One of the first considerations new investigators have is what equipment they will need. There are certain things that simply go without saying you will need for all investigations. We'll simply list them here first, the only qualification is to use good quality models where applicable. A cheap flashlight that falls apart the first time it is used does no one any good! That said, all investigators should carry:
This subject will look at what you need to know before investing money in gear to conduct an investigation. We'll break it down into several subtopics. Some will have additional technical information available on other pages, any you open will return you where you left off by simply closing them. An additional series of pages will provide you with schematics and plans for some equipment designed specially for this type of investigation that you can build for yourself.
Cameras
We'll take a look at still cameras first. It should be noted that many of the same requirements also apply to video as well. Cameras are used in a variety of ways when doing ghost or haunting cases. This means that a camera has to perform in various ways. Some researchers have found that it is helpful to have two or more cameras, each set up for various aspects of a case. This report will give the requirements for several different applications, it will be up to you whether you want to use a single camera for all or use multiple cameras for each.
The first thing you'll use the camera for is making a record of the area under investigation. It is a good idea to photograph the entire area from various angles. This will be valuable later should something appear in one of your other pictures. For instance if there was a large mirror on a wall behind you and some strange light appears in one of your pictures, that mirror could be responsible for a flash bounce. Having the record allows you to possibly work out the angles that may have allowed that. Even if you are setting up for EVP work, it is helpful to know where your microphones are with respect to other things in the room. For this type of photography any point and shoot camera will do nicely. Film or digital won't make a lot of difference here since you are not using the camera to capture actual evidence, only logging information for later use.
Things become a little more critical when you use the camera for evidence gathering. Here there is much debate regarding digital versus film cameras. I personally prefer film because of the presence of a negative to validate your photo. While it is true that digital provides EXIF data, that data can also be faked thanks to some clever software. One can also hoax a filmed image, but that requires a lot more skill than simply sitting down in front of a computer and running Photoshop or some other similar editing program.
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What about IR or Night Vision? Many ghost hunters are using this in conjunction with their cameras and video systems. But is it of any value? The short answer is no. There has been no evidence that any paranormal activity has been caught using IR that would not also be seen using normal light. Now before some get irate about that statement and bring up the fact that you can take pictures in absolute darkness, I want to ask them why? Why is it necessary to take pictures with no other light present? Do you believe that by eliminating all light you eliminate shadows? Not so. IR light reflects from surfaces just as well as visible light, only you can't see it. But your camera does. So reflections and light bounce are just as much a problem with IR as they are with visible light.
The only advantage to IR (and UV for that matter) is that it does allow you to see over a wider spectrum. In theory it might be possible to detect something that would otherwise be invisible. The problem, at least to date, is that no proof has been forthcoming that anything paranormal fits that category. But there are certain natural materials that react very differently under IR and UV light. For instance, consider those iridescent posters that glow under black light. Now consider how any airborne particles of paint or ink from something like this may react if it floats by in front of your night vision camera. You may not see it, but it may glow like a light bulb to the camera. Some cotton fabrics also exhibit these characteristics. Imagine what any lint from these materials might look like!
So while the expanded spectrum may be something worth considering, it doesn't come without some risks. I am not saying don't use night vision, only to be aware that certain things must be addressed if you are using it. Not every invisible orb caught on night vision is paranormal.
Audio Recorders
When it comes to audio recording, as with photography there are two primary types of recordings you will be concerned with. By far the simplest is the witness interview and event logging. It is helpful to record the witness testimony simply so you have a record of all that was said. It becomes much easier to review later; small details that might have otherwise been overlooked are there on the recording and can be included in your case files. Regarding event logging, some investigators do this, I do not. The reason is that while simpler than writing a log, it requires speaking while the investigation is underway. This could interfere with EVP recording in progress.
The type of recorder you use for this application is not really critical. Any inexpensive voice recorder will do nicely. One consideration might be ease of review. Since it is likely you will stop and start the recorder many times while reviewing the statement, it should be one which is easy to use in this manner. Another consideration is the overall sensitivity of the recorder to voice. There is no reason to use an extremely sensitive machine since in most cases you and the client are sitting down face to face discussing the case with the recorder right there too. A recorder which is too sensitive may pick up background noise which could make the recording difficult to understand.
By far the more complex recording issues become evident when you want to record actual evidence. Previously I would not recommend any digital recording system for this application, instead requiring the use of good quality analog cassette or reel to reel systems. Since many insist on using digital anyway, I recently conducted a series of tests using a high end digital recorder. This recorder allowed me to test various sample rates and evaluate the end result of each. It is beyond the scope of this report to make any recommendations for specific makes or models; however certain minimum specifications can be made that apply to all recorders.
First, all recordings, whether digital or analog should be made in stereo. The use of dual channels allows each to act as a check on the other. Any valid sound should be present on both channels. If one picks up a signal while the other gets nothing, the possibility exists that microphone placement may have been such that a stray EM Field may have been responsible. Another advantage is that the use of two channels will allow you to hear depth to your sound. You have two ears, and by using dual channel recording both can work together to determine not only the sound but its direction and to an extent its distance from you. It is much as if you were actually present as the sound was recorded.
The second concern that applies to all recorders is frequency response. While it may be desirable to use a certain amount of voice emphasis, it should not be the recorder that applies any filtering. The recorder should faithfully reproduce anything you send to it. For EVP work it is desirable that any recorder should reproduce all frequencies between 30 Hz up to 12 kHz. Recorders which exceed this are even better, but this is the minimum range the recorder should cover.
A final consideration when choosing a recorder is shielding. The recorder should be well shielded against outside interference. Older analog recorders are often placed in steel cases which provide excellent isolation. However the newer machines which are in plastic cases can also be shielded internally just as well. This is a matter of the design and must be considered when purchasing a recorder. It doesn't matter whether the shielding is the case or an internal shield, just as long as it's there. Most mid to high end recorders will meet the shielding requirements.
