The Melodium 42Bn: the rebirth of an audio recording legend

As part of the Melodium 42B reconstruction project, Euromag supplied the 4 AlNiCo magnets that make up the microphone. Modernised and optimised, the emblematic microphone manufactured in the 1940s is making a comeback.

It was in Paris, in the early 1940s, that the MELODIUM 42B was born. Initially designed and manufactured by the engineer and inventor Charles Boutelleau and his associate Emile Furn, this AlNiCo magnet tape microphone is the largest ever built.

The tape technology combined with the power and stability of the magnetic field of ALNICO magnets gives it a unique sound quality. Thanks to the integration of its 4 AlNiCo magnets, the MELODIUM 42B produces a soft and warm sound thanks to a specific step-up transformer designed to adapt the impedance, that is the total resistance of the cable to the electric current flowing through it.

Unlike some microphones that use neodymium technology, the 42B uses AlNiCo 600 magnets, which allow it to retain its distinctive sound.

The Melodium® brand, which had been discontinued for years, was acquired by the Kerwax studio.The studio’s experts worked hard to break down the original model and improve its successor: the Melodium 42Bn (the ‘n’ standing for ‘new’). The new model now incorporates a custom-wound transformer with a higher output impedance. The passive filter has been removed and the overall mechanical construction improved.

The team of experts at Kerwax have trusted us to revive this legendary microphone! Euromag is proud to have supplied the 4 ALNICO 600 magnets that equip the microphone as well as the magnetization and control of the magnetic circuit.

Kerwax has chosen an ethical manufacturing process. From the microphone to the wooden box, all the elements have been designed and handcrafted by French artisans and companies, respecting ecological and sustainable practices. Made of less than 1% plastic, the microphone and its accessories are 100% recyclable. A true object of craftsmanship recreated for the 21st century, the MELODIUM 42Bn combines a vintage aesthetic with the needs of modern studios.

For more details, please visit the MELODIUM website or the KERWAX studio website.

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