Since becoming involved with making ASMR Videos we have experimented with a number of microphones and through trial and error, we have gained an appreciation of the ones that we feel give the best performance.
Listed below are the microphones that what we have found to be some of the best microphones for recording ASMR sounds as well as some others that we haven’t tried ourselves but we have seen other ASMR artists use. We’ve included our own personal reviews of products we own as well as links to Amazon where you can read the customer reviews.
Just be aware that the prices listed for these microphones doesn’t take into account any additional recording devices or adapters you might need. For example, the Rode NT1-A microphones can’t be plugged directly into a computer so you will need an adapter of some sort like the Shure X2U or a recording device like a Zoom H4N. This all adds to the cost.
If you are looking for the cheapest option that doesn’t require any additional costs, then we suggest going with either the Yeti (which plugs into the USB port of a computer) or a Zoom H4N which you can record directly into. The Zoom uses a memory card so once recording is finished you can remove it and upload the recordings to your computer.
We personally use the following microphones – Yeti, Soundman OKM II Classic, 3Dio Free Space Pro, Zoom H4n and the Rode NT1A matched pair.
If you have trouble viewing the table below then click the link – https://www.asmracademy.com/best-microphones-for-asmr/
| Microphone | Comments | Binaural | Price (approx) | Review | Buy | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Yeti Microphone | Best Value for Money Microphone. This is a great microphone for starting out with ASMR. It's not a binaural microphone but it has excellent sound quality for the price. | No | $120 | Read Our Review | Buy from Amazon |
 | Zoom H4N Recorder /Microphone | This is an awesome little device. It works as a microphone, recorder and audio interface. It's used by many ASMR artists. You can also plug an external microphone into it. We highly recommend it. | No | $269 | Read Amazon reviews | Buy from Amazon |
 | 3Dio Freespace Binaural Microphone | This is our favourite microphone for ASMR. The binaural sound is awesome. | Yes | $600 | Buy from Amazon | |
 | Rode NT1-A Microphones | We purchased the NT1-A matched pair of microphones because we had read about how quiet they are ie. very little hissing and humming. We use these for vocal recordings like our podcasts for instance. | No | $550 | Read Amazon reviews | Buy from Amazon |
 | Soundman OKM II Classic Binaural Microphone | Excellent binaural microphone. We have used it in numerous videos. | Yes | $299 | Read Our Review | Buy from eBay |
 | Roland CS-10EM Binaural Microphone | We found this one on Amazon but haven't tried it out. They seem to be reasonably priced for binaural microphones. | Yes | $110 | Read Amazon reviews | Buy from Amazon |
 | Rode NT5 Microphones | We haven't used these but notice that MassageASMR uses them and the sound is really good. You would need to buy a Matched Pair (ie. 2 microphones) to get the same quality sound he achieves. | No | $430 | Read Amazon reviews | Buy from Amazon |
You say the Yeti doesn’t do binaural but amazon says it records in stereo, omni and bi directional – is it lying?
No, they aren’t lying. The Yeti does have stereo, omni and bidirectional recording capabilities, so that is absolutely correct. Binaural sound is none of those. For binaural sound you need two omni-directional microphones.
You can read our article here that talks about binaural and omni-directional microphones. That might help explain it – http://www.asmracademy.com/what-to-look-for-when-buying-a-microphone-for-asmr/
If I buy the binaural microphone do I have to have zoom recorder to get it on my pc.. or can I record binaurally straight into a program like audacity or adobe audition?
Take a look at this post and scroll down to the section titled “What Else Do You Need to Consider”. That should help but basically it will depend on the microphone you purchase and in general binaural microphones need to be plugged into a recording device of some sort rather than a computer.
http://www.asmracademy.com/what-to-look-for-when-buying-a-microphone-for-asmr/
Was thinking about starting to make some ASMR videos but have no idea where to start. Would like to start doing it in the cheapest possible way and was wondering what sort of equipment would be best start out with? Would really appreciate some advice and guidance on the subject.
You can start with something as simple as your phone or point and shoot camera. If it can record video and sound then you can make a video. This is a great way to start. Many ASMR artists started this way and just upgraded their equipment as they went. Otherwise if you want to invest in a microphone and want something fairly reasonable for the price then go with a Yeti Microphone. You can get one for under $100 and they have very good sound for the money. You can use Audacity to edit the sound – it’s free! – http://audacity.sourceforge.net
I’m considering getting started making ASMR videos, but I can’t decide what to do. The only microphones in my price range are the Yeti and Roland, but I don’t know how I would use the Roland as I would likely need a dummy head or have to put it in my own ears. The Yeti looks awesome, but I’m afraid it wouldn’t get the sound I am looking for since it isn’t binural… So I have a few questions.
