Over the past year and a half we have seen the emergence of many high quality digital audio recorders. These recorders bearing brand names like Zoom, Marantz, Tascam, Edirol, Yamaha, and Olympus have all thrown their offerings into the arena with cheaper, high-end digital audio recorders. What makes these systems more valuable than regular, thirty-dollar voice recorders from your local retail store? Audio quality would be the short answer. These high-end audio recorders have much higher sample rates and lower audio noise floors than their cheaper voice recorder counterparts. Using both side-by-side often shows that the higher quality recorders can clearly identify benign sounds that take on an eerie evp-like quality on lesser recorders.

MOVING TOWARDS BETTER QUALITY

Some researchers have sworn a cult-like loyalty to their older, noisy digital voice recorders (such as the infamous Panasonic DD-R60). A lot of people believe that the noise provided by the poor sampling rates and heavy digital compression is the media in which evp is likely to manifest. I do not know if that is the case or not, but I do know that it makes it extremely difficult to weed out genuine phenomenon from noise, digital compression, case handling noise, and microphone bumps. It is my belief that we should strive to put our best foot forward as far as audio evidence, and the best way to do this is by using an audio recorder that has much better quality or "Hi-def audio".

Despite the logic of trying to obtain the best quality audio for evidence purposes, there are still some folks that object, saying these higher quality recorders drastically decrease the number of evp files that they collect. I think it is more likely that they are able to more readily distinguish the natural sounds on the higher quality recorders and as such are not mistaking those sounds for evp as was likely on the lesser recorders. I have recently picked up a Zoom H2 handycorder, the entry level high quality audio recorder from Samson. This is on the lower end of what I consider to be a high quality recorder, yet the divide between the audio obtained on this recorder and that found on a common voice recorder is large indeed. With this recorder, I now have the ability to record CD quality (44.1khz, 24bit uncompressed .wav) stereo (or 4 channel surround) sound. Since using this recorder, I have not looked back and never again will I use cheaper, lower quality recorders. As I said the H2 is an entry level high quality recorder and it can be purchased at a price around 150.00 US. Other brands mentioned above can be had for as little as 300.00 or as much as 1k depending on storage space, features, or number of embedded microphones.

AN ALTERNATIVE

So what is a researcher to do when they do not have the money to fork out for a hi-def audio recorder? Believe it or not the same results can be achieved for a lot less money provided that you have a computer. With the use of a computer (preferrably a laptop), a quality stereo microphone, and a free sound editing program, you too can capture CD quality sample-rate sound and all it will cost you is disk space.

HARDWARE REQUIREMENTS

What kind of computer you intend to use is irrelevant, just make sure that it is somewhat recent, has a clock speed of 1.5ghz or better, and it would probably be a good idea to make sure that you are running 512mb or more (preferrably more) system RAM. Next you will need a quality microphone. This will be personal preference, but it should be condensor or condensor-electret hybrid style with a 1/8" jack. To use stereo or not is again a personal preference, but I believe you should always use stereo to aid in determining sound strength in the left or right channel. Next, simply install a free sound editor with record ability. Some examples include Audacity, a multi-OS recording platform, Wavepad from NCH Software, Wavosaur, a comprehensive recording program, and finally Power Sound Editor Free 6.9.6. All of these programs have record settings allowing for the recording of audio in uncompressed .wav formats at 16bits or better.

RECORDING OPTIONS AND BENEFITS

You will find that recording audio straight to your laptop can offer flexibility in record options that you could never get with a cheap digital voice recorder. An example would be adding four microphones to a cheap four channel mixer such as the RadioShack 32-2056 (29.00) and using the stereo mixed output to feed into your laptop recording software. There are many custom equalizer and filter programs that can be used as well in addition to the recording software to custom tailor the sound to your parameters or to experiment with certain frequency ranges during recording. Since your audio is already being stored on your computer, it makes listening and editing much easier since you don't have to wait to transfer it to your PC. You can also compress these audio files for archival storage, or burn them to DVD/disc.

