The pictures below are shots of my studio. I have labled all of the relevent items that I use for EVP cleaning. Click photo for a larger image.

EQUIPMENT

The following is a list of equipment that is essential to not only evp investigating but to evp cleaning as well. They are broken down into two categories; Field Equipment, which refers to tools needed while you are on the investigation and Studio Equipment, which refers to the equipment that is essential in your cleaning environment.

Field Equipment:
Digital or Analog recorder
External Microphone
Spare Tape for Analog Recorder
Pencil/Pen and Paper
Spare Batteries
Sharpie
Flashlight
String or Strips of Colored Fabric
First Aid Kit


Studio Equipment:
Clean Work Environment
Comfortable Chair
Good Set of Headphones
Software Program
External Speakers

FIELD EQUIPMENT

Digital vs. Analog Recorder

When making the decision to use a digital or analog recorder there are several factors to keep in mind.
Analog: Some people are more comfortable working in an analog environment. They trust tape and the ability to hold the tape in their hands and put it away in a safe place. However analog does not afford you the flexibility of digital.
Digital: Digital is the choice of most evp investigators for many reasons not the least of which is cheaper in the long run. With digital there is no need to buy costly tape and it does not go through batteries as frequently as analog. Digital enables you to index files and organize your audio into folders. On some digital recorders there is a USB (Universal Serial Bus) out which enables you to dump the audio directly into your computer. Digital also holds more audio and can provide for cleaner recording. Most digital recorders are small which is great because you can carry it around with you at all times. Some digital recorders also have the "auto-record" function which when activated will start the recorder once a sound is picked up by the recorder. This is a great function to have when the recorder is to be left unattended in a room.

External Microphone
If possible use an external microphone when recording. Not only are they of better quality then most internal microhones found on voice recorders but they enable you to place the recorder in one area and mount the microphone some distance away. This will cut down on external noise from handling the recorder and will generally give you a better quality sound.

Pencil/Pen and Paper
The importance of carrying pencil and paper on a evp investigation is often overlooked. When you are doing an investigation at an unfamiliar location it becomes crucial to know where certain objects are located. Because you want to keep the amount of talking (except for asking questions directly to the "spirit") down to a minimum. You can't always make note of where electrical outlets, lamps, open windows, fluorescent lights, vents, ceiling fans etc, are located. These items can cause havoc later on in the cleaning process and making note of where they are located in the room by doing a preliminary walk-through of the room and drawing a rough sketch of the room shape with the location of the above items will come in handy.

Spare Batteries
For some reason, that some think is due to "spirits" draining or using energy from the surrounding environment, batteries tend to drain much faster at haunted locations. Because of this anomoly carrying spare batteries for all of your equipment is essential. This is not an area to skimp on. Purchase the best batteries that you can afford. Take more with you then you think you will need. It is best to have more then needed on an investigation then have your recorder die and not have enough.

Sharpie
Bring along various color sharpies for marking your audio tape if you choose to go analog. They also come in handy for using separate colors for vent's lights, electrical outlets etc. on your room diagram sheet.

Flashlight
Because some believe that doing an investigation with the lights on can actually scare away the "spirits" many people like to investigate with flashlights. It is always good to carry a flashlight with you in any case. If you are investigating an old house with faulty wiring the last thing you want to do is be caught in the dark in an unfamiliar location. As always carry extra batteries.

String or Colored Fabric (it could come in handy)
If you are investigating at a cemetery or in the woods and you hear/see some evidence of the paranormal then string or strips of colored fabric are a great way of keeping track of where you have been and enable you to find that location again when you go back. If you are investigating in a cemetery or other location that is unfamiliar it will also help you to find your way back so you won't get lost. But please remove the string/colored fabric when you are done. Remember to always leave the environment the way you found it if not better. You want to disturb the area as little as possible.

First Aid Kit
Because anything can happen when you are on an investigation always carry a first aid kit with you. Make sure it has plenty of bandages, gauze, tape, iodine, aspirin, snake bite kit and scissors.

STUDIO EQUIPMENT

Clean Work Environment
Having a clean work environment is essential to getting a clean evp. If your work environment is messy and cluttered then it will be harder to focus on the work at hand. Keep everything in it's place and if needed labeled. Always keep a pen and paper nearby in case you hear something so you can write down the time and location of it.

Comfortable Chair
This is one of the most important items to have in your EVP Lab. After the excitement of the field investigation you will have many many hours of sitting in your lab listening to hours of audio. If your chair is not comfortable you will be fatigued much faster and will eventually find yourself skipping through the audio during playback. This is not good. You must listen to every second of your audio. That is why a good, comfortable chair is absolutely essential. My favorite is the Herman Miller Aeron chair. It is rather expensive but worth every penny.

Headphones
This is not an area that you should skimp on. Good headphones not only help you hear things that you might not have heard through regular speakers but they help prevent fatigue as well. A cheap set of headphones will cause ear-fatigue much faster which will affect how your ears perceive what they are hearing. Headphones that completely cover the ears are also a must. They will help prevent not only outside noise coming in but inside sounds bleeding out. There are many different headphones out on the market that reproduce certain frequencies better then others. Some are made specifically for music others for voice and broadcasting. Ultimately it comes down to you and your decision on how much you want to spend and how serious you are,

Software Program
There are various software programs available that range anywhere from free on up into the thousands of dollars. What your needs require can only be assessed by you. For amateur investigators it is best to start with one of the free programs to familiarize yourself with cleaning, EQ (Equalization), importing audio etc. On the "Resource" page you will find a comprehensive list of software programs and their features. Some of the features to look for when deciding which software program is best for you are: ease of use, flexibility, expandability, CPU usage, cost and upgradeability. Does this program have many revisions? Is the company constantly fixing "bugs"? Do they provide customer support? Is there a free demo you can download to familiarize yourself with it? Visit the company’s forum if they have one and ask questions. See what other people think of the product. You'd be surprised what you'll learn out about a product when you ask those who've used it.

External Speakers
A good set of external desktop speakers are a must. I myself have 3 sets of speakers on my console that I switch between when listening to evp's. Each set of speakers have their own frequency replication specifications. Since each evp is different it is best to listen to them on as many different speakers as possible.

There are many factors and variables in cleaning evps and getting a good clean. Every evp requires its own set of cleaning guidelines and techniques. However there are a few tips that will help you to improve your overall outcome. Click here to visit the "TIPS" page.