Melodium HF 111

The HF 111 model appears in the 1954 Melodium catalogue, which is translated from the French, below. (It also appears in the 1950 catalog).

This new dynamic microphone model was specially designed by MELODIUM for use with wire or tape recording devices (tape recorders). It is intended to replace the piezoelectric microphones commonly used, but whose quality, both in terms of response curve and distortion, leaves much to be desired.

This microphone comes in the form of a die-cast aluminum housing, its shape allowing it to fit easily into a tape recorder case. The 90 x 60 mm base, equipped with four felt pads, gives it a good tabletop position. The front panel, inclined approximately 25° backward and perforated with slots, covers the membrane, protected by a metal mesh and a cloth to prevent the attraction of metal dust.

The entire assembly is decorated in gunmetal. With a substantially identical internal construction to other dynamic microphones, it also has its own matching transformer built into the housing. It therefore requires no external transformer and connects directly to the high-impedance input of any tape recorder. However, it is recommended to use a low-capacitance coaxial cable, which can be up to 25 meters long without any noticeable effect on the response curve or appreciable attenuation.

Its response curve is particularly suited to speech, to which it gives incomparable realism and presence. Its performance is also remarkable for musical recordings. Its sensitivity is such that it can be used without difficulty up to 1 or 2 meters away. Despite its low price, the HF 111 microphone, manufactured with the meticulous care that characterises MELODIUM productions, is a high-quality, highly robust device designed for intensive use.

MELODIUM HF 111 Dynamic Microphone. From the 1950 catalog.

To replace the piezoelectric microphones generally used with tape recorders, here is the HF 111 dynamic microphone, which does not require a connection transformer and connects directly to the high-impedance input of any device. With very high sensitivity, easily usable up to one or even two meters away, it has a perfect response curve.

OUTPUT IMPEDANCE: High impedance.

FREQUENCIES: 80 to 9,000 Hz*

OUTPUT LEVEL: -56 dB for an open-circuit pressure of 10 bars. Reference: 1 milliwatt.

MAGNET: TICONAL with magnetic hardening.

OUTPUT ON CABLE: Length: 2 meters.

DIMENSIONS: Height: 100 mm. Width: 90 mm. Thickness: 60 mm at the base, 25 mm at the top.

WEIGHT: 455 grams.

* Momics Note: The 1950 catalogue states 90 kHz whereas the 1954 catalogue gives 9 kHz which must be the correct value. 90 kHz seems implausibly high! )