If you have just started making ASMR videos and are looking for a new microphone to improve your channel and get that instant professional feeling, then look no further as we have experimented with a number of microphones and have brought you the ones that will provide you great performance at an affordable price.
Investing in a good quality microphone will not only enable you to enhance your channel but will also help you get positive responses from your viewers. However, as a beginner you must know certain microphone terminology before deciding which one to pick up for yourself. So with that being said first lets discuss the things which you need to look into the microphone you are going to buy, to get the best ASMR experience.
- Microphone Self-Noise:
The most important and crucial factor to consider when buying a new microphone is the self-noise. The self-noise is the unwanted background noise that gets recorded in the audio which basically is the hissing, the humming, the crackling and the buzzing produced by a microphone since we tend to record at such low-level. Reducing this noise is one of the hardest tasks that you can face as an ASMR artist and you can only beat it with good equipment or post processing.
A good quality microphone’s audio will not need much processing and will save you loads of time. Self-noise is measured in dBA units and lesser the value, the lesser the self-noise. The ideal Self-Noise for a microphone is 15dBA or lesser. It is also measured in Signal-to-Noise ratio (or S/N) and is determined in dB. The standard S/N ratio is considered 80dB or the higher the better.
- Omni-Directional And Binaural:
There are two types of microphones when it comes to recording directions. Omni-Directional is a type of microphones which captures sound equally from all the directions; this type of microphone is used for recording tapping, brushing, assortment videos etc. On other hand, binaural recording is a unique technique of recording sound with two or microphones with just a head-space between them to mimic the effect natural effect of listening as if the sound are coming from the room you are in.
- Power Source:
The power source is the last thing need to consider, there are mainly two types of power sources available in microphones; USB Power and Phantom Power. The USB Powered microphones can be simply connected to your computer and you are ready to go. The Phantom Power is mostly used by high end microphones, it requires external power using special connection called XLR which is then plugged into a special adapter to provide enough power to run the microphone. Now that you know all the basic terminology lets take a look at the best ASMR microphones that you can get your hands on.
Blue Yeti USB Microphone
We are going to start up our list with one of the most popular microphones which will provide you a great ban for your buck. The Blue Yeti is perfect for those who are just starting out, it is very simple and easy to use and comes at cheap price. The build quality is not cheap though, it has an all-metal body with a capsule type design. This microphone is used mostly for producing tapping, brushing, water sounds etc. The Blue Yeti is an omni-directional microphone and provides you with different recording directions to choose from including cardioid, omnidirectional, bi-directional and stereo. This microphones is designed to record the sound in up to 16-bit/48 kHz resolution. It uses USB cable for power which can easily be connected to your Mac or Window PC. You can also plug in your headphones via 3.5mm audio jack and can listen the audio in real-time while recording. There are settings and controls available to change the volume and polar pattern of the microphone. Overall this is a really great microphone which offers some really great features for its price. You can purchase it from Amazon here and its Blackout Edition here.
Zoom H4N Pro
If you are looking for a good portable microphone at a decent price then Zoom H4N might be the way to go. This is an all-in-one device which works as a microphone, a recorder, and an audio interface. It is well-known for producing high quality awesome audio with superior control. It also allows connecting an additional microphone to it to record in binaural. The ZOOM H4N Pro accompanies X/Y Stereo Mic design which is fit for 140dB SPL. It also accompanies two low-noise preamps with the mix of XLR and ¼ inches inputs and can at the same time record 4 sound channels with higher rates and resolution than CD quality. The Zoom H4N records the sound in mp3 and Wav positions. You will need a micro SDHC card for storage and you can transfer the recorded files to you PC using a USB data cable. It is powered by a AA battery which can last up to 12 hours.
Rode NT1-A Stereo Vocal Condenser Microphones, Cardioid
The Rode NT1-A is one of the most high end microphones, it comes in pack of two means you will get two microphones. This microphone is popularly known for its extremely low self-noise of about 5dBA which is amazing for ASMR. It is also widely used in the audio book industry. This microphone is a perfect choice for those who want to record left and right channels separately. It is powered by Phantom power and requires an adapter which is connected using the XLR connection.
