01/04/09 - Read more news and announcements

EXCLUSIVE: First look at Mäuschen Software's Harrington 1200+, a groundbreaking emulation of an analogue pioneer

The softsynth market seems to have an insatiable appetite for virtual emulations of classic analogue synthesizers, with the likes of GForce Software and Arturia alone offering versions of the Minimoog and Moog Modular, the ARP Odyssey and 2600, the Prophet, the Jupiter-8 and the OSCar. In addition to this there's a plentiful array of smaller developers replicating everything from the Nord Lead to the Yamaha DX-7.

Latest to enter the fray is Berlin-based developer Mäuschen Software, which looks set to make quite a name for itself with the release its ambitious H1200+ VSTi.

The H1200+ is, somewhat predictably, a soft-synth version of the Harrington 1200 Songwriting Machine, the British-made synthesizer that shaped the pop charts of the mid-to-late 70s, and the influence of which can be felt even today in software like Steinberg's Sequel and Apple's Garageband. The original device combined a simple (yet powerful) tri-oscillator synth with an innovative auto-melody algorithm, and supported an impressive range of tactile and verbose input methods.

The Mäuschen team developed the software from the ground up in conjunction with the surviving members of original hardware team to replicate the sound and functionality as closely as a software GUI would allow, and even managed to add a few new ideas of their own. One of the most innovative aspects of the original was the inclusion of composer DNA to power the auto-melody system - a feature few expected to transfer successfully to a software version. The developers have neatly implemented this by means of a USB dongle which doubles as the Harrington's copy-protection system. Genre-specific dongles will also be made available in the future as expansion packs.

The full feature list includes:

  • Three oscillators with PWM and SMS
  • Enhanced LFO
  • Full Modulation & Controller Routing
  • Pink/brown/ginger noise generator
  • New "Fast" tempo
  • Hold & Re-ticker with FRiB
  • Extended key signature range (G to U)
  • Mono & Poly Unison Modes (up to 8 voice poly unison).
  • Gender spread with full blend
  • Ring Modulation
  • External Audio Input with H1200+ FX version

Mäuschen Software's H1200+ is scheduled to hit the streets early Q4 this year. Thankfully advances mean the software is significantly more affordable than the wallet-busting price of the original, the full retail pack being available for the very reasonable £895. More info as soon as we can get our hands on a review copy. For those that can't wait, we've found some archive BBC documentary footage of the original Harrington 1200 in action.



01/04/09 6:56am