We have one motto around here: we do things the right way, no shortcuts. Setting ourselves up for a successful EVP session depends on our diligence on multiple fronts: the state of the tools, the preparation of our environment, the techniques we use, and the review process.
Good thing we're pros from start to finish in optimizing our potential to capture a clear EVP. Here's an exclusive look at our trade secrets.
Tools
To capture audio, we're likely using a voice recorder (in conjunction with audio-visual tools and other audio equipment). On this front we take a few minutes before running a session to make sure our tools are prepped and ready.
Quality
Quality equipment makes all the difference. It doesn't have to be expensive to work well for this task as we've highlighted here with a few of our favorite recorders/mics.
Settings
Making sure the recorder is set properly is vital. Some functions (intended for work outside the paranormal field) will reduce quiet sounds or distort them so the EVPs won't even be recognizable. Making sure Auto Gain Control is off or the recorder is in an uncompressed format, for example (more on settings prep here), is key.
Headphones
We always have a few pairs of good quality noise-cancelling headphones around to ensure we don't miss a thing.
Batteries
Every EVP session starts with a fresh set of batteries, so we don't have to worry about it cutting out at the best part!
Environment
Creating a controlled environment can prove tricky, but we have our systems down pat.
Noise Contamination Control
We begin every investigation with a meticulous walk-through, where we attempt to control our environment. We then hone-in on smaller sections as we run audio sessions and conduct experiments. So when we enter the room to begin an EVP session, we first look for anything that could disrupt the session and corrupt our audio.
We check ourselves, windows, door hinges, creaky floors, machinery/tech, vents/radiators/generators, furniture, and water pipes for sounds, for example. We check for critters on thermal cam and we check out the outside area to get an idea of what to expect from pedestrians and cars. More on our noise contamination protocol here.
Filing
The very first thing spoken on any audio recording is a phrase detailing 3 things:
What room we're in
Who's present
What time it is exactly.
Before we press record, we walkie-talkie to base control for the time in order to stamp the audio right away once we start. We do the same as we finish the session.
Knowing who's present accounts for sounds relating to those people specifically and tracks their whereabouts to rule out their role in any other findings in other parts of the building.
Knowing what room it's in is especially helpful for context clues if we do get an answer, while also helping us track where things happened in relation to other equipment and findings elsewhere.
Technique
Here's where some talent and skill comes in, to toot our own horns. Using the equipment and the environment to our benefit is key; bringing all the elements together to work for us is what we do best.
Position
First things first, you can't manhandle the VERY sensitive mic. It seems like such a small thing but the rubbing of skin and the plopping haphazardly onto surfaces can be 1. deafening to review later, 2. harmful to the equipment and 3. disruptive to the clip (and the EVP could get buried under the shuffling noises).
The correct form is to flatten your hand completely horizontally to create a perfectly still surface for the recorder to sit upon. The mic should face outward towards the room (not towards your chest) and the arm should extend slightly (like offering food to a bird). Fingers shouldn't cup/curl up towards the mic, otherwise they may bump it and the little mics are so insanely sensitive, or they could close off sound wave clarity by blocking the mic.
Tagging
The noises we do make accidentally are simply tagged 'on record' to state what they are; "I just burped", for example. Anything we know isn't paranormal, but which could be later mistaken for it, will be tagged. We tag obsessively, so nothing is uncertain later.
Questions
The questions are the heart of the EVP session. They determine the potential interest of the unseen/dead candidate, and they help create context in order to help build credibility around responses. We follow a few rules when it comes to questions:
Delay: we leave intervals of about 20 seconds in between each question to give the theoretical spirit a chance to build enough energy to answer, without our voice interrupting and burying their audio.
Open: we avoid questions that expect a yes/no/one-word response, and instead ask open-ended questions that may provoke longer responses. Catching a one-syllable word like "yes" or "no" isn't going to hold up as credible.
Relevant: we make sure to research the location thoroughly so we know the right questions to ask. Using names, history, events, and enticement creatively, we create interesting and personalized dialogues that would engage the spirits.
Review
Reviewing is a long and grueling process that is only occasionally rewarding. We take a multifaceted approach to it.
Duration
For sanity's sake we like to keep recordings short (ideally no more than 25 mins). Doing burst EVPs helps make reviewing a bit more digestible.
Live
Reviewing a clip live (with headphones) can be really productive in helping us figure out if we're in the right active areas and in cutting out review time later. Typically, we'll record for 5-10 mins and then sit quietly and listen to the whole thing back in real-time. Receiving answers to questions in the current setting like this can help direct our questions and motivate us to keep going. Often things can seem really boring and futile, meanwhile there's so much going on quietly that we couldn't even perceive!
We hope our processes and protocols have been enlightening and have given you insight into how we go about collecting credible and crisp audio evidence for you all to enjoy; some of which could hold the answers to the afterlife that we so covet and deserve.
Use our tips to do some DIY hunting yourself and share with us here!
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