How to Choose a Recorder for Ghost Hunting

The audio recorder you choose to take on a ghost hunt may determine how successful you are in recording electronic voice phenomena, commonly referred to as EVP. Certain features will increase your chances of capturing quality EVPs that are easy to discern and hampered by minimal sound interference from the recorder. Some features, like voice-activated recording, can be both beneficial and detrimental depending on the circumstances.

Instructions

1. Choose a digital recorder over an analog recorder. Analog recorders often pick up the sounds of their own internal workings, which can easily be mistaken for EVPs, especially by inexperienced investigators. Digital recorders produce clearer EVPs with less interference from the machine itself. Although some investigators believe the noise from the recording mechanism may actually make it possible for voices to be recorded, the results are generally less clear, and background sounds need to be filtered out.

2. Avoid voice-activated recorders. Because they begin recording when sound is detected, they may clip off the first few seconds of detected sound, which may significantly alter an EVP or cut it off altogether. There is nothing more frustrating than finally catching the EVP you have been waiting for, and then discovering it was compromised by the recorder. Still, if you intend to run a recorder for hours, a voice-activated recorder will shorten the review time considerably; just be aware that you may be sacrificing quality in the bargain.

3. Look for a model with adjustable microphone sensitivity. When a recorder is left in a empty room with little or no background noise, a high setting will pick up more sounds. Many ghost hunters recommend setting the recorder to its highest setting in such a situation. In areas where background noise is present, you may need to adjust the microphone sensitivity to filter it out. Experiment with different settings to figure out what works best.

4. Check for a computer interface. The recorder should be equipped with a USB port for easy transferral of sound files to your computer. This will make listening to the EVPs easier, and will allow you to import or export files as needed. Quality-enhancement features that boost voices and other sounds may be of benefit, but be sure any such feature has an easy shut-off.

5. Select a digital recorder you can afford and that meets the minimum requirements. Although the expensive models may have better sound quality, you can record EVPs with an inexpensive digital recorder. Experiment with whatever recorder you have access to. You can always upgrade to a higher-quality model in the future.