Recording EVP digitally

 
For any form of digital recording medium used to try and capture Electronic Voice Phenomena (EVP), you’ll need to ensure that it is capable of recording in a non-compressed audio coding system such as Linear PCM.

This is not to say that it’s not possible to capture EVP on compressed recordings, but the majority of EVP recordings captured appears outside the human audible range (below 20hz).

A non-compressed digital recording will pick up everything. Audiophiles have produced data demonstrating that non-compressed mini disc recording exceed CD quality, whereas a compressed format that the majority of devices use will only record sounds that the software determines is viable for human hearing.

It will also filter out any possible conflict from background noise – this is why digital recordings sound so crisp. If you are using a non-professional digital recorder that will record for more than say 30 minutes, it will only achieve these figures by recording in a compressed format.

This figure is for illustration only by the way – I’m aware that Olympus 15hr digital recorders will only provide around 20 minutes of non-compressed recordings.

The newer Hi-MD mini discs, released back in 2004, will record for 34 hours using stereo long play on a 1Gb disc, but recording uncompressed in Linear PCM format, the same disc will only hold approximately 1hr 34 minutes of recording (whereas the old Net MD discs will only hold 27 minutes uncompressed).

Digital recorders are wonderful devices, but to get the maximum benefit from it we would always recommend that you should ideally be looking for one that is capable of recording in a non-compressed format.