Do you have any links to videos using a Yeti to achieve omnidirectional or stereo sound so I can hear an example of it?
Any tips for using the Roland ear buds to achieve realistic 3D sounds? One of my favorite ASMR videos makes me feel like someone is writing with a paper and pad right at the back of my neck and that’s the type of sound I really want to get.
Is any special editing software needed when editing 3D sound?
Thanks for any help… I’d really like to get into making ASMR videos, I’m just so lost as to where to begin.
~Fall
In terms of the Yeti, you can take a look at the video here that I did testing the microphone -https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pqMuzZ5sGtc
Unfortunately we haven’t tried out the Roland, so don’t even know how it sounds let alone how to get good sound out of it. So not sure I can help you with that one.
You really don’t need any fancy editing software for binaural sound. We use Logic Pro but you can use Audacity if you are on a Windows computer.
Just bear in mind, when it comes to binaural microphones that you will also need a recording device of some sort like a Zoom H4n. The Yeti on the other hand just plugs straight into the back of a computer. The Yeti is awesome as a microphone for those starting out with ASMR video making and reasonably priced for the quality.
Hope that helps, but feel free to ask for me detailed advice if you need it. Happy to help.
Thanks! I ordered a Yeti since it has more uses than just ASMR. If I really get into making ASMR videos, I will probably get a higher quality one than the Roland. I just don’t want to sink too much money into something that I may not even enjoy doing. After watching your Yeti video, I did really like the stereo sound for ASMR and I can use the other settings for recording other things.
The mic should be here next week, so we’ll see how it goes… Thanks for your help. I’ll come back here if I have any more questions.
~Fall
I can’t seem to figure out how to record in stereo with Audacity and the Yeti microphone. I have the mic set to stereo, but Audacity only records mono. I’m probably being stupid, but can anyone help me figure out what I’m doing wrong?
I was being stupid. I’ve got it working now.
Hello 🙂 i’d like to know if i need an external sound card with the Yeti Microphone (USB) or if i can connect the USB directly on a computer to record? thanks 🙂
The Yeti plugs directly into a USB port on a computer so you do not need any sort of external recording device to use the Yeti.
Thank you for all your efforts and for sharing with the rest of us.Ι have put some cash aside to buy a yeti mic as my first asmr mic.My problem is that i own a laptop with a crappy camera and i dont want to make videos with solid sound and pixels floating around as i find the visuals very important also.What would you suggest?Buy an HD camera for my laptop or record my video with a camera i already have(not the laptop one but a photo camera that takes fine video but with not good sound) and at the same time record with the yeti and later mix the sound from yeti and the visuals from my camera in a video editor?
thank you in advance.
Video is important but not as important as sound when it comes to ASMR so getting the Yeti is a good way to go. But If you do have a camera then yes I would be recording the video and the sound and then synching them up later. Don’t go buying anything yet. Just make do with what you have and get the best quality video and sound from what you have. You will want to upgrade eventually. We all do. But if you just do it as you go, you will learn so much more from it all.
I disagree… i think video can be very important. some people only get visual ASMR.
I’ve been an audio engineer for the last 15 years. There are some things to think about when working with these mics you’re talking about. What the “performer” needs to be focused on is the microphone’s ability to accurately pick up on the object’s ability to produce a given noise; without frequencies being affected by the natural coloring presented in given microphone models. You need to be telling people about measurement microphones. Example on a budget: http://www.parts-express.com/dayton-audio-emm-6-electret-measurement-microphone–390-801?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=pla calibration mic, with a good flat frequency response. Purchase two of these, and place them into a Schneider Disk similar to this https://www.gearslutz.com/board/attachments/remote-possibilities-acoustic-music-location-recording/132163d1250333678-jecklin-disk-construction-disk-side.jpg Unlike this picture though, where the microphones are outside the disk facing the same direction, the microphones would actually do better inside the foam ball, with only the tips pointing out, at 180 degrees from each other. http://cart100.com/Product/14832195746/50CM_foam,_styrofoam_ball,_hollow_ball,_/ This contraption would more closely and accurately represent how the human ears would hear audio, and at $100 plus the construction materials needed for the disk (foam ball, egg-crate foam, batting material between the egg-crate foam and inside the ball) in the $200 range, it makes for a very interesting DIY setup for re-creating human hearing. Binaural sound is something the music industry still only dabbles in, and truly has very little focus except in scientific fields.