BASIC METHOD

For a basic setup, simply connect a stereo microphone to your laptop. In a program such as Audacity, enable microphone recording (Edit>Preferences>Audio I/O tab>Recording>Device: Microphone (or stereo mix) >Channels: 2). Then simply click on the record button to begin capturing audio. When finished, click on the stop button and save the file. You may wish to adjust recording levels, such as microphone volume, etc... until you get a sound level that you prefer. It is just that simple, and your audio is already saved on your computer. The amound of time that you get to record is proportional, of course, to the amount of free hard drive space. This method of recording may seem cumbersome, but the reward is in the sound depth and quality. This method results in a system that is only as strong as it's weakest link, so use only quality components. If you use a substandard microphone you will get substandard audio quality. With some experimentation, you will find that "sweet spot" and your audio evidence files will benefit.

- TEAM NEWS -

JANUARY 25th, 2010

HE SAID, SHE SAID

FOR JANUARY, MR. HARRIS-WYRICK OFFERS AN INTERSTING LOOK AT THE PITFALLS INHERIENT TO EYEWITNESS TESTIMONY GATHERED DURING PARANORMAL INVESTIGATIONS IN HIS ARTICLE "EYEWITNESS TESTIMONY AND THE PARANORMAL." REFER TO OUR ARTICLES PAGE PAGE TO READ FURTHER.

DECEMBER 6th, 2009

PARANORMAL SCAFFOLDING

DECEMBER BRINGS US TWO FEATURE ARTICLES, THE FIRST, PROPOSED FRAMEWORK FOR PARANORMAL ACTIVITY, BY WAYNE HARRIS-WYRICK, DISCUSSES QUANTUM PHYSCIHS AND PARANORMAL PHENOMENA FROM A FRESH, UNIQUE POINT OF VIEW.

AUDIO NIRVANA, A HIGHER STATE OF LISTENING

OUR SECOND ARTICLE, HIGH QUALITY AUDIO RECORDING: ON A BUDGET, BY OUR REGULARLY CONTRIBUTING AUTHOR ANDREW SELFRIDGE, IS A LOOK AT THE IMPORTANCES, DIFFERENCES AND WAYS TO ACHIEVE HIGHER STANDARDS IN AUDIO RECORDING WHILE MAINTAING A BUDGET IN TODAY'S ECONOMY.

BOTH OF THESE ARTICLES CAN BE FOUND ON OUR ARTICLES PAGE OR BY CLICKING HERE. WE HOPE YOU FIND THESE ARTCILES INFORMATIVE AND EDUCATIONAL AND AS ALWAYS, FEEL FREE TO CONTACT US WITH ANY COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS.

NOVEMBER 2nd 2009

INTRODUCTORY INFRARED PHOTOGRAPHY

WE ARE PLEASED TO SHOWCASE OUR NEWEST ARTICLE BY ANDREW SELFRIDGE COVERING INFRARED PHOTOGRAPHY AND APPLICATIONS IN THE PARANORMAL FIELD. YOU CAN FIND HIS ARTICLE ON OUR ARTICLES PAGE AND FOR EXAMPLES OF IR PHOTOGRAPHY CHECK OUT HIS FLICKR PAGE HERE

OCTOBER 30th 2009

- PARANORMAL UNDERGROUND -

WE ARE PLEASED TO RECOGNIZE OUR VERY OWN ANDREW SELFRIDGE FOR HIS PARTICIPATION WITH THE ONLINE MAGAZINE PARANORMAL UNDERGROUND.

  HE HAS PUBLISHED INFORMATIVE, DETAILED EQUIPMENT ARTICLES FOR THEIR MAGAZINE. PLEASE VISIT PARANORMAL UNDERGROUND TO READ HIS ARTICLES AND MANY OTHERS!

OCTOBER 24th 2009 - NEW SITE -

YOU MAY HAVE NOTICED A SLIGHT CHANGE IN THE APPEARANCE OF OUR ONLINE PRESENCE. WE REVISED OUR SITE TO PROJECT OUR PRINCIPLES AND TO BETTER SERVE YOU.
  WE FEEL THIS CHANGE ALLOWS OUR CLIENTS AND THE GENERAL PUBLIC A MORE FUNCTIONAL USE OF THE INFORMATION AND EDUCATION CONTAINED IN THE SITE. BY CLEARLY STATING OUR MAIN OBJECTIVES, COMMERCIAL, RESIDENTAL AND KNOWLEDGE, WE BELIEVE THAT OUR INTENTIONS AS A TEAM ARE CONCISE AND DIRECT.