How to record EVP

Recording electronic voice phenomena (EVP) is a fascinating activity that attracts the attention of both amateurs and professional paranormal investigators. In this article, we present a step-by-step guide on how to conduct an EVP recording session yourself, in the comfort of your own home. From purchasing the right recorder, choosing the right location and asking questions, to analyzing the recordings, you'll learn how to minimize background noise and maximize the chances of capturing unknown voices. This is a perfect opportunity to discover what may be lurking beyond our own dimension

Electronic voice phenomena, or EVP, are mysterious recordings of voices from an unknown source. Where these voices come from (theories include ghosts, other dimensions, and our subconscious) and how they are recorded by various devices are unknown.

Ghost hunting groups and other investigators attempt to capture these voices as part of their routine investigations. However, you don't have to belong to such a group to try EVP. In fact, you don't even have to go to a supposedly haunted location. You can try it at home (if you want). Learn how here.

Difficulty level: easy

Time required: 20 minutes

Instruction:

1. Buy the basic equipment. Get the best voice recorder you can afford. Good quality digital voice recorders cost less than $60. Most researchers prefer digital voice recorders over cassette tape recorders because the moving parts in cassette tape recorders create their own sounds. You'll also need good quality headphones or earphones to listen to the recording. Some researchers also recommend connecting an external omnidirectional microphone to the voice recorder, as it can be more sensitive and produce better-quality recordings, but this isn't necessary.

2. Prepare your voice recorder. Many digital voice recorders offer a quality setting. Always select high quality (HQ) or extra high quality (XHQ) (check your voice recorder's manual). Make sure you're using fresh alkaline batteries.

3. Choose a location. EVP can be recorded, and has been recorded, literally anywhere. You don't have to be in a supposedly haunted place (although it might be more fun that way). You could even try it at home. But consider how you'd feel if you managed to record EVP in your own home. Wouldn't it scare you or others in your home?

4. Maintain silence. You're trying to register voices, which can often be delicate, subtle, and difficult to hear, so it's crucial to keep your surroundings as quiet as possible. Turn off radios, televisions, and computers, as well as all other sources of extraneous noise. Avoid moving around to eliminate the sound of footsteps and rustling clothing. Sit down.

5. Turn on the recorder. After setting the quality to HQ, start recording. Begin by introducing yourself aloud, stating your location, and the current time. Don't whisper—speak in a normal tone.

6. Ask questions. Again, in a normal voice, ask questions. Leave enough space between questions to allow the recorder to record all possible answers. Researchers often ask questions like, "Are there any souls here? Can you tell me your name? Can you tell me a little about yourself? Why are you here?" Surprisingly, EVP voices sometimes answer questions directly.

7. Talk. If you have someone else with you in the recording session, you can talk to each other. Just don't be too talkative—you want to give the EVP voices a chance! Talking is fine, because many researchers have found that EVP voices actually comment on what you're saying.

8. Be aware of ambient noise. When recording, try to pay attention to noises both inside and outside your workspace. In everyday life, we've trained our brains to filter out much of the background noise, but our voice recorder will capture everything. So, pay attention to such sounds while recording and label them with your voice so as not to confuse them with EVP. For example, "that's my brother talking in the next room," "that's a dog barking outside," "a car drove by," "the neighbor is yelling at his girlfriend."

9. Give them some time. You don't need to spend hours recording, but give your sessions 10 or 20 minutes. You don't have to ask questions or talk the entire time. Complete silence is also fine (just remember to use your voice to highlight any background noise).

10. Listen to the recording. Now you can play the recording back to see if you've captured anything. Listening to the recording through the recorder's small speaker is usually not enough. Plug in your headphones and listen carefully. You can also connect the recorder to external speakers, but headphones are better because they also block out outside noise. Did you hear any voices you can't explain? If so, you may have recorded EVP!

11. Download the recording. A better way to listen to and analyze the recording is to download it to your computer (many digital voice recorders come with software designed for this purpose – check the manual). Once the recording is on your computer, it's easier to raise the volume, pause, rewind, and listen to specific sections of the recording. Similarly, on a computer, it's best to listen through headphones.

12. Keep a journal. Once you've downloaded the recording to your computer, name the file something that reflects the location, date, and time, such as "psychiatryk-1-23-11-10pm.wav." Start keeping a written journal of your recordings and any effects you might have heard, so you can easily locate individual recordings if needed. If you hear possible EVPs in your recording, be sure to note the time in the recording and include it in your journal. For example, if at 5:12 you hear a voice saying "I'm cold," record it in your journal as "5:12 - I'm cold." This will make it easier to locate that specific EVP later.

13. Let others listen. The quality of EVPs varies significantly. Some are very clear, while others are difficult to hear or understand. Especially with poor EVP quality, understanding or interpreting what the voice is saying is highly subjective. So, let others listen to the EVP and ask them what they think the voice is saying. Important: Don't share your own assumptions before they listen to the recording, as this could influence their opinions. If others think the voice is saying something different than what you heard, also note this in your journal.

14. Be honest. As with all aspects of paranormal research, honesty is paramount. Don't fake EVPs to impress or scare your friends. Be honest about what you hear. Try to be as objective as possible. Eliminate the possibility that the sound is simply coming from a barking dog or a screaming neighbor. You want the highest quality data.

15. Repeat trials. You might not get EVP on your first try... or even your first five tries. Oddly enough, some people—using the exact same equipment—have better luck (if it's luck) than others in catching EVP. Researchers have noticed that the more you experiment with EVP, the more EVP you get, and with greater frequency. Persistence often pays off.

Tips:

1. Work at night. One reason researchers often search for EVPs at night is not only the creepy environment but also the quieter it is.

2. The option of leaving the room. Step 6 above discusses asking questions, but another method is to start recording, state your name, and leave the room or area. After some time—15 or 20 minutes to an hour—return and listen to what your recorder has recorded. The disadvantage of this method is that you are not present and cannot hear or voice any background noise.

3. Set up your equipment. Even if you're sitting in a room with your recorder, it's best to place the recorder and microphone on something—a chair or table—to eliminate any possible noise from your hands.

4. Editing software. Besides the software that came with your recorder for listening to your recordings, you can also use audio editing software like Audacity (it's free!) to better analyze your EVP. This software allows you to boost the volume, cut out some background noise, and perform other tasks. The most helpful feature is the ability to cut specific sections of the EVP from a recording, copy them, and save them separately.

5. Share your EVP. If you've recorded what you consider to be good quality EVP, consider sharing it. Join a nearby ghost research group so you can share what you've recorded. Submit your recordings to websites like this one that accept EVPs from their readers.

What you need:

- dictaphone

- on-ear or over-ear headphones

- external microphone (optional)

- external speakers (optional)

- sound processing software (optional)