Often times in the field of paranormal investigating, a pressing “Holy Grail” often sought is superior audio quality. After all, EVP’s (Electronic Voice Phenomena’s) are not much good if you cannot hear them. The question one must consider is this: Is clear audio the absolute best for in-field research? There are two aspects one must factor in order to properly answer this question: sampling rate and functionality.

If digital is the route you choose, you must consider the sampling rate and the frequency response of your voice recorder. A sampling rate is defined as the number of samples per second that is taken, or sampled, from one continuous input source. Simply, an increased sample rate can filter out “un-pure” audio. Examples of sounds that a sample rate can filter are wind noise, sixty cycle hum, a dog barking in the distance and EVP! A recorder that offers noise reduction and clear audio is a recorder that uses a high sample rate. This feature is great when intended for school use or for office/professional use, however, high sample rates are not the friend of the paranormal investigator. In essence, we as investigators are looking for that “un-pure” sound, that imbedded sixty cycle hum, that realm of frequencies that hides our sought after EVP’s. More and more of the major manufactures are doing away with recorders that do not have high sample rates. Observe your local electronics stores’ stock of voice recorders. Most products now boast high quality settings that provide “exceptionally clear audio quality.” These settings are decreasing our ability to capture electronic voice phenomena. In addition to sample rates, frequency response, or the frequency range recorded, also plays a key role in one’s search for an audio recorder. It is theorized that EVP’s are recorded at hertz lower and higher than a humans normal range of hearing, 50Hz to 14kHz; thus explaining why EVP’s are not heard live, only when listened to on your recorders play back. Frequency response is often noted as a range between two numbers. For example if the microphone for your voice recorder has a frequency response of 200Hz to 50kHz, then the microphone for your recorder is able to reproduce sounds occurring in the frequencies 200Hz to 50kHz. Anything outside that noted frequency response would reproduce to a lesser extent and most likely not reproduce at all. With this in mind it becomes imperative to match a low, or non existent, sample rate with a broad, or flat, frequency response. This match generally can be made with recorders that are priced fewer than forty dollars.

Most recorders on the market today offer a wide array of “extras” for the consumer. The major brands, Sony, Olympus, RCA and Panasonic of course, have all of the same basic functions such as Record, Play, Stop, etc., however, there are some that offer direct USB transfer of your recorded audio. The ability to transfer the audio from your recorder directly to your computer, without the use of wires or cables, can save a great deal of time for the paranormal investigator. Ease of transfer not only enables an investigator who may have multiple investigations the ability to “clear” their recorders before the next, but the USB function also gives the user the option to use his recorder as a storage device, or “Jump Drive.” Quickly clearing recorded audio and the option to store files and images as well makes for versatile tool in any investigators bag. However, one can operate just the same with digital recorders that do not offer USB connectivity or with analog recorders. Transferring audio from an analog recorder or recorder with no USB output to a computer is relatively simple, however, this download must be done real-time. This process requires one to insert a mono cable to in the recorders’ earphone jack and the other end into your computers’ microphone jack. This also requires software on your computer that will enable you to store the audio you are transferring; such software is NCH’s WavePad and Audacity. These two programs cost fewer than fifty dollars and provide excellent software options for the paranormal investigator. During investigations, any investigator can tell you that the possession of a recording device that will enable him to record for as long as the investigation takes is invaluable. As technology grows, we see the trend for recorders to constantly increase in time allowed for recording. Recording time is specific, of course, to which media, either analog or digital, your recorder records to. With analog, cassettes and micro cassettes will afford one, at most, ninety minutes of recording time. Digital voice recorders offer a cornucopia of time allowances with options ranging from seven hours to 144 hours.

Central Oklahoma Paranormal Studies has had extensive experience operating with recorders that have a high sample rate, like the Olympus WS-300M, and those that do not, as found with the Sony ICD-B120. After six months of experimenting, we have found that high sample rates and acute frequency responses do indeed alter one’s ability to capture and record EVP. In short, lower priced recorders tend to capture EVP much more effectively than higher priced recorders. However, the “extras” that come abundant on higher priced recorders, such as USB connectivity and the ability to use the recorder as a mass storage device generally will not be found on the lower priced recorders. This has proved to be a worthy sacrifice, allowing us to continue our efforts to capture EVP, in hopes of explaining the unexplained.

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