Grebz - Home Studio

Home, sweet home studio

Welcome to my website dedicated to home studios!

For years, I’ve been composing, recording, and mixing my music. This site was born from the desire to share that experience with you.

Making computer-assisted music doesn’t necessarily require a big budget. Yes, a minimum of equipment is essential, but when it comes to software, there are plenty of free gems that rival professional solutions. Here, I present a selection of tools I’ve tested and approved.

On this site, you’ll find a complete tutorial on how to mix a track from start to finish, tips on choosing the right gear, an overview of the main DAWs (digital audio workstations), as well as a section dedicated to amp simulators (free or paid) for guitarists.

And if you feel like it, I also invite you to discover my own compositions, entirely produced in my home studio with the resources I have at hand.

Enjoy your visit, and above all, enjoy the music!

Grebz

TUTORIAL

Making a song from start to finish

You’ve got all your home studio gear, but how does recording and mixing actually work?

Here’s an introduction to home studio recording and mixing, based on my personal experience. It will help you take your first steps, and probably even go further.

The "mix in practice" section is a full example of mixing a song from start to finish, instrument by instrument, with all the tools used and the settings applied, from the raw recorded sound to the final mix, ending with mastering.

Finally, a glossary explains in a few words the terms commonly used in home studio music production.

AMP SIMULATORS

For guitar players!

Guitar players in home studios often face a few dilemmas: it’s hard to own all the amps you dream of (for obvious reasons of space and cost) and it’s just as hard to enjoy your amp at home without upsetting your family or neighbors due to the volume it requires to sound its best.

Fortunately, there’s a solution: amp and cabinet simulators. These tools virtually reproduce real or imaginary amps by modeling their electronic circuits and using IRs (Impulse Responses) to recreate the tone and feel of different speaker cabinets. And it’s easier than you might think.

HARDWARE

From computer to audio interface to studio monitors

To make serious music at home using a Digital Audio Workstation (DAW), you’ll need to invest in some essential gear.

A computer, an audio interface, studio monitors or a high-quality pair of headphones, one or more microphones, and of course your musical instruments.

It does come at a cost, of course, but even entry-level gear, when used properly, can deliver surprisingly good results.

D.A.W.

When it comes to computer-based music production, software is key. Your computer becomes your main instrument, allowing you to record, edit, shape, and mix your music until it reaches its final form.

At the heart of it all is the DAW, used in combination with various tools called “plugins”. While many essential plugins come bundled with most DAWs, countless others are available separately, both paid and free (effects, software synths, virtual drums, and more).

COMPOSITIONS

To be enjoyed without moderation

I wrote my first pieces of music on a Commodore Amiga computer back in 1988.

Today, I compose in a Pop-Rock style, with forays into other genres, including orchestral and electronic music. My main goal is to enjoy the process, and if others enjoy listening too, then I’ve succeeded.

I also compose music for theatre plays.

MESSAGES

Crowned Warrior
le 05/04/2021 à 22h25

Hi,

I wanted to thank you for these instructions!

I tried this today and did a few iterations of trying to capture my cab. It worked pretty well. The sound of the IR is pretty close to my cab.

If I spend some more effort to set things up better, I will get a better result.

But without your instructions, this wouldn't have even happened. So thanks again!

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Glad to be of help! Enjoy your IRs!
Grebz

Gratte26
le 05/04/2021 à 20h26

Ce site semble être une petite pépite tant il regorge de conseils et d'infos pratiques. Merci à son auteur.

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Et merci de votre visite !
Grebz

Mastercodeon
le 25/03/2021 à 08h07

First off id just like to say that this entire site is an absolute GEM for vst guitar amp sims, ive been using plugins like lepou's le456 and LeCab and many others you host here on this site since i was 13 way back in 2013, ive always used fl studio and as such i am using 12 64 bit with an i5 and 8gb of ram hp laptop. Here soon i will be upgrading to the latest version of fl, with an i7, 12gb of ram lenovo laptop, all my setups are running windows 10. im getting a usb interface for my guitar tomorrow so im finding all the plugins im going to need, and this site by far has literally everything i need for amp sims. I have never even found a copy of the Revolution Z plugin, the sites been dead since i was a kid. I wish you and this entire site the best of luck, wishes and prosperity, i would love to see this site last for the years to come, so much of this software is really hard to find, amazing archive :)

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Thanks a lot for your kind words, I'm glad the site allowed you to find what you were looking for. Cheers and keep on making music!
Grebz

Trainko
le 12/03/2021 à 19h30

Merci pour ce site que je viens tout juste de découvrir et qui regroupe pas mal de recherches que j'ai pu effectuer depuis un lonnnng moment…..
Je débute en MAO et je pense que je viens de trouver la perle qui va me faire progresser rapidement dans le domaine !
Des belles heures devant moi ;)
Un grand bravo et merci beaucoup :)

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Merci à vous de venir sur mon site ! Si les infos qui s'y trouvent permettent d'aider, je suis ravi !
Bonne continuation !
Grebz

Aleg
le 24/01/2021 à 23h46

Bonjour ;

Tout d'abord, merci pour cet excellent article. Il va me servir très prochainement.

J'aurais aimé savoir s'il est également possible de créer une impulsion d'un son en particulier (et non pas d'une enceinte ou d'un lieu) avec ses caractéristiques. Par exemple, le timbre de tel ou tel instrument de musique, ou de quoi que ce soit d'autre. Si oui, comment fait-on et quels outils sont nécessaires ?

Merci d'avance pour votre réponse et en attendant, je vais lire le reste de votre site. :)

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Bonjour Aleg,

Merci d'avoir visité mon site.

Malheureusement, je ne pense pas que ce soit possible, en tout cas pas avec la méthode permettant de créer des IR de lieux ou d'enceintes.

Les instruments virtuels qui reproduisent des instruments existants sont soit à base de samples (chaque note possible de l'instrument réel est enregistrée, avec ses variations), soit reproduits à l'aide d'algorithmes complexes, que je serais bien incapable d'expliquer.

Je ne suis pas assez calé techniquement pour répondre, mais je pense que si c'était possible, ça aurait déjà été fait. À ma connaissance (mais je peux me tromper) ce n'est pas le cas.

Désolé de ne pas pouvoir répondre plus précisément.

Grebz