Interview with David M. Rountree

[Brian Now]

On his website the mathematical equations are complex and deep, unaccessible to most people without a heavy math background.

I suspect that might have been the point, in a smoke-and-mirrors sort of way.
I started tuning him out after while. I don't know why I didn't just turn it off. But I have to say a lot of "ghost hunters" would do well to listen to this interview and get educated a little.

Strangely, the most interesting thing about this episode for me was DB explaining the original purpose behind jpeg!

 

[lucid55]

My favorite Paracast Interview so far. I actually have a pair of Earthworks mics & was tempted to try my hand at EVP because Biedney kept harping about it. I was glad that Roundtree's interview kept me from wasting my time.

While I have a great interest in the paranormal, I respect the adage that "If you have interest in the paranormal, it will start to have an interest in you." I just don't need any of this crap following me home and keeping me more insomniac than I already am.

 

[stonehart]

I have not had the chance to listen to this show until today so I have avoided this thread until I had.

I have to say that from a sound engineers point of view the information on that show was fantastic and confirmed a few hunches I have had in regards to EVP.

I pointed out in another thread durring the week that I had a hunch that EVP in most forms had little to do with air movement or SPL and more to do with electromagnetic phenomena. To have this confirmed by Mr Roundtree was great.

The Tascam units he is talking about are extreamly good as I own one myslelf.
On the microphone side of things in regards to earthworks there are other companys that produce mics of the close to if not the same grade. dbx produce an extreamly good RTA microphone that like the earthworks RTA has a range from 20hz to 20khz.

Got to run as I have a show to pack in.

Any thoughts on EVP please feel free to chat with me as I am most happy to explain any audio concepts to you all.

 

[Jeff Crowell]

This show seriously changed a lot of my attitude and thought process regarding ghost hunting, something I've been seriously doing for just over two years, now. Ironically enough I modified a Shack Hack about two weeks ago, and after hearing Mr. Rountree's explanation of the process in greater detail, and my own knowledge of the psychology behind hearing things we want to hear out of random words, I'll probably never use the thing.

One thing that keeps getting hammered on The Paracast, by dB specifically, is the 'easy' way of standardizing equipment and techniques in the ghost hunting field. It sure seems an easy thing on the outside but it won't happen any time soon. For one thing you have to understand that the grand majority of people who do this "research" are, well, plumbers and college kids, house wives, firefighters, and common people. We're computer technical support analysts and factory workers with little to no investigative or governmental backgrounds. We're "normal" "everyday" people, and when you get folks like that in a mix you're going to have a lot of ignorance (I use that term kindly) regarding the subject matter. We're people with good hearts but lacking the background necessary to be taken seriously when doing something along these lines.
Another road block; $. I know that $200 for a few quality grade audio recorders and microphones may seem pretty inexpensive, but when you're a fry cook at McDonalds that's just not do-able. That same person can either spend the $120 for an H2, or the $40 for the Sony dictation recorder and still have the chance to catch an EVP. That's an easy choice on a budget, despite the fact that those EVP's are probably reverb off of walls and such.

That's the logic there. It's sad and pathetic, I know, but that's why the ghost hunters bumbling around out there in cemeteries and abandoned buildings use the equipment they do and have the attitudes they do. It's not right, it's seriously lacking, ignorant, and unscientific, but these people do it for their own reasons, and frankly, they're doing the best that they can with what they have.

With that being said, I offer a heart-felt thank you to David and Gene, and especially to David Rountree for this episode. You've given this ghost hunter something to strive for, and changed my focus toward something far more technical and serious when it comes to paranormal research. Time to save some pennies.

Stay safe, and keep the faith.

J.

 

[Para]

I have not had the chance to listen to this show until today so I have avoided this thread until I had.

I have to say that from a sound engineers point of view the information on that show was fantastic and confirmed a few hunