. Although the name of the musician known only to specialists of show business and fellow guitarists, probably hard to find anyone in our country who would not hear the sound of his guitar on the plates of the leading domestic pop stars. Among them - and. Naji, a group of "Multi-Key", O. Volyando, A. Sviridov, K. Orbakajte, F. Kirkorov, A. Pugacheva and many. dp. At present it is working musician in the singer Valeria.

A distinctive feature of. Chumakov, is that he is a truly versatile guitarist, professional highly trained technician to play guitar in a completely different styles of music - from classical to nylon, to contemporary fusion style of Alan Holdsvorda. A particularly interesting. Chumakov the fact that he takes very seriously the sound is constantly searching, experimenting with different guitar equipment. That is why in the formation of sound it will be very interesting for guitarists.

Alexander Chumakov graduated Tver music school as a classical guitar. After working in a jazz-rock group "Helios" under the leadership of the outstanding saxophonist Eugene Malyshev. After the Philharmonic Jazz Alexander entered a phase andegraundovskogo rock. Moreover, A. Chumakov got a good "tavern, school, working several years in a night show hotel" Metropol "(although it is difficult to work in the Metropole compared with the mediocre restaurant). Further, A. Chumakov was invited to a very professional team of musicians, "Multi-Key", which in addition to solo instrumental music accompanied a. Sviridova. (Currently, "Multi-Key" accompanies the singer Valeria). Of course, one can not acknowledge the cooperation of Alexander Chumakov, with very promising rock singer Oleg Volyando.

Currently, in addition to concert work in two groups, Alexander Chumakov is a studio session guitarist "Brothers Grim" Anatoli Lopatin. It was at this studio to record their songs F. Kirkorov, A. Pugacheva and other stars of the domestic variety. In addition to the purely professional, guitar-performing work (currently recording a solo CD), Alexander Chumakov engaged in teaching activities. Currently he is preparing to release its training manual on playing technique with the use of electric vibrator Floyd Rose (book + CD)

. I think that the record of Alexander Chumakov convince readers of the highest competence and professionalism of this guitarist
. However, I had long tried to persuade Alexander to share their experiences, tk. he himself, being self-critical person who believes that there is nothing new in the formation of sound, he can not speak, no know-how in his approach to sound is not - and so everything is clear ... But why is he so sounds gitaraN

Dmitry Maloletov: Sasha, why depend on sound gitaryN

Aleksandr Chumakov: Of course, the guitar sound is the instrument itself, ie. type, model guitar (sensors, wood, etc.) and performing technique. I want to note right away that the merits of good guitar can be felt only with good sound production (ie. extraction techniques of sound) and the ability to perform specific guitar techniques. This is a very important point, tk. novice guitarists may mistakenly believe that only gives the sound quality guitars and instruments. I do not want to diminish the role of the guitar and equipment from them very much depends on the sound, but still important - performing technique, ie. guitarist ability to influence listeners through a tool (hand).

D. M. What guitars are you playing at concerts and on zapisiN

A. CH. Actually I had a lot of guitars. I think that every guitar player, serious about music, is always searching for "his" guitar, the sound of its own. After years of searching, I got amazing in my opinion a guitar Vigier Custom. Currently, I can say that I found my tool. Later I bought a second guitar of the same company Vigier Original - somewhat simpler model, but has a different paint sound. Besides, I often use my old Fender Stratocaster, if the work requires the classic sound (there is a view of the sound has become a classic in blues, rock, etc.. ). I still have a very good electric and ValeyArt Supplied with Yamaha, who sometimes use to record.

D. M. Nice set ... With regard to the Fender Stratocaster, ValeyArt and Yamaha - these guitars are common in guitar medium. But Vigier - guitar practically unknown in our country (by the way the guitar company Vigier Stanley Jordan plays an independent two-handed tapping, before he played the guitar Ibanez). Why are you so loved the guitar VigierN How are these guitars from drugihN

A. CH. Well, first, sound. Of course this is a very subjective assessment. But what really catches the eye, is the quality "components" and "build" tool. I can not configure these weeks guitars, they surprisingly kept operational. Special hinge design Floyd Rose (with bearings), allows full use of the lever, without fear of "losing" operation.

These guitars really are not very common, tk. they are thousands of assembly line. In our country, for these guitars is practically no market, tk. they are very expensive (for example, in comparison with Ibanez). But I think that the guitar player who really loves Vigier find at their disposal, and I do not think you make a mistake ... Actually, in my opinion, a serious guitarist could not be to save money on an instrument. Guitars must be good, so expensive. Highly professional tool is a pleasure to hold in his hands, he radiates a kind of aura that makes working on technique and sound.

D. M. It is believed that Vigier pure rock-EW guitars.

A. CH. Yes, they are very good to play the music of modern rock, but they successfully fit and in fusion, blues. At the studio I used this guitar, writing purely jazz party. Everything depends on the manner of the game, stylized phrasing, processing, etc..

D. M. Now the company selling guitars equipment have focused on cheap guitars, Korean-Chinese firms. Is it beginner guitarists to acquire them, or should seek, as you said, just buy an expensive professional instrumentN

A. CH. At this difficult to answer unequivocally. Probably guitar should correspond to the level of a musician (or be slightly higher), and of course his income. To study the position of boxes, different fingerings, work out techniques to make a demo recording is absolutely not necessary to have an expensive guitar. Moreover, the level of educational guitars (up to $ 300) is quite high. The main thing is that the guitars built (ie. holding system) and had no obvious structural defects. The second level of tools (around $ 500) already can be considered a professional (in our country). On these guitars may well work in concert and to work more or less good sound in the studio.

Sometimes the musicians (especially on tour) are working on cheap guitars, with a set of "cruising, touring version of". The critical moment comes when working musician "on order", ie. when guitarist should very well accomplish the task set by the composer, arranger and sound-producer. In this case, you need a good tool, not one but several - for all styles of music. At this stage, the guitarist problems - a small selection of high-class instruments. I understand that businessmen to invest in such instruments are not very profitable ... His Vigier custom (these guitars are made in France only on order) I bought as under socialism, ie. pay in advance, and about 3 months of waiting and when it will bring. Professional guitar (ie. highly) in our country is difficult to buy.

Ultimately, I think that beginning guitarists should learn to play a cheap guitar. But for the musician, who gave all his time to the guitar, the instrument is the companion to life. At this level, should seek to acquire the outstanding professional guitar.

D. M. Sasha, you are one of the few guitarists who, in my opinion, can cope with any (at least in Russia's show business) guitar studio work ...

A. CH. Well, you have too elevates. I do not consider myself as a professional, although this striving. Frankly, I rarely if ever completely satisfied with his work, you can always find a lot of small defects. As for styles, ie. record any music, then probably clear to readers that every guitar player succeeds in any one direction. Impossible to be a super virtuoso of flamenco, be-bop and neo-classical. It will take three lives ...

D. M. I understand how difficult it is to be full-time studio guitarist, especially in the studio this level as "The Brothers Grimm".

A. CH. Yes, this work requires constant self-improvement. Playing in the group (especially for touring stars) is much easier in the sense that after a couple of dozen of concerts produced by automatism (seriously only in the first month when you need to learn the program). In studio work every day brings new challenges that need to be ready not only technically (in the performing sense), but stylistically. Each area of music has its own vocabulary, phrasing, fonizatsiyu ... Studio guitarist should know these things. So I constantly analyze the guitar in different styles, designs sounds, working out the specific rhythmic figures etc.

In addition, for studio guitarist is very important element of, well, in general, should be "quickly cut one's way". Very often I go into the studio have not yet heard the material, which will be recorded. Need to feel a harmonic sequence, quickly come up with interesting guitar parts (you need creative stock) and quality without unnecessary duplicate record.

But all these difficulties, or rather to overcome these difficulties, brings great joy, when something was good. If you are unsuccessful work, it makes the open spaces of his guitar training, show on what we have to work.

D. M. Now want to talk about guitar electronic equipment. I am sure that readers IN / OUT interested in precisely these questions. What devices you use and why your choice is highlighted on nihN

A. CH. Since I have to perform different types of music, I can not restrict how a single-purpose processor. Therefore, I have several devices, targeted at a certain sound. To create the classic electric guitar sound I use a tube preamp Tube Man firm Hughes & Kettner. At this preamp in Moscow just an epidemic, so it was good relative money. Fender Stratocaster with this device, and is included directly in the console (without the amplifier), gives a very good sound. Incidentally, this device is very convenient and work in concert.

D.M. In the studio you write a guitar without usilitelyaN

Ah. Here, readers should focus on the fact that a better device than a professional guitar (usually a tube) amplifier for the guitar had not yet invented. All processors, which would be surprising they were not somehow lose to the amplifier when it comes to classic jazz and rock. However, the studio "The Brothers Grimm" is focused on modern pop music and collected on the basis of the tasks on the basis of most modern digital recording of music. At the heart of the studio is a set of Pro Tools-based Macintosh. After much experimentation with amplifiers, microphones, studio-grade compressor, gate, etc.. studio sound engineers have developed a very simple concept of recording guitar.

Namely, a guitar, a guitar preamp or processor is at the input of professional tube compressor, and more directly to the remote. After recording a sound track special guitar processing plug-ins. In particular plug-ins (which are staggering) simulate guitar amps. The idea of simulation is not new, but in Pro Tools-e they work really well, giving the sound a special coloring of the sound. The resulting sound of the guitar very well with semplernymi sounds and drum loops.

D. M. What kind of guitar equipment you use when zapisiN

A. CH. Previously, I used the famous firm Shameleon RockTron. Some sounds that I have established with this device, I use to this day, but in general, the device is obsolete. Now my CPU is the main Boss SE-70 pro.

D. M. The processor at one time used Igor Boyko ...

A. CH. Yes, Igor him very praised, but after buying tc. electronics G-Forge (with MESSA BOOGIE) no longer need to use. Therefore, Igor Boyko working on more "cool" scheme of forming sound. But the Boss SE-70 pro is good in that it gathers almost all the famous boss-pedal ovskaya. Plus - a large number of digital effects such as chorus better than the Boss in guitar processors, I have never met, etc..

D. M. I heard your demo and was amazed at your performance sound like Alan Holsforda. You did it with BOSSN

Ah. Well this is just like sound. Of course, Alan Holsford its forms for more complex schemes, using more expensive equipment.

Yes, BOSS allows you to create not just classic guitar sounds. After the experiments, a thorough study of the possibility of the device, I found such a combination "handles" that make similar sounds of world stars guitar. However, the sound is only the starting material. To this we must add the characteristic manner of playing, the individual "chips", the concept of modes of a guitar. For example, the manner of playing Alan Holsforda assumes typical for him to use a vibrator. Without it does not work phrasing inherent in this performer.

D. M. How do you create an algorithm effects protsessoreN

A. CH. The easiest way to create your own program is further developed ready-made factory algorithms. But I still do so - to scroll the program finished, I note to myself that I like them. For example, preset N 7 is a very good chorus, but in the ninth - cool reverb, etc.. Next, I remember the installation of these effects, which are then used to form their own sounds.

D. M. Sasha, I think that many guitarists have been interesting to get acquainted with your approach to the sound of guitars. I wish you creative success in recording a solo CD and the release of your textbook.