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When it comes to Digital, many insist on using those little voice recorders for EVP recording. But before you do, Consider the limitations,
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Any good quality microphone can be used for EVP work. There is some controversy regarding electret versus dynamic. My recommendation is to simply try both. Results have been obtained with both types.
The mixer is simply a standard audio mixer board such as used in small public address applications. The scenario described here uses a four channel version, which should do well in most applications. One important capability it requires is to be able to mix to a stereo output. (pan pots) Some smaller ones do not have this feature. Many also include bandpass filtering. If you choose to use a bandpass filter it should cover the range from 200 Hz to about 3 kHz. This is the range of normal human voice, male, female and children. If you want to be even more selective, you may use narrower pass bands. Voice is comprised of two components, vocal and fricatives. The fricatives are similar regardless of whether it is a child, a male, or a female voice. They are the sounds made by the tongue and teeth, "S", "T", and "K" are some examples. The pass band should be between 1.5 and 3 kHz. The vocal component differs somewhat. For a male voice, the recommended pass band is between 200 and 400 Hz, a female pass band would be 300 to 600 Hz. Children generally are between 350 to 700 Hz. The bandpass filter can be customized to whichever you are trying for, or simply use the wider 200 to 3 kHz range for all. The gain in performance of the wider band is noticeable, but not to a great degree.
Lastly, an area of controversy. Tapes may be new or reused, but only if they are bulk erased, not simply erased by the recorder. However ALL tapes, even new, should be bulk erased before use. There are residual fields left from the manufacturing process. Put a new unrecorded tape in a good quality stereo and turn the bass and the volume up. Hit play and listen for a "whomp, whomp" sound as the tape runs. Those are residual magnetic fields. They will cause false EVP when you combine them with the steady hiss you get in the field. Your recorder erase head will not eliminate all of them. For the same reason you can't completely erase a tape for reuse. The erase head and the record/play heads do not track perfectly. That is why, when you reuse a tape you can still hear a faint voice left from the previous recording, even though you recorded over it. The bulk eraser, properly used, will eliminate both problems since it erases the entire tape, not just the narrow bands where the previous audio was recorded. The bulk eraser will clean a used tape just as well as a new tape, so as long as the used tape is mechanically sound there is no reason it is any less desirable than a new tape. Use it.
EMF Monitors
In the field of ghosts and hauntings most investigators use some form of Electro Magnetic Field meter. These are also one of the most misused devices as well. First and foremost:
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I hope that came through loud and clear. There has never been a case where an EM Field has been cause by a spirit or ghost. That idea actually originated back in the 1970s in a Hollywood movie, and the plot somehow made it into paranormal investigating.
That said there is a very valid reason to monitor such fields though. Many such fields exist; they are generated by manmade and natural events and can affect other readings we may be taking during the investigation. They are responsible for many false positives when it comes to evidence.
Most researchers use a meter type of monitor to conduct an investigation. These provide a reading, usually in milligauss, of the field present. However I prefer to use two monitors; one is a Dynamic EMF monitor, the other a Static Field Monitor. I will cover the actual method of using them under the "Techniques" topic. The difference between the two monitors is the types of fields they detect.
The Dynamic Field Monitor consists of an inductive pickup, amplifier, and headphones and is used to locate the presence of alternating magnetic fields. These are often associated with power lines, televisions, computers, or radio transmitters. They can interfere with EVP recordings and some camcorders causing false positives. Thus it is important to know where these may be and avoid placing equipment in those areas. The Dynamic Monitor allows the investigator to hear the nature of the field rather than being concerned with its relative field strength. I believe this information is more useful than simply knowing its relative field strength.
The Static Field Monitor keeps track of long term changes in the steady state background magnetic fields associated with the earth. It will also respond to any abrupt level shifts caused by any other source as well. It has a meter which is set to a center position. A deviation will be reflected either plus or minus, and an alarm sounded if such a change is detected.
Another expensive system that has not been shown to be of any real benefit on an investigation. I've used one on several occasions and found it very effective at picking up other investigators at great distances in total darkness. It will also detect the warmth left over on a seat long after the investigator got up. Or even a shadow of warmth where someone has leaned against a wall some minutes before..... But no ghosts or spirits.
Ultrasonics and Infrasonics, Motion Detectors, Ion Detectors, ....
These devices are placed together for a reason. None has been shown to be of any specific value when it comes to ghost or haunting cases. Of course individual cases may have applications, for instance a motion detector may be useful if you suspect someone of entering your target area and interfering. Or infrasonics may apply if you suspect vibrations could be responsible for some activity. But those are specialized cases and the benefits would have to be weighed against the type of activity being experienced.
For those who want to build their own equipment for ghost hunting or research this is the place to start. Here are a few projects for you who like to experiment to build for yourself. Some are not too difficult, others require some skill at working with delicate components. I am providing schematics and board layouts, you will have to adapt them to your needs. Where noted the device is available for purchase as a completed and tested unit from the Lab. Otherwise technical support is limited to answering basic questions via e-mail.
The complexity of the project is also given after each Menu Choice
- High Gain Amplifier with Preselector - - - - - - Difficult
Each of these projects will open Full Screen in its own new window. To return here Just Close that Window. Have Fun building these devices !!
- Dynamic EM Field Pickup Wand - - - - - - - - - Moderate
- Static Magnetic Field Monitor - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Difficult
- EVamP2 - A Mixer Designed for EVP Detection - - - Difficult
- Power Source Module - Power To Go Anywhere - - - Moderate
- Headphone Phase Reverser Improve EVP Clarity - - - Easy
© FEB 2008 - J.Brown