EVP Classification (Electronic Voice Phenomena)

I saw your info on EVP yesterday. That is the method we've been using except for 'can you show us what you look like?' since we hadn't thought of that question. Excited about asking that question next time!! Thank you!! I tried the clean up thing and it just made a mess. Some EVP's are drawn out, but some are fast. I just slow it down a little on faster ones and it will usually let you understand it easier and then hear it at normal speed also. We are having great luck with EVP. It has been an amazing experience!! But we do use the same method, so from personal experience, if anyone has doubts..this really does work!! Thank you so much for posting this.

If you don't mind, I'll grab that and put it into a Informational item for the investigation resources.

Thanks becky_ncps for all your help. You've certainly given me a lot to think about when conducting an EVP session. Some of the questions you mentioned I hadn't thought of but might use. Have you done much EVP work and if so have you had varying results?

ets start with your mindframe:

Respect is the most important thing in a session. Treat the entity and location like you would want to be treated. You would be surprised how much of a difference being friendly can do.
Don’t walk into an area intrepid or doubtful of a spirit presence. Talk as though you are waiting for an answer. I personally might not answer a stranger if they couldn’t see me and asked, “Is anybody here?”
Think of where you are and the known history of that location. If you are in a private home then act accordingly. If you are in a historical location, then be respectful of the history and possible tragedy that may or may not have occurred there. Most importantly, be understanding that whatever may be there, may not be able to answer you or may not possess the knowledge on what to do.
What gear to use during a session:

When using a digital recorder it is not necessary to use an external microphone. I have found that it actually increases the amount of static recorded.
Omni-directional microphones work best for trying to record for EVP. Think of it like a sieve, whereas a Uni-directional microphone would be more like a straw. More liquid (sound) can get through a sieve at once than through a straw.
Do NOT use the voice activated setting available on some models of recorders. It only works after sound begins, which means that an EVP can be cut off or completely missed.
The use of white noise during an investigation is something that some investigators experiment with. The white noise should be played softly as a background noise, not loud enough to interrupt recording. The use of white noise can give credence to an EVP by having a constant, unbroken noise behind the EVP, making the chances of the recording being faked extremely difficult. Most recorders we use have such a high sensitivity that they pick up ambient air noise and sounds. Making it not required to use white noise.
When your conducting the EVP session you should keep these things in mind:

When you first begin to record at a location be sure to make note of the date, time and location. Also, if you are going to be moving from room to room/floor to floor be sure to mention it aloud. This will help you remember where you were when you process your recordings later.
Many investigators get discouraged or frustrated by whispered or faint EVP. One thing that may (or may not) help would be to ask the spirits to please speak as loudly as they can.
This one may sound easy, but it isn’t. When you are recording on an investigation, don’t whisper. Everyone does this a little, and it actually takes conscious thought not to.When you review your audio later, you will be grateful that you did not whisper, as it can create false positives and/or waste your time focusing on it until you realize what it is.
Try to word your questions so that you get as direct an answer as possible. Example: Instead of asking: “Do you know what the date is?” try asking, “What is the date?” That way you might get a date instead of a yes or no answer.
One great tip for all investigators is to “keep it short”. When noting an outside noise during a recording session say the least amount you need to. Example: a car is driving by. Simply state, “car” and continue with your recording. No further words are necessary. Remember, the more you talk during a session, the higher risk you might be talking right over an EVP.
When recording with a group of people, it is always a good idea to have everyone introduce themselves at the beginning of the recording so that their voices can be used for comparison later. This also helps eliminate false positives.
To go along with the above, excess noise on a recording can be anything that is audible to the human ear. Some examples would be (but are not limited to) cars driving by, dog bark, footsteps, helicopters, floor creak, sirens from passing emergency vehicles, twig snap, coughs, sneezes, noticeable sound of cloth rubbing, etc. In short, keep your ears tuned to what is around you while recording. Doing so will help save you the time of examining false positives later.
Some suggestions on what to ask when conducting a session:

Can you tell us your name?
How old are you?
Why are you here?
Are you sad or angry?
Are you alone?
How many of you are here?
What is your favorite color?
Do you know what year it is?
If so, please tell me/us.
Can you tell us what happened to you?
Can you see us?
What do we look like?
What color is your hair?
Do you know my name?
Would you like us to leave?
Is there any way that we can help you?
Can you show us what you look like?
Is someone keeping you here?
Are you afraid where you are?
Do you have anything to tell us?
Finally, Processing the Evidence:

Headphones are the only way to go! They are the best way to hear even the faintest of EVP, as they put the sound right next to your ears.
Common sense does come into play. If it sounds like someone in the group shuffled their feet, then they probably did.
If it’s not broke, don’t fix it. That means that if the EVP sounds great without anything, then leave it alone. The more filters you use to clean a recording make that recording come under more criticism from the skeptics.
Have you ever heard an EVP that sounded like a robot or like it is inside of a tin can? Sometimes those are just bad recordings, other times (most often) they sound that way due to over processing. It is far better to leave a recording a little hard to hear than to completely distort it by over doing it. Keep it simple. The less filters you use, the better the sound quality will be. Some EVP are just too low/quiet/hard to understand and/or distorted normally, there is no need to add to it by trying to make it sound like something it’s not.
I hope these tips help everyone!!!

its a shame there is not a way to have a board to pin these to, as people who are unaware of the classifications and types may find this useful.

Just read your post on the classification of EVPs and found it very informative. I've wanted to do an EVP session for ages but have not been sure about how to conduct one properly. Could you please tell me how to achieve this.

EVP's (Electronic Voice Phenomena) come in a wide range of styles. Some EVPs are load and clear, while others are much softer and need headphones or amplification to hear. And still others are either low, garbled or otherwise unclear. While there could be many reasons why EVPs come in such a wide variety of styles (see our article on How EVPs Are Formed), to better help describe the characteristics of an EVP paranormal investigators and researchers often use a classification system to rate the quality of an EVP recording.

The follow is the classifications of EVPs that are generally accepted and used by paranormal researchers and investigators:

Class A - This type of EVP is loud, clear and of very high quality. The voice is easily understandable and does not need enhancement or amplification. Class A EVPs are also often (but not always) in direct response to a question being asked.

Class B - This is the most common type of EVP. This type of EVP is of somewhat lower quality and clarity than a Class A EVP but still very audible. Class B EVPs often do need some amount of enhancement or amplification to be heard clearer. The voice may not be clear enough to be totally understood or there may be disagreement as to what it is saying. Class B EVPs are often not in direct response to a question.

Class C - This is the lowest quality EVP. With a Class C EVP even the best enhancement and amplification may not be sufficient to make the voice audible or clear. There may even be debate whether or not an EVP is actually present.

Some paranormal investigators go further:

Class D - Occasionally referred to as Class R. There are very poor quality EVPs. Extremely questionable if it even is an EVP. Also referred to as EVP chatter, whispers, breathing noises and airy sounds. Some investigators use Class D as a "holding" classification until further analysis is performed. Either way, Class D EVPs are not used presentable as evidence.

Class G - Also known as the "garbage" because EVPs of such low quality that need extreme enhancement, filtering, etc. are probably not real EVPs. Even if later validated, with such extreme enhancement the reliability of the EVP is highly questionable. In other words, if you have to try that hard to make a sound an EVP then it probably isn't so. class A evps are rare but when you get them it really stands out it would be a good idea to put a class on the evps on this forum when posting your evps just my oppion