12 replies to this topic

[wheeler08]

I am new at all this and am looking to buy an evp but i was told that any tape recorder was fine as long as it came with a mic. but i was thinking i need something with a usb attachment so that i can logg everything on the comp. right ?

[Robbie-Relapse]

Well, are you looking for a digital one? 'Cause there's tons to choose from.

Olympus VN-960PC
Olympus WS-100

Those are the ones that we use.

As for actual tape recorders, they may pick up things better with external mics, but I don't trust them. jmo.

[wheeler08]

yeah probably digital becasue I was reading that the tape ones when your recording sometimes pick up on the actual tape turning in there and it may throw you off when you go back and listen to it... I am looking at a SONY one and it has USB so that is probably what I am going to get... to go along with my SONY Camcorder and SONY Diggy lol thanks for the feedback

[FireFighter621]

here you go try this you got a big variety to choose from on evp
http://ghoststop.com/

[wheeler08]

thank you firefighter.. thats a very informative site

[CaveRat2]

Depending on what you are willing to spend you should forget digital. You can get a decent analog stereo cassette deck for $150 and up (much less second hand on eBay). Unless you just consider this a hobby and don't care about the validity of what you get you should use stereo. Reason is stereo records dual channel, and what you capture on one should also be on the other. (redundancy). Plus you can hear your audio in three dimensions which allows you to establish direction and distance from the mics. Most good analog decks will record from 40 - 12 kHz, an acceptable audio range. Voice recorders do not reach this bandwidth.

But if you insist on digital, here are the specs you must attain:

1. - 24 bit A - D conversion, otherwise low level signals will lack resolution.

2. - 96 KBPS sample rate, insures enough samples to prevent excesive distortion.

3. WAV format, not MP3 since MP3s are lossy due to compression

4. Stereo, with external mics to allow for 2 feet between mics which permits spatial analysis

i can make a recommendation on a recorder, a Fostex FR2 will exceed these specs, however it carries an $1199 price tag. There are a few available for around $400 that meet specs, but barely. By comparison most voice recorders are around 12 bit A - D conversion at a 22KBPS rate and are mono. That's why you don't want to consider one of them for EVP work. (They are fine for note taking or making logs though)

[Seeker]

Something inexpensive is fine until you decide if this is something you're going to continue. You can purchase more/better equipment as use indicates.

[Mark81]

wheeler08, on Apr 11 2008, 02:05 AM, said:

yeah probably digital because I was reading that the tape ones when your recording sometimes pick up on the actual tape turning in there and it may throw you off when you go back and listen to it... I am looking at a SONY one and it has USB so that is probably what I am going to get... to go along with my SONY Camcorder and SONY Diggy lol thanks for the feedback

hi there, like you am new to EVP, and a bit of a sony freak too lol!

Personally I've decided to start just with my laptop recording directly onto that usingAudaCity. If my initial experiments prove fruitless I'll try moving onto a digital recorder though.

My theory is the whirling noise of the fans of my laptop will act as the background noise thus eliminating the need for a white/pink/brown noise generator. Obviously when recording I'll turn the screen off to try to avoid emf interference. And if not I have EVP Assistant to create the necessary noises.

Anyway good luck and let me know how your experiments go

mark

[CaveRat2]

You don't want any extra noise present. If an EVP is there it will come through clear. The extra noise just makes it that much harder to hear. That is one of the advantages of using high end equipment, it is generally quieter and allows for good clarity without any post processing. Makes no sense to add noise just so you can create distortion and artifacts trying to "clean" your recording. Sort of counter-productive....

The reason some claim noise is needed is that noise, when combined with conversion artifacts generated by substandard recorders causes a pulsating effect which can sound a lot like speech. Add a little imagination and you have an EVP created in your own mind. That is what most of these kind are, weak and subjective, which is why no two people usually hear the same thing.

