Storm 2 review

While Apple's free GarageBand provides a worthy entry into music sequencing, it hasn't eclipsed budget Mac sequencers entirely.

Arturia claims 35% of its customers are Mac users, and Storm 2 has plenty to keep them busy. Storm is a pattern-based sequencer: it strings together looping segments of a bar or two to make a song.It uses a virtual equipment rack comprised of different sound modules and effects to assemble a sonic workstation.

Installation requires 800MB of disk space, as Storm will copy across a sample library, which is ideal for getting started. Storm has four options: system tour, composition assistant, demo songs and new song.

Storm's main menu bar has several cryptic icons that are explained when you click the Help icon. The on-screen controls are rather small, making it rather fiddly. The sequencer section is where the looped patterns constructed within each of Storm's instrument modules are compiled to create an arrangement. Typically, you will drag an instrument into the rack from the Browser on the left and build up sequences using the pattern buttons A to D. Samples are also found in the Browser and can be dragged on to audio instruments such as H30 (multitrack loop player), Scratch (two virtual turntables for DJ scratching effects) and Eztrack (sound recording, editing and playback).

There are six synths and five drum machines. Like the drum kits, the synths use a pattern system for playback, which can be edited in a larger window. The instruments feature monosynths for bass and arpeggios, a three-note chord generator, a General Midi module and Orpheus, a most complex synth engine with comprehensive editing functions.

The mixer has a basic three-band EQ and three effects sends per channel. A separate module called Kepler is used to create a chord sequence that the instruments will follow if they have their Kepler Connection activated from a contextual menu. This, combined with ReWire support, makes Storm appealing, and it works on a G3, which is more than can be said for GarageBand. However, the main menus could be unresponsive and it didn't identify an Emagic A2|6 USB interface correctly. Quirks aside, Storm is a versatile application that will help DJs, dabblers and musicians to produce music in a variety of styles.