Scratching ASMR Sounds: Mic, Foam, Wood and Leather
Slower and grittier than tapping: nails dragged across the mic, foam, leather and wood. Four to try below.
Samples
Tap a sound to play it on a loop, and tap it again to stop. Headphones help, especially for close-mic triggers.
These are 4 of the 14 sounds in this group. Tingles ASMR has 255 in all. See what else is in the app.
What scratching is
Scratching is sustained contact: nails or a tool dragged slowly across a surface, instead of the quick strikes of tapping. The sound is continuous and textured, and it usually builds and fades instead of starting and stopping.
Two sounds in the library are the classics of the genre: Mic No Cover and Mic Foam Cover, which are scratches on the microphone itself. Mic scratching is about as close as a recording gets, and on headphones it can move from ear to ear. The rest are surfaces with their own grain:
- Soft: Foam, Chenille Stems, Folding Fan, Grass Carpet
- Firm: Wood, Leather, Cork Board, Plastic Board, Paper Cup
- Rough: Scrub Pad, Scrub Balls, Cat Comb
Why scratching feels different
Scratching tends to produce slower, deeper tingles than tapping. One explanation fits what researchers have found about closeness. Shimokura (2022) found that the sense of a sound being near you predicted the response, along with a difference between what each ear hears. Microphone scratching delivers both: the sound is as close as a recording can get, and on headphones it can move from ear to ear. There’s more on this in the triggers guide.
How to use scratching
- For deep relaxation: start with Mic Foam Cover at a low volume. It is softer than Mic No Cover and easier to fall asleep to.
- In a mix: the app’s Soothing Strokes mix layers Cork Board and Leather with a foundation brush on the mic grille. Pairing one scratch with one brushing sound gives you movement without too much going on.
- If it’s too intense: move to the softer surfaces, or put a quiet rain or nature sound underneath so the scratches aren’t alone in the silence.
Sources
- Shimokura, R. (2022). Sound Quality Factors Inducing the Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response. Audiology Research, 12(5), 574–584. DOI: 10.3390/audiolres12050056
In the app
Every sample on this page comes from Tingles ASMR, free on iOS and Android. In the app you can layer up to 10 sounds into a mix (no limit with Premium), set each volume, play ready-made mixes, and set a timer. With Premium, Sleep Mode fades the sound out gently instead.
More scratching sounds in the app: Foam · Paper Cup · Cat Comb · Chenille Stems · Cork Board · Grass Carpet · Plastic Board · Scrub Balls · Scrub Pad · Folding Fan
Ready-made mixes with these sounds: Soothing Strokes · Storm Day · Abrasive Texture Taps · Gritty Surface Scratches · Abrasive Surface Medley
Got a trigger you'd love to hear in the app? Suggest it from the app menu under Send Feedback.