Thanks so much for your advice here Matthew. This is excellent. I’m going to spend a bit of time going through those links you posted. The main thing I always look for in a microphone is one with low self noise… since in the ASMR world, we record soft sounds and voices and the self noise can be really obvious. that’s why I love the Rode NT1A mics…very quiet. Not binaural but really nice sound.
Have you guys checked out this binaural microphone? They’re also bluetooth headphones that pair with your smartphone. Which means you can use them to play music, take calls AND record binaural. All on your phone…pretty cool.
http://www.hookeaudio.com
No, not yet. Would like to try them out but I can’t see any specs for the microphone on their site.
I am really interested in creating ASMR videoes of some sort.
The questions, I have are a bit embarrassing but important to me in that I understand before I begin.
fisrt, I am 55 and noticed all the woman who create ASMR videoes are younger and because I have autoimmune illnesses I do have a issue with my hands.
I have lupus therefore my hands have lesions of lupus up in them.
I stumbled upon ASMR not so long ago.
I watched a video from Heather Feather.
at first I found the whispering a bit odd and was almost ready to move on.
I am glad my curiosity got the better of me and therefore I stayed with her video.
With my illnesses come many side effects, anxiety, and falling asleep just to mention a couple.
Heathers video caused me to fall asleep
It was the best nights sleep I have had in a long long time.
This has caused me to think of doing ASMR videos myself for I really have been trying to find ways of helping others and especially others such as myself and the illnesses I am caused.
I still believe ASMR is a way of helping others with illnesses in many ways but because of my issues I am unable to think of ideas?
Possibly you could lead me to the right places for getting ideas?
Because I cannot afford the things I’m needing at this time to begin, I want to ask you if you know of ways I can use my smart phone in order to get the sound right.
Possibly you gave ideas for me as far as my illnesses and the kinds of videoes I can begin making with the lesions on my hands causes me to feel embarrssed, but I have also thought maybe if I become brave enough I just nay be helping others like myself become less insecure?
Sorry for the length if this.
I have not known where else to go to ask these questions
Thank you for your time
When we first started creating ASMR videos we only recorded the sound and in fact, even now, most of our videos are sound only. We really don’t want to get in front of the camera….we aren’t young either. So you can just record your voice and/or sounds that you make…crinkling, tapping etc. Its a great way to get started and when you feel confident you can start getting in front of the camera if you want. (You could always wear gloves if you think your hands might be a problem.)
As for using a smart phone, don’t worry too much abou the quality of the sound. The best thing is too just record something and get it up on YouTube. And just keep doing that. As you start making videos what you will find is that you will want to improve and you will get better and better at recording. If you are really keen then eventually you can upgrade to say a Yet microphone which is quite cheap for the quality of the microphone. But while you don’t have the funds for that, the smart phone will be fine.
And by the way, I was diagnosed with lupus too, 5 or so years ago after many years of mis-diagnosis. But after suffering for years with terrible symptoms I decided that I wasn’t going to focus on it anymore. Illness can become your life so easily and I didn’t want that, so I just didn’t focus on it anymore. Kind of difficult to do with all those symptoms as you know, but after a while I realised that I no longer felt terrible all the time. Still not perfect, but most of the symptoms are gone for me.
You could record sound only, many people don’t mind. Look at the channel Deep Ocean of Sound, a very popular channel that never has any video. You could also wear gloves if you’re uncomfortable showing your hands.
Some asmr artist use the crinkly plastic gloves and it really adds to many if the videos, this may be a great touch to minimize your concerns of your hands and add more triggering with the gloves. It’s like the plastic doctors gloves. Go for it! And good luck 🙂
How can I film on my smart phone but with better audio. I have a Samsung s5 but I want to have better audio. I don’t know if it’s best to get a microphone that works with my mobile or a separate one and use some kind of software (no idea what) to link video to audio.
Any tips or ideas
I record my audios with my iPhone 4. I edit the sound with audacity to remove background noise and change between left and right channel
Is there one were it doesn’t cost a lot
Depends what you mean by ‘doesn’t cost a lot’. What’s your budget?
Hi,
There are some misunderstandings on the comments between stereo and binaural recordings.
