From time to time I receive email from people interested in capturing evp's and asking for advise on how to get started. So for those with an interest in recording evp voices I've put together some basic information and advice on what you'll need to get started and what to expect once you're ready to record. Before I discuss the various recording equipment and computer software available for capturing and editing your recordings I want to discuss a few things that are equally important.

First, you'll need to enter into this with the right frame of mind because although recording evp is relatively harmless, you are still attempting to contact unknown entities and sometimes the responses you'll receive can be less than friendly and occasionally they can be downright nasty.

While listening to an evp on the web can be interesting and non-threatening, capturing your first few evp's can be an unnerving experience, especially if you are working alone. Although I was thrilled when I recorded my first evp, I was also a bit nervous about what I was getting myself into. This was back in 1977 and there were no web sites to consult for more information and no one to ask questions of. All I had was the book I was reading (Voices Of The Dead by Suzy Smith) that told me it was possible and how to go about it. Luckily, my apprehension was soon over taken by my curiosity and I continued on recording. Even today with so much information available I still hear of people who are a little shaken after they begin receiving the voices they were initially so anxious to receive. Like myself, most of them have continued to record happily and successfully but there have been a few who did not fare so well and had to stop recording soon after they began. Please understand, I'm not trying to scare off anyone who might be interested in trying to record evp but I do feel a responsibility to let people know that, depending on their makeup and emotional state, there is the chance that it could turn out to be a less then enjoyable experience.

The web site of the American Association of Electronic Voice Phenomena (http://aaevp.com) of which I am a member has a wealth of information on the subject of evp including a "Frequently Asked Questions" page that includes two questions pertaining to this issue.

Here's a link to the FAQ page: http://aaevp.com/faq.htm

Whether you're new to EVP or someone who's been working with it for awhile, I think you'll find the questions presented here and the answers given to be interesting and informative. The two questions on the FAQ page that address the subject I've just discussed are:

Is there any danger in EVP?
What should I do in preparation for experimenting with EVP?

Moving on, the great thing about EVP is that anyone can capture voices, anywhere, anytime and without expensive equipment. You don't need to be in a haunted location and you don't need to have highly developed psychic abilities. In fact, you don't need to have any psychic ability at all. What you do need, especially when you're first starting out, is patience and perseverance. I've often said that I am as psychic as a stone. In fact, when we go on investigations Shane and Trisha will be walking around talking about sensing things while I sense absolutely nothing. But that doesn't stop me from recording some pretty clear evp's both in haunted locations with my team members and also when I'm working alone either at some cemetery or at home in the room I've set up to conduct my own regular sessions.

I'm sure it will be the same way for anyone who records on a regular basis because eventually you'll become noticed by the entities and they'll realize that you are not just a person turning on a recorder at a random moment but someone who is seriously attempting to make contact with them. Recording regularly, especially in the beginning, really seems to help establish that you are interested in communicating and with patience they will respond. Try to pick a time when you are relaxed and if possible try to record at the same time and place. It's also helpful to start with a greeting and to say goodbye when you finish. You may feel like you're talking to thin air but believe me you're not and eventually you will get responses. In my regular sessions, which I conduct in my home, I always open with "Hello my friends" and close with "Thanks, my friends for trying to come through today". I didn't do this originally and I was still able to receive evp's but after I started using this greeting I found that the amount of evp increased along with the quality of the recordings. I also found that on some occasions the entities would refer to me by name. They will sometimes call me by my first name only or my last name only and at other times they'll say my full name.

Next I'll discuss the types of recorders available for capturing evp. The good news is anything that can record audio is capable of receiving an evp. This includes old reel to reel recorders, cassette and micro cassette recorders, digital recorders, telephone voice mails, telephone answering machines, cell phones and camcorders. You can also record into a computer as long as you have a microphone and a software program to do the recording. In the last few years digital recorders, also known as IC recorders, have replaced the cassette recorder as the device most often used to record evp. While answering machines, camcorders, cell phones etc are all capable of recording evp, your best bet is to purchase an inexpensive digital recorder from a local retailer or online. Paranormal voices and sounds captured on answering machines, cell phones and voicemail are rare and are initiated by the other side. In other words, in those cases the entities are trying to make contact with you where as in the case of a digital or cassette recorder the person using it to record is actively seeking to make contact with them.

Once again, from the AAEVP FAQ page (http://aaevp.com/faq.htm) here are some questions whose answers I think you'll find very useful in choosing a recorder:

What is the best kind of recording device for EVP?
Why are IC recorders so effective for EVP?
If I buy an IC recorder for EVP, do I need a model that has a voice activation feature?

Also, from the True Ghost Web Site, two more articles that you may find useful. The link is:

 http://trueghost.com/A%20Look%20at%20Electronic%20Voice%20Phenomena.htm

The articles are titled:

"A Look at IC Recorders" by Mike Sullivan --- which details the pro's and cons of using cassette and digital recorders.

"Excerpt from "The Nature of EVP" By Tom Butler Co-Director of the AAEVP which describes the characteristics of evp, such as length (usually short) and evp quality classifications.

Lastly, I'll discuss the various software available for editing and filtering the evp's you'll capture, because while it's great to capture an evp on your recording device, you'll quickly find that
you're going to want to transfer it to your computer for a variety of reasons, such as:

1)Editing the recording to remove the portions that don't contain the evp or anything relevant to the evp

2)Putting the evp through a filtering program to remove hiss and background noise (without removing the original meaning of the evp)

3)Sending it as an attachment in an email or to a web site

4)Storing it on the computer in order to free up space on a digital recorder

Many of the newer digital recorders provide a USB link and cable for downloading your files directly to your computer. Many, however, do not, especially the older ones, of which some are considered to be among the best when it comes to recording evp.

For recorders without a USB link and cable, here is a link to another AAEVP web site that contains an article I wrote that will walk you through the process of connecting a recorder to a computer:

http://aaevp.com/techniques/technique_evp12.htm

When it comes to software programs the very best, in my opinion and many others, is Audition (formerly Cool Edit Pro). Unfortunately, Audition costs $300. Luckily there are some pretty good alternatives that range from totally free to under $100 and I've provided a link to yet another AAEVP site that contains an article I wrote a while back. It contains a list of software programs along with prices
and descriptions of the programs. The link to the article is: http://aaevp.com/techniques/technique_evp13.htm

In addition here is a link to a free program that is not listed in the article. It's called Audacity and for a free program it's pretty darn good. Here's the link:

http://audacity.sourceforge.net/download/windows


Other technical articles involving software programs and computers can be found at: http://aaevp.com/techniques.htm

And here is a link to a list of some very good books on the subject of evp: http://aaevp.com/resources/evp_books.htm

Good Luck in your pursuit of EVP,

Mike Sullivan
TrueGhost.com

Photo of Mike in his Studio