Blog#16 EVPs Voices from the other side.

EVP is Electronic Voice Phenomena, which occurs when we have recording device in the haunted environment and a voice is left of the recording device but not heard in real time. If heard in real time, that is called a “Disembodied Voice”. It’s one of the simplest ways to catch a ghost. Sometimes they are aware of us recording them, and sometimes they could care less. It’s hard to get an EVP that is more than 3 to 5 words long.
EVPs could be the result of all 3 types of haunting (intelligent, residual, and poltergeist). If answering a question or an utter of what you might be doing, shows signs of intelligence and should be considered intelligent. If the EVP is a baby crying or a woman’s scream could be residual and would have to be investigated further. Now, if the crying or scream is in response to something that would cause that reaction, it may be intelligent. Poltergeists are going to be loud and obnoxious. They are very vocal and up front that they are displeased with you in their area.

There are some classifications that go into EVPs into groups of words or sounds. We like Class A EVP’s to give as evidence. Word that can be heard clearly and can be made out is more than one person. That’s why it’s good to have a buddy during the shifting through your evidence for the proper one’s to extract. Classes B are those that are clear sounds of a person but cannot be made out. These are the ones that your response would be, “it’ sounds like a woman but I can’t make out what she’s saying”. Classes C are grunts, unintelligent sound that seem like they are being heard backwards. Poltergeist likes to leave these types of recordings.

EVP at Stranahan House

Albert.."You need Sufferage".

Equipment
A recording device
I like devices with extractable files or cards to get those nuggets of evidence. I’ve used Olympus
WS-100 which has a USB end that fits into your computer for easy extraction. I’m currently using a Zoom 360 H2 recorder with a SD card to pull a 4 channel sound files. This device you can hear the directing the sound is coming from.

Software




It’s a matter of choice, just like in recording devices, but I tell you what I have. I use either Adobe Audition or Magix Music Maker. These are multi channel software that would merge your different channels together for those types of EVP sessions. Noise reduction, sound enhancement and separate the sound filters are all types of options used in your software sessions. I like to clip the EVP and make a copy so I don’t tamper with the original file. That copy is what I experiment on to bring out the best captured sound bite from your clip. During the revue, we include 10 seconds before and after. After the revue, we clip them to short bites of evidence for classification and put up on websites.

Earphones
Again, matter of choice, but remember, these going to be your best way to hear these entities, so this isn’t the time to break out cheap earphones from the dollar store. I’ve found some professional style earphones as low as $9 to the extremely expensive BOSE. I do have a pair, they were a gift, they have a noise eliminator so outside noise doesn’t come in. They come with batteries for the system to do their noise reducing. I like my foam Plantronics headphones ($29 on sale) the best, but I have to close the door and eliminate any interferences to me screening for EVPs.

A keen ear is needed and it helps to get a good pair of headphones so you are able to go thru at least 20 minutes of evidence per interval and your ears aren’t hurting. Inner ear headphones are o.k. but remember to watch the decimals level. Inner ear headphones can cause a lot of damage. Personally, I wouldn’t use them.

Another don't is DON'T DO THIS IN YOUR HOME!!!!!! Please let me warn you not to do this at your home. Your living experience of what you call “home” will not be the same again.

So, that’s the end of EVP lesson #1.