After an investigation, reviewing audio is crucial. It’s a long process, but one that more than pays off when you come across a voice that wasn’t heard by investigators at the time of the investigation, which is known as an EVP or Electronic Voice Phenomenon.
I’m currently using a small Sony digital recorder to capture audio during investigations. I love its small size and that it allows for multiple folders in which to store audio. Also, it has a port on the side that allows it to be connected to a computer USB port for easy download. I’m a Mac user, which is generally fabulous, but unfortunately this particular device doesn’t allow direct export to Mac. However, I can connect to a PC, download the files to Dropbox, and I’m ready to review from my MacBook. Also, I always make a copy of the original audio and listen to the copy. This leaves an original intact, allowing me to use the copy to isolate individual sections of audio that may contain EVPs and not worry about impacting the initial file.
Listening to hours of digitally recorded audio takes a great deal of concentration. I personally find it useful to catch up on sleep post-investigation before delving into review, and make sure to take breaks at least once an hour to keep myself from falling into the grips of listening fatigue. While different investigators may have different preferences regarding types of headphones for reviewing audio, I think we can all agree that they’re necessary. Computer speakers, even good ones, don’t allow you to fully immerse yourself in the audio, so they just plain don’t cut it. I find that earbud-style headphones are the best for me to pick up on subtleties in the audio and better decipher whether they are EVP or something in the physical environment that can be explained. Others may prefer an over-the-ear style, but these don’t quite meet my needs. I haven’t tried noise-canceling headphones, but some online reviews claim these can cause distortion due to the technology used to cancel outside noise, so you may end up missing subtle elements of the audio.
Recently, I’ve been using a free trial version of Wave Pad by NCH Software to review audio from an investigation. I really like the simple layout and navigation of the program, and find it really user-friendly, especially since I’m not very experienced with computer sound editing programs. The full version of Wave Pad is enticing, but I’m not quite ready to drop $70+ for the Standard or Master’s edition. I’ve also had some success using Audacity, which is a free download. However, I find its interface a bit clunky, though I would probably enjoy it more if I experimented with it further.
If I hear something within the audio file that sounds like it may be an EVP, I like to briefly pause the playback, quickly jot down the timestamp and what I think I heard, as well as the location we were in at the time of the recording. Next, I select a bit of the file that includes the potential voice in question, and copy it to a new file, then rename the file. I like to include the location information, date, and a brief description of the sound in the file name. After I’ve reviewed all the audio and pulled out any potential EVPs, I like to revisit each clip I copied to a new file in greater depth afterward, to see if I can distinguish any clear words, or if I can reasonably dismiss any of them as caused by a team member or another aspect of the environment. It can be tough to distinguish between paranormal and possibly explainable, so when in doubt, I know I can email clips to my team members for another opinion!
Have any tips for reviewing audio evidence? Or recommendations of fabulous equipment you like to use? Let me know in the comments, on Facebook or on Twitter!
The Helpful Haunt 