Binaural is a recording method, not a kind of microphones.
You can realize a binaural recording with any mic, if you observe some rules : Distance and separation between left and right to simulate exactly the human head and ears.
And the only way to hear a binaural recording is the headphone.
Some precisions :
1) A single mic is always monophonic.
To record in stereo you need 2 microphones.
2) There are different types of capsules on a mic. This is the little part on the top to “catch” the sound
– Cardioïd (heart form), Omnidirectional (from everywhere), Directional (from a spot)
http://www.transcriptionwave.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/Polar_pattern1.gif
3) There is a lot of configurations (mic positions) to have different kinds of stereo mode :
XY, ORTF, NOS, AB, Binaural etc …
http://www.6moons.com/audioreviews/recording/9.jpg
So, for instance, the H4n recorder is not a binaural configuration, but a Stereo XY.
In this video, GentleWhispering uses two separates mics in a large AB configuration (still not a binaural recording)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cn28nACoXHI
And finally, there are statics and dynamics microphones
– Dynamics are used to sing and you have to be very closer because it’s not very sensitive.
It can be plugged directly on a PC on the jack input.
– Statics are more sensitive but needs a phantom power (additional power supply). So you need a device, or a specific recorder with XLR inputs.
So, I hope it will be helpful.
Hi Pitch,
Binaural is “3D”, it is heard outside of the head due to the tonal cues of the pinna.
It is exactly the way that we hear things without wearing headphones (and why we enjoy binaural so much with wearing them! kind of odd for the binaural virgin though!).
You show this (below) as an example, yet, you have made an error by adding the word binaural there, as it is not shown in any of the diagrams.
3) There is a lot of configurations (mic positions) to have different kinds of stereo mode :
XY, ORTF, NOS, AB, Binaural etc …
http://www.6moons.com/audioreviews/recording/9.jpg
If any of the microphone configurations that you have shown have auditory cues in perspective that when heard through headphones, which we sense above, and below, then it is that technique that is without a doubt, binaural, however, without that pinna it would have to be enhanced by software or microphones that were used had lips or other coverings at the entrance of the microphone capsule that is inducing auditory tones, that are, or rather, would be interoperated by the listener as “binaural”.
What are your thoughts on this?
As I am so interested in this field of work I may produce a video demonstrating my own findings, realisations and careful informed opinions from experiments that I have already tried, and yet have to try.
Best
Alan
I am interested in the yeti microphone but Idk how it works. I have a tripod and use my phone to record videos. Does the Yeti microphone hook up with that or do I need to hook it up to a laptop?? Please help! 🙂
The Yeti microphone plugs into the USB port on your computer. Once you plug it in you need to use some sort of recording software on your computer. A lot of people use Audacity (http://sourceforge.net/projects/audacity/) which is free and an excellent piece of software.
You need to set up Audacity so that it recognizes your microphone but once you have done that, you are ready to record.
I have a new Yeti Mic which I can record sound. For videos I have Canon Power Shot and also I can record videos with my Android Tab. I don’t know how I can mix the video and sound together because YouTube don’t accept sound files only. And what are the essential things I have to do with the sound to make the unwanted noises to go away and to have good sound quality. I have the Audacity for editing. I’m so lost with this tec side of this. I would be really happy if you could help me!
Honestly, to answer your question would requite an entire blog post. You are right that YouTube doesn’t allow sound only so you need to either attach a video or a still image to the recording. This can be done in a software program like iMovie or Movie Maker or Premiere Pro. Most of these require a bit of a learning curve. What software are you currently using to edit?
Hi I would be grateful if someone could help me . What is the difference of using a yeti microphone for asmr or the microphone on my Sony camera ?
Will there be a hiss with the yeti like there is with the Sony microphone?
Can I use the yeti as microphone and Sony camera for the video recording? Do I need to switch the microphone off on the Sony a5000 camera I record with? I haven’t got a clue how it works
Thankyou
Typically, the sound that comes from a camera is not terribly good, hence why many prefer to use a separate microphone to record the sound. The Yeti we use doesn’t have a hissing sound – it’s quite a good little microphone for the price.
And yes, you can use the Yeti to record the audio and the Sony camera to record the video but you will need to sync up the sound and video in the editing process.