True EVPs are rare. You may record for hours and get nothing. But when you do get one, it will be in-your-face clear. No guessing as to what it says. I have managed to capture about 4 like that out of literally thousands of hours of tape. Which is why I don't generally give a lot of creedence to thoee recordings made on cheap little voice recorders that get a half a dozen EVPs in about 2 hours. It don't generally happen that way.....

[Mark81]

CaveRat, on Jul 29 2008, 12:04 AM, said:

.....
True EVPs are rare. You may record for hours and get nothing. But when you do get one, it will be in-your-face clear. No guessing as to what it says. I have managed to capture about 4 like that out of literally thousands of hours of tape. Which is why I don't generally give a lot of creedence to thoee recordings made on cheap little voice recorders that get a half a dozen EVPs in about 2 hours. It don't generally happen that way.....

thanks for the heads up

what sort of places have you had your successes in, or isn't that really a factor ? There's so many different people saying different things about it all... so the only way one can learn is to try and fail and try and try and try

[CaveRat2]

I would say all of my best EVPs have come on private investigation cases. Most of the group things have so much confusion going on around that it is hard to determine what is and is not just something created by someone else there. I am very hard on any evidence,even my own, and if there is even a remote chance it may be someone or something causing intereference, even accidently, I pitch it out.

Private investigations are generally more regimented and have fewer people present. That allows one to maintain better control over the scene, and thus the evidence will be more reliable.I have a few that probably are valid from public locations, but they just can't be 100% verified they are not someone talking in another room so I tend to discount them. Due to confidentiality I can't post private case EVPs without client consent, but maybe if I get a chance I'll put a couple of my better ones from a public location up and let the listener decide whether they are real or not.

[damckie]

CaveRat, on Apr 20 2008, 03:11 PM, said:

Depending on what you are willing to spend you should forget digital. You can get a decent analog stereo cassette deck for $150 and up (much less second hand on eBay). Unless you just consider this a hobby and don't care about the validity of what you get you should use stereo. Reason is stereo records dual channel, and what you capture on one should also be on the other. (redundancy). Plus you can hear your audio in three dimensions which allows you to establish direction and distance from the mics. Most good analog decks will record from 40 - 12 kHz, an acceptable audio range. Voice recorders do not reach this bandwidth.

But if you insist on digital, here are the specs you must attain:

1. - 24 bit A - D conversion, otherwise low level signals will lack resolution.

2. - 96 KBPS sample rate, insures enough samples to prevent excesive distortion.

3. WAV format, not MP3 since MP3s are lossy due to compression

4. Stereo, with external mics to allow for 2 feet between mics which permits spatial analysis

i can make a recommendation on a recorder, a Fostex FR2 will exceed these specs, however it carries an $1199 price tag. There are a few available for around $400 that meet specs, but barely. By comparison most voice recorders are around 12 bit A - D conversion at a 22KBPS rate and are mono. That's why you don't want to consider one of them for EVP work. (They are fine for note taking or making logs though)

Are these just your theories or are these standards made up by you and we, out here, have to follow them? A good voice recorder(analog) that is cheap and good is made by Radio Shack. Don't spend hundreds of dollars on a voice recorder. You are only wasting your money if you buy an expensive one. Just my 2 cents here. Dave

[CaveRat2]

damckie, on Aug 18 2008, 05:05 PM, said:

Are these just your theories or are these standards made up by you and we, out here, have to follow them? A good voice recorder(analog) that is cheap and good is made by Radio Shack. Don't spend hundreds of dollars on a voice recorder. You are only wasting your money if you buy an expensive one. Just my 2 cents here. Dave

These specs are based on the results of tests conducted in a lab using professional grade test equipment. While I will admit you can record a voice on any recorder, design factors in the better recorders serve to limit false positives and other recorder artifacts. Thus it's not that you CAN'T get EVPs with a cheap recorder, it's just that it's much more likely you'll get something false that sounds like an EVP.

In the end, if all you want are voices go get a cheap recorder, but if you want reliable evidence it's going to require a somewhat better system. Only the user can make that determination of quality versus cost.