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'Ghost Hunters' 100% Success Rate


Angel of Ioren

Friendly Skeptic
I love the Onion:

'Ghost Hunters' Enjoys Surprising 100% Success Rate | The Onion - America's Finest News Source

'Ghost Hunters' Enjoys Surprising 100% Success Rate



LOS ANGELES—Despite the fact that in all of human history not one person has ever provided definitive empirical evidence of the afterlife, the crew of the second-tier cable network television show Ghost Hunters has shocked statisticians and theologians alike with an incredible and uncanny 100 percent success rate in documenting proof of spiritual presences from beyond the grave. "Well, we have really good equipment," said one cast member, a man in his 30s who sees one or more ghosts each week, without fail, every single time he sets out to do so. "What can I say? We're just really good researchers, I guess." At press time, despite having repeatedly resolved the most central question of human existence, the program is somehow not on the cover of every major newspaper, magazine, and scientific journal in the world.
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'Ghost Hunters' 100% Success Rat

I gave up on this drivel long ago. Ghosthunters is just a show and just for entertainment. However, I do agree that they present themselves as serious researchers and that is where the problem comes in. A couple of things over the years (well, I was never a beliver in their schtick anyway) But, a couple of things really turned me off. Once (sorry, I don't watch and therefore don't really know the names of all the cast) Anyway, once the bald guy was doing evp's and he had a hat on. They got a really clear "ahem" evp...and the voice said something along the lines of "I'll take the one in the hat" or something like that. The dude in the hat just kind of lets his eyes get big and wow. But, they NEVER, EVER follow up on it. It was just good t.v. Now, let me tell ya if I (and I am experimenting once in awhile) ever got someting actually saying something that concrete I would absoloutely keep digging. That would be the most incredible thing in the world. Either keep digging or run like hell! But, I wouldn't simply go "wow" and then on with the show. The second thing was the "other" guy had a blanket pulled off of him one night. Again, the "wow" and the show is ending and that is that!

So no I am not a fan of this show. Also, while my skeptical friends will say (and I don't disagree) that it is a shame that they prey on the ignorent and gullible I have another reason that it bothers me. I have had my own "expereince" in life and also there are some honest paranormal researchers out there. This kind of thing belittles any integrity of honest thoughtful investigation and gives more ammo to the "it's all bunk" crowd. Cause when it comes to GhostHuters" they are mostly bunk. Sadly.
 
'Ghost Hunters' 100% Success Rat

It's entertainment and if you like it, who's to say you're not allowed. Hell, I watch Big Brother and that show is terrible.

Tyder, you say you've experimented with EVPs - what have you tried.

In all the years I've record with all kinds of equipment (regular tape recorder to a TASCAM multitrack, to Garageband and Logic), I have never come across anythig even remotely close to what one would classify an EVP.
Also, if anything these guys ever came across was real, like the artcile suggests, it would be the discovery of a lifetime - scientific proof of an afterlife.
 
'Ghost Hunters' 100% Success Rat

Yeah I agree to each his own. If ya like it I'm fine with it. I haven't actually done anything elaborate as of yet. Just a walk in a quiet park one afternoon with my MP3 recording and another night time attempt with my Ipod. I don't have any real bigtime recording equipment. I have thought about getting a little digital recorder at Wal Mart and trying that. There are a couple of places in North Alabama (I'm in the flatlands of Tuscaloosa right now) where I grew up I would like to try. But, I haven't gotten around to planning anything as of yet. Anyway, if there is an afterlife and we are pure energy or mind or "thought" then why would there even be an evp? No vocal cords dont'cha know? :) Still, I am interested in it so I may yet look into it.

---------- Post added at 05:36 PM ---------- Previous post was at 05:35 PM ----------

My "paranormal" experiences had nothing to do with evp's. :)
 
I find skeptics funny to listen to. Until you've actually experienced it or had an experience they have no basis to say it's all bunk. I'm an investigator with a group in Northern Virginia called 3:33am Paranormal Research. Our audio tech has some pretty elaborate equipment and every investigation so far since I've been in the group we've come away with over 100+ EVPs. A few class A, maybe Class B and Class C. The others in the group would probably rate them differently. For example when we did an investigation at the Old South Pittsburg Hospital in Tennessee, my director caught a disembodied voice of a former patient vomitting.
 
Don't know about ghost hunters but I did "like" your facebook page. I'll check it out. I'm not tyder001 on facebook but I am on there. ;)
 
'Ghost Hunters' 100% Success Rat

It's entertainment and if you like it, who's to say you're not allowed. Hell, I watch Big Brother and that show is terrible.

Tyder, you say you've experimented with EVPs - what have you tried.

In all the years I've record with all kinds of equipment (regular tape recorder to a TASCAM multitrack, to Garageband and Logic), I have never come across anythig even remotely close to what one would classify an EVP.
Also, if anything these guys ever came across was real, like the artcile suggests, it would be the discovery of a lifetime - scientific proof of an afterlife.

I have been a sound engineer for almost 20 years now and to be blunt I have not ever in all my time recorded anything that could not be explained.
Think about the amount of hours alone that I have sat going through recorded audio in that time (I worked full time for eight of those years as a sound tech for film and television, and hell I still do some work in this area) and I can honestly say I have never ever found a solid EVP during editing.

