EVP and tape recorder ?

Question

I have heard that an external microphone works a lot better, but is a recorder with a bulit-in mic better than nothing ? Would asking the ghost to speak close to the mic help?

Answer 1

I agree with Red H.    Digital recorders don't have any motor to make noise and are easily uploaded to your computer.    I too explain what I am carrying.  Someone that passed away 75  years ago would have no idea what a recorder is or what we are using it for.  I think it helps to explain that they need to speak near the box and we can hear it later.

Answer 2

6 of one or a half dozen of the other.  I have had success with both.  You can ask that they speak into the mic or the reccorder, you might want to explain what the recorder is, since if it is an old entity, it might not be aware of what you have.  It never hurts to say please and thank you, and sometimes the response is better.  If you get something on the recorder, it might make a difference which program you use to clean it up with.  Wave Pro is easy to use, and I have heard that Acoustica, Audacity and EVP maker are good also.

Answer 3

Yes, you should always ask the ghost to speak slowly and clearly into the microphone, and to use complete sentences and good grammar. Why is it EVPs are always just a couple words or at most a broken sentence fragment, anyway?

EDIT: Remember that Brady Bunch episode where the kids tried to scare Alice with the ghost in the attic?

Answer 4

A built in mic might pick up motor noise. Most cassette recorders have a jack for a mic. You could prob find a cheap one at Radio Shack. Make sure you have a new (unused) low noise tape.A digital recorder would not have motor noise.

Answer 5

i have a cheap walmart evp and it works fine ,every time i place it on a grave a pick up voices,so go cheap

Answer 6

It would depend upon the recorder. Charles/Willa is quite right that the motor in most regular tape recorders is picked up, and it can increase the amount of background noise. This can create an issue with listening to any EVP you might catch. Digital recorders don't have a motor, and so don't have this issue (and thus, this is why they're favored among most paranormal investigation teams).

Reverened TR is also right in saying that asking them to speak clearly into the microphone is good, though the rest shows that his intent is to belittle and demean.

I would add that explaining how the device works has helped me to increase the chances that EVP appears, though I can't explain how or why (since I don't know). This also depends on whether or not you're picking up residuals or intelligent interactions.