Looking for the Perfect Microphone for ASMR? The kinds of content that you’ll find on the internet are always evolving and expanding. Many contents that didn’t get much attention earlier have suddenly gained popularity among viewers. You can definitely count ASMR videos as being one of them. They used to have a significantly less number of creators and viewers than what they have right now.
Today, if you search on YouTube, you’ll find a seemingly endless list of videos and creators, and this is not an exaggeration. There are already at least hundreds of creators from different countries, and many more are coming up. Especially right now when the COVID-19 outbreak has caused quite some crisis, ASMR videos are being produced more than ever before.
Apart from YouTube, you can find them on other streaming platforms such as Patreon and Twitch as well. If you’re planning to start an ASMR channel, perhaps now would be a great time. In order to make quality content, you’ll need other things as well, and most importantly a good microphone. Keep reading to get some useful information on the best ASMR microphone.
Let’s get to know more about ASMR
ASMR is the abbreviation for Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response. You’ll need to understand how this works in order to understand the important role that the mic plays. Basically, it is a tingling sensation that you feel at the back of your head, which goes downwards. This can give a relaxing feeling as you can imagine, and also make you feel sleepy.
Now, the main method of achieving this is by hearing sounds such as whispering and other natural noises that are calming. People watch ASMR videos mainly to get this sensation rather than for the visuals, though there are visual triggers for inducing ASMR as well. Still, sound is a driving factor behind the experience. So, you simply can’t imagine an ASMR video without it.
How do you pick the Best Microphone for ASMR?
Since sound plays such an important role, you would want the perfect audio in your ASMR video. There are a lot of products available in the market that you can choose from.
Now, which one you choose, would best be left up to you. All you have to know is what to look for when buying a microphone for ASMR.
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Makes the minimal amount of self-noise
All microphones pick up every kind of sound from their surroundings when there is no particular sound source. This would clearly be a problem when it comes to ASMR videos. Outside noises will completely ruin your video. That’s why many ASMR creators make their videos late at night when it’s all quiet.
So, you must make sure the mic you choose picks up a few surrounding sounds as possible. The signal-to-noise ratio would help you determine that. The lower this number is, the better suited the mic would be for your purpose.
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The pattern of its sound pickup
In case you didn’t know, there are microphones having different patterns of sound pickup available to choose from. Some of them pick up the sounds coming from all directions, while others pick up the ones directly coming from their front.
The ones who don’t pick up the surrounding sounds are known as cardioid mics. When it comes to making ASMR, this type would clearly be the perfect one. Now, they actually pick up surrounding sounds but are only sensitive to the ones that are coming from their front. So, if you want this effect in the maximum amount, there are super-cardioid and hyper-cardioid mics available in the market, as well.
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The type of setup
When it comes to ASMR, you can use both single and stereo setups for ASMR videos. So, you would have to consider the kind of content you’re going to be making to decide which one to choose, though it seems that a stereo setup would get you better results. It will create a more immersive ASMR experience for viewers who use headphones, which is most important for them.
4.Binaural mics
If you can get a binaural microphone, you’re recommended to buy one. This amazing device can provide an even more immersive effect as compared to the stereo setup. It is quite popular with ASMR creators, as well as the viewers.
Which are the Best Microphones for ASMR?
There are a large number of mics that can be suitable for making an ASMR video. In fact, you can make pretty good content by using just a mic that will do. Even, if you’re not willing to make a big investment, you might want to move on to better options later on when you get substantial views. Here are some of the best ones you can find:
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Blue Yeti
If you watch ASMR videos, you probably know how much the Blue Yeti is favoured by all the top ASMR creators. That is because of the simply beautiful way it captures the audio. You would start gaining views early if you use this mic. You would love that fact that it is quite easy to use. You can simply connect it to your laptop or phone using its USB connection. Another great feature is that you can choose between cardioid and omnidirectional polaroid patterns. That means you can record soothing natural sounds from your surroundings to enhance the ASMR experience, or keep them out.
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Shure SM7B
Looking for the perfect mic for making high-quality whispering videos. The Shure SM7B is what you should get. Popular with singers, this model captures vocals beautifully as no other mics probably can. Other than that, it has all that’s needed to make a perfect ASMR mic. As such, it is natural for the price to be comparably expensive. Even though you might hesitate to invest in it when you’re starting out, it would be a totally worthy investment to make later on for making quality content.
So, make the right choice, and follow the guide to grab the best-suited microphone for ASMR. Don’t just wait, start making videos.