Why not? you would think I should have right?

Well I think it is due to the high quality recording gear and new DAT tapes every session that I used (when DAT was still used, its all digi now days). sloppy use of old tapes can give you PCM errors or ghosting (no pun intended) of old recordings.

Cheap low end tape recorders and such are very prone to RF (radio) interference and should not be trusted ever for clean critical recording. The funny thing is these so called ghost hunters most of the time use cheap audio recorders.

I have also read about people looking for EVP by pumping up the background noise in a recording, but what is it that you are really hearing when you do this? In psycho acoustics I was taught how the ear/brain can be fooled into thinking it is hearing some thing when it is not and it is this that sound engineers be they mastering recordings or working a live mix use to great effect.

An example of this is when you add reverb (echo or ambiance) to a track it can have the net effect in some cases of sounding like it is on other instruments when it is clearly not. The brain has fooled itself into thinking the reverb is even by filling in the blanks.

A kick drum and bass guitar in a recording on there own can sound thin and weak or just flat but when added together they sound full and natural. Why? well part of the frequency range of both has been shifted or removed to make them fit in the mix, but to your ear they sound normal even though they have clearly had some of the signal taken away. So yes when listened to on there own they sound odd but when mixed they sound fine (some of this has to do with phase addition and subtraction and how our ear perceives this information).

Other examples are "surround sound" which is in fact a very neat audio slight of hand created by volume and pan "but the sound never moves any where". In effect what happens is when say a plane is seen to go over head on a video the audio gets louder in the front speakers then slowly increases to those behind you which tricks the brain into thinking the sound moved over head. The brain in effect fills in the blanks and sound techs exploit this when they mix live and recorded sound.

So to go back to pumping up the background noise now knowing full well that the brain fills in the blanks with audio in much the same way as the eye looks for faces what do you think is going to happen?

I would think that after a few hours or less of listening to background hash you will start hearing things.

So is EVP real?

I honestly do not know and that I as a sound tech have never come across it so far.

PS: will let you all know the moment I do but don't hold your breath.
 
I have been a sound engineer for almost 20 years now and to be blunt I have not ever in all my time recorded anything that could not be explained.
Think about the amount of hours alone that I have sat going through recorded audio in that time (I worked full time for eight of those years as a sound tech for film and television, and hell I still do some work in this area) and I can honestly say I have never ever found a solid EVP during editing.

Interesting thoughts. However, even the best cooks can spoil the stew if the receipe is off. I invite you to review and comment on our audio techs blogs on capturing and analyzing EVPs. He has written up a series of 8 parts so far. I think you will find it interesting. :)

http://www.333amparanormalresearch.com/blogs/glenn-1.htm

Here are a couple images of the equipment he is using.

photo(1).JPGphoto(4).jpg
 
The brain in effect fills in the blanks and sound techs exploit this when they mix live and recorded sound.

So to go back to pumping up the background noise now knowing full well that the brain fills in the blanks with audio in much the same way as the eye looks for faces what do you think is going to happen?

I would think that after a few hours or less of listening to background hash you will start hearing things.

I totally agree. Many years ago I was a radio announcer and later a radio news reporter. We were taught to pronounce "P" words using a "B" sound (to prevent "popping your "Ps") because the brain will automatically correct the word from for instance "great Brices" to "great Prices!" Also, I almost always dropped the "S" on the end of a word (to eliminate hissing sound) because the brain will invariably fill it in. If you don't believe me, listen very very carefully to a few commercials on TV and you will soon find that what they are saying is not exactly what you think you are hearing.

That said, I do think there are spiritual beings whatever you care to call them. I think "Ghost Hunters" is entertaining only for the fact that these two are so jumpy. I mean really, if you're going to hunt ghosts or whatever, you would think you would not be such a jumpy, weenie scaredy cat.
 
I find skeptics funny to listen to. Until you've actually experienced it or had an experience they have no basis to say it's all bunk. I'm an investigator with a group in Northern Virginia called 3:33am Paranormal Research. Our audio tech has some pretty elaborate equipment and every investigation so far since I've been in the group we've come away with over 100+ EVPs. A few class A, maybe Class B and Class C. The others in the group would probably rate them differently. For example when we did an investigation at the Old South Pittsburg Hospital in Tennessee, my director caught a disembodied voice of a former patient vomitting.

I'd be curious to see if someone like me would have the same experience. I always go back to the same mantra: How do you know if a house is haunted? It's not.
 
I'm interested in hearing your EVP, however I can't access your "evidence" tab on your website. It appears your drop-down menu is out of order.
 
I'd be curious to see if someone like me would have the same experience. I always go back to the same mantra: How do you know if a house is haunted? It's not.

If you're ever in the area of Radford, Virginia. Pay a visit to St. Alban's Sanatorium http://stalbans-virginia.com/. We attended a halloween party there October 2011. There were experienced investigators running out of there. There was also a report of a police officer that was in the bowling alley and something attempted to lift his night stick off his belt. There were only 2 guys in the room at the time. Him and one other person. They also have documented photos of an individual that was scratched diagonally on his back. Looked like red welps you get from a cat scratch.
 
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