| Crawford County Illinois Ghost Hunters Society |
| Different Types of Microphones There basically four types of microphones used for recording EVP. We will discuss each type and how they are used for recording the voices of the dead! Internal Microphone - An internal microphone is built into the recording device itself and usually cannot be removed. These types of microphones are fine if you are using a digital recorder. If you are using a audio tape recorder then you must use an external microphone when attempting to record EVP. The internal gears will be heard on a tape recorder if the internal microphone is used. This will cover up some very quit voices that you might capture while recording. We use the internal microphone when using our digital recorders because they have no internal gears that will be heard when recording. We use the RCA digital recorder model RP5012B. This model seems to pick up more with the internal microphone then the external microphone. When using a digital recorder experiment with your own recorder to see which microphone you would prefer to use. Another advantage to the internal microphone on a digital recorder is that it makes them really small and compact. This allows you to take them places where an audio tape recorder would be impractical. External Microphone - The external microphone is not built into the recording device and can be removed or plugged in using the mic port on your recording device. This is the type of microphone you need to use with an audio tape recorder. Most of these microphones have an on and off switch near the top so always remember to have the switch on when recording. Most of the time you can get better sound quality with an external microphone on an audio tape recorder. External microphones can be used on stands so you can locate the microphone some distance away from the recorder if they have a long cord. This will also eliminate the possibility of capturing the internal gears of your audio tape recorder. It also allows you to be able to center the microphone in the middle of a room or area that might be a hot spot for paranormal activity. Unidirectional Microphone - This microphone picks up sound coming from one direction, which is usually into the top part of the microphone or directly over it. This microphone works well for capturing EVP and is used by a lot of investigators with audio tape recorders. These microphones are less expensive then their counterpart the Omnidirectional Microphone. Omnidirectional Microphone - This microphone picks up sound from all directions. It really helps out when conducting EVP investigations. These microphones are more expensive then the unidirectional microphone but well worth it! This way voices can be recorded from different directions around the microphone. Some voices could be missed using a unidirectional microphone and heard only when using a Omnidirectional Microphone. These microphones can usually be purchased at your local Radio Shack store and can be plugged into your mic jack on your recording device. |
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