Looking for your first microphone for recording ASMR triggers? The Blue Yeti microphone is a great choice.
The Good:
- It is the preferred microphone for many podcasters.
- It is a great value for the quality, around $100.
- It records in stereo, so by speaking from side-to-side you can create ear-to-ear sounds.
- It is a condensor-style microphone, so it is very sensitive at picking up whispers, subtle breaths, and mouth sounds.
- It plugs directly into your computer via a USB plug, no mixer or preamps needed.
Do I have some bad things to say about it? Unfortunately, yes.
Here are the Bad things:
- Condensor microphones are also so sensitive that they pick up background noises, so be careful.
- The internal microphones that are used to create the stereo recordings are very close together, so it is difficult to get a well-isolated sound into one “ear” without also recording into the other “ear”.
- Because it plugs directly into your computer, you have to be careful about recording fan noises and/or getting electrical interference into your recordings.
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Is there a specific setting that sounds best for asmr with the Blue Yeti microphone? Or does it just depend on individual preference? Thanks 🙂
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Rachel,
I agree with you that it can depend on individual preference.
I might suggest using the “stereo” setting though because that will give your listeners the ear-to-ear experience which seems the best at stimulating ASMR.
The stereo setting has the image of the two interlocking rings.
I hope this helps, Dr. Richard
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would it be possible to put a silicone head over the mic to get that realistic “i’m touching ears” sound? cause i really don’t have enough money for a 3dio and at some point I’d like to get those earbud microphones so having the head be there for use would be very useful.
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Logan, Good question and good desire.
The best recorded triggers should simulate real human hearing. Here are some ideas to try that may help to convert the Yeti mic into a mini 3Dio head.
Idea #1: Make fake ears. Cut out the bottom of two small paper cups (or use any cone shaped items) and attach them to the Yeti somehow so the cups are directing sound into each of the stereo mics.
Idea #2: Make a fake head. Mimic a Jecklin disc (google for info and images) by coating two sides of a round piece of cardboard with a thick fabric (felt, terrycloth, or other), cut out the profile of the yeti mic so you can stick it on the microphone like a mohawk.
Idea #3: Combine idea #1 and #2.
I am not actually optimistic that these ideas will work. I have tried similar things with a handheld recorder which had stereo mics separated by several inches. The ultimate problem is that the mics are too close and my homemade ideas were not high enough quality (like real silicone and real Jecklin discs). None of my homemade ideas really sounded much better than whispering as close as possible to the mics.
But you may have better luck, better skills, better materials, and better ideas – so go for it.
My experiments were with whispering, and your experiments may be with touching – so you may also get very different results from mine, especially if you experiment with different material types around the separate mics.
Please do share the results of your efforts back here so others can also learn from our attempts.
Let me know if I can assist any further, Dr. Richard
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