The 3Dio Free Space Pro II Binaural Microphone 3D Sound Recording Mic
There are two versions available for the 3Dio Free Space PRO, the second version is a slight improvement and comes with more features than the first one. This microphone is widely used by the professional ASMR community and is designed for recording in binaural. The most amazing thing about this device over the others is that it has two rubberized human-ear shaped microphones which not only look great in the video but also feels like real human ears and also make great ASMR sounds when rubbed or touched. The first version was powered by the XLR connection where as the second version requires a 9V alkaline battery.
Zoom H1
The microphone that revolutionized the portability in the microphone space, being able to fit in a pocket while providing enough features was the highlight of the ZOOM H1. Due to its compact design, it can be easily used by one hand only, the X/Y recording technique is a great way to cover the wider area while capturing the sound sources at the center and maintaining the clarity and definition in one of its defining features. It comes with a mono AA battery that can support it for around 10 hours.
The ins and outs include a 3.5mm input stereo jack that allows two external microphones to connect and it supports the condenser mics too that require more power, the 3.5mm output jack lets you connect output speakers or headphones. The micro SD card reader allows it to become a 2-in 2-out USB microphone that can also read SD card. It can record in MP3 at 320Kbps and VBR and also in WAV format with resolution at 96kHz/24 bit.
Tascam DR-05
If you are a person who is looking to make his ASRM videos on the go while maintaining the quality of your content at an affordable price,then look no further as Tascam DR-05 is the device that you are looking forsince it provides one hand functionality. Due to its sperate analog and digital circuit boards, that are designed to have low impedance, it can achieve clean sound quality, with over 92 signal to noise ratio, under 0.05% harmonic distortion and response range of 20Hz to 40hz with the resolution at 96kHz/24 bit.
It can record in MP3 and WAV format with better quality than a CD drive,and the microphone can withstand up to 125dB SPL, it also has plug-in power for an external microphone, and it runs on two AA batteries that provide enough power to record up to 17.5hours.
ATR 2100
If you like that traditional microphone feel that you have seen in TV shows then the ATR 2100 USB microphone should be the way to go, since it provides dual functionality it can not only hook up with your computer as the name suggests but also with the traditional music systems input jack through an XLR cable that is provided with the microphone, the metallic body ensures durability and premium feel.
Due to its cardioid polar pattern, it has the response output frequency range of 50 to 15,000Hz with 16-bit bit depth,and it can record with the sample rate of 48kHz. It weighs around 268 grams that means it can be held easily for a longer period and due to its streamlineddesign. The only downgrade of this microphone is portability as it does not support batteries and it can only work when it is plugged in.
Roland CS 10-EM
It is a unique 2-in-1 product that allows you to record sound through the high-quality condenser microphones that are built in the earphones and at the same time monitor them through the same earphone. You can record the sound through any recorder, although Roland recommends R-05 or R-09HR just by plugging in the device. The microphone allows you to listen to the recording at the time they are being made or when the recording is done. Due to its omni-directional polar pattern, it can output frequencies from 20Hz to 20khz with a less than a 60dB signal to noise ratio that is slightly lower than other devices at the same price.
Due to its low impedance and power requirement, it is a portable device that can get its required power from the recorder. So, if you are looking for this device for your ASMR recording only that signal to noise ratio should be the matter of concern other than that it is a good device that can get your work done.
3 Dio Free Space
3 Dio Free Space has made its mark in the field of ASMR recordings due to its unique design that imitates human ears. It has an omnidirectional structure that supports frequency range from 100Hz to 10kHz; there are 2 Primo EM172 Capsules in each ear. It also has a 3.5mm jack that allows it to connect to a recorder.
There are two configurations of this model the cheaper one comes with the USB connection while the expensive one comes with the XLR connection that allows it to connect directly with the sound system.
So this was our list of the best and affordable microphones that you can get your hands on. If you know some other good mics that you think should be featured on our list than make sure to drop down a comment below.