ARTURIA STORM 3.0

Oct 1, 2004 12:00 PM, BY MARKKUS ROVITO

If you ask musicians what they think of when it comes to an easy-to-use, all-in-one software studio, it's “Reason-able” to guess what they'll say. Yet ever since Arturia's Storm blew into town years ago, it has remained the “other” software studio. So far, every time its winds have changed — it is now in version 3.0 — they've taken a very favorable direction.

A SPRING RAIN

The foundation of Storm lies in its two dozen instrument and effects modules, comprising drum machines, analog-style synths, samplers and effects ranging from the basics such as reverb and chorus to boutique options like a vocoder and a sequencing filter. This update adds only one module — a General MIDI synth — and instead concentrates on improving its mixer, sequencer and other elements that take the program even further into the realm of a complete, professionally relevant software studio. For one, Storm's rack, where you drag modules to add to your studio configuration, is now unlimited. A studio overview panel lets you quickly click around the rack to see the module you want front and center, and each section of the main window can be hidden to free up monitor space. The mixer and sequencer, previously limited to five tracks, have expanded to accommodate the larger studio capacity and can be separated from the main window into their own windows.

Although still geared toward pattern-based composition, a beefed-up audio and MIDI sequencer and better MIDI support take Storm 3.0's songwriting prowess to new heights. Static recorded mode lets you take a programming approach to composition whereas Dynamic mode sequences in real time. Each sequencer track can show mute, solo, volume and pan controls, as well as the MIDI channel selected. Storm 3.0 lets you assign instrument and effect controls to external MIDI controllers, create MIDI sequences from a keyboard, import MIDI files or even sync to external MIDI gear as a master or slave.

Additional improvements to the mixer give it more of a hardware feel. Whether within the main window or detached, the channel faders can be accompanied by two new sections, EQ and FX, which can be hidden or viewed. EQ offers, per channel, an on/off switch and gain knobs for low, mid and high (as well as a frequency knob for the sweepable mids). Three effects sends per channel show up in the FX mixer section. A more sophisticated Piano Roll window provides excellent access to any pattern of any module for you to edit the note value, length and volume for any pattern or MIDI sequence. In addition, you can draw or edit automated control curves for any editable parameter of an instrument or effect.

Arturia's lone instrument addition, GM Synth, hands you more than 200 General MIDI tones, mostly of acoustic instruments that Storm's previous synthesizers could not replicate as quickly or as effectively. Choice is not a problem, as there are many string, key and wind instruments to choose from. Certain orchestra tones like cello and bassoon are passable in the proper note range, and some organs are also good. The grand piano and, surprisingly, the sitar are among the best GM Synth sounds, but its best assets may be the ethnic, percussive and sound-effect sounds.

CLEARING SKIES

Storm's only annoying quirk is that the detached sequencer and mixer windows don't fall to the background if you click on the main window, which largely negates the benefit of separate windows unless you have a massive display. The only other potential problem with Storm 3.0 is that it runs very slowly on computers with the minimum system requirements. This is a symptom of the program's new power, so it's not all bad, but people running Storm 2.0 well on a modest system may not be able to upgrade.

For its cost, Storm 3.0 is still far ahead of the price and performance curve. It's still an easy, fast option to get beginners up and running, and with ReWire support and a stronger composition feature set, advanced producers shouldn't thumb their noses at it, either.

Product Summary

ARTURIA

STORM 3.0 > $149

Pros: More simultaneous modules. Improved sequencer and mixer. New GM Synth. Useful for all skill levels. ReWire support.

Cons: Runs slowly with the minimum system requirements. Detachable windows don't fall into the background.

Contact: tel. (33-4) 3802-0555; e-mail info@arturia.com; Web www.arturia.com

System Requirements

MAC: G4/1GHz; 256 MB RAM; Mac OS 10.3 or higher; 340 MB available hard-disk space

PC: Pentium III/800; 256 MB RAM; Windows 98/2000/SE/XP; 340 MB available hard-disk space; DirectX-, ASIO- or SoundManager-compatible soundcard

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