A sleep-inducing ASMR video of ‘ear’ massage and brushing, utilising the 3Dio binaural microphone.

Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response, or ASMR, is a calming, tingly sensation that is often triggered by auditory or visual cues. Emma Smith of WhispersRed ASMR first experienced this sensation as a child, nicknaming it “The Golden Feeling” with her brother. As an adult, she found an online ASMR community and finally had a name for her tingles.

When ‘whisper channels’ started popping up on YouTube to help people access their ASMR response to help with meditation, sleep and relaxation, Smith decided to create her own channel in 2013. She proceeded to be an innovator of many styles of ASMR still used today, building an audience of over 1 million subscribers since her channel’s inception.

This video showcases the first time an ASMR creator placed the 3Dio binaural microphone in frame and used its silicone ears to create ‘massage’ sounds. Smith’s intention was to experiment with the microphone's ear attachments to help the listener imagine that their own ears were being massaged, in order to trigger the tingly ASMR feeling. The 3Dio microphone, although originally built for field recordings and capturing immersive soundscapes, is now a popular choice among ASMR channels, and has been nicknamed the ASMR microphone.