I would love if someone could make me a short video how to set everything up and all thanks
hi! can someone point me to an asmr video that uses high end music recording equipment (schoeps mics, gordon preamps, weiss converters or sth like that) and is recorded in a designed acoustic surrounding by an engineer like they do it with music? when i listen to any asmr video, i wonder what the point is to hear all that noise, <1000-$-microphone flaws, room acoustic's weak spots etc. when actually the sound of a really quiet source should be captured and be in the center of attention. recording is an art. is there a trained artist somewhere doing asmr? or is the main goal of this whole scene to "sound better than the camera microphones"?
It’s not likely that you will find many asmr artists with that sort of equipment. Unless you have millions of subscribers, you aren’t going to make much money from this so investing in that sort of equipment really isn’t going to be worth it. Plus it would be rare to find an ASMR artist who has also studied sound.
And when it comes down to it there are just as many people who prefer poor audio sound. Asmr is a very subjective thing and some people like high quality sound and others don’t.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts on best headset.
Regards
hey! I have two dynamic cardioid mics shure sm58, a zoom H1 handy recorder and a C01 Samson Studio condenser mic. Someone can point me how could i record a good Asmr audio with these mics? I need some other mic?
Do you know how to use the Zoom? If so, just plug those mics in and test them to see what gives you the best result. You shouldn’t need any other microphone at this point.
Since I could buy a yeti for under 100 would it make since to buy two of them to achieve binaural sound? Would I need anything extra to record with 2 microphones?
We have tried recording with two Yetis but the issue we had was that the computer would not recognize both microphones when plugged in.
So by just buying the blue yeti and already having a camera, I will be able to film asmr videos? Do I need any more cords or attachments?
Hello,
I am using a Zoom Pro, but it seems that I cannot get that “binaural” sound out of it. Always when I check other asmrtist I can hear the 2 channels (left and right), but for my recordings not so much 🙁 What am I doing wrong?
I actually found the SR3D pro to have a sound that feels fuller than a 3dio for some reason. Seafoam Kitten has used it and I can literally feel her breath heat up my ears (even if it’s just an illusion, it means the actual frequencies affect my ears due to what microphones are in it)
Nice. We haven’t tried that mic but they sound good.
Hi, I want to get the turkish asmr microphone how 🙂
Turkish microphone? Which one is that? Or do you mean that you are in Turkey and want to get a microphone?
Hello, Im new to ASMR, and what i want to do is i want to start my ASMR journey with my phone first.. So, i already had my phone camera + lighting.. and i have 1 question, if i buy yeti microphone and use USB to audio jack converter and plug in to my phone, will it effect the quality of the sound.. if so, could you recommend a solution for me to record my ASMR video without using laptop or PC or software like audacity..
So sorry to take so long replying. We had to abandon the website for a while as we had to focus on our business.
At this point, you probably already have things sorted out but in answer to your question, I can’t really give you a yes or no answer here without actually testing it out myself. It could potentially affect the sound quality since the more adapters you use the more likely the recording can be altered. It would be a good experiment I think and one that I would like to try.
hey can you help me please is rode nt usb good for asmr??
The Rode NT1-A’s are awesome for creating ASMR videos as they are so quiet, so there is very little background noise. But they are not USB microphones so you will need something like a ZOOM H4n or similar to plug the microphones into.
Thanks for this super useful post. I’m wanting to start a channel, but don’t want to invest tons of money into it, just want to make some lighthearted coding videos (I’m female and hoping to encourage girls to get into coding through asmr!). Any thoughts on which mic I should buy?! Budget is below 300 pounds
For anyone starting out and wanting to not spend too much, I always recommend going with a Yeti microphone. If you get serious about it, you can always upgrade but until then, a Yeti does the job nicely. There are loads of ASMR artists who use them and have been using them for years.
I currently mod a group where a creator is asking for advice on how to reduce the “crunching” noise which she believes to be the rubbing of her clothing, on her lav mic. Any tips/tricks to successfully utilize a lav mic for recording ASMR?
I am interested in making ASMR video. I have an iPhone XR. Can I use a yeti Microphone with my iPhone XR. And how do I connect the yeti microphone to my iPhone. Do I need to download any app to use the yeti microphone with my iPhone. Also if I was using the yeti microphone with my laptop do I need to download an app or it just automatically syncs up. With my laptop . Please help
Hello, i just found your website since i just started to like asmr video and eager to find more about it. My interest is to capture ambient/surrounding sound while i was walking and record a video. Like city walk with very detail surrounding sound. Can you help me with some advice what device/gear suits my need. I was thinking to buy 3dio-XLR but the price is a little bit too high for a beginner like me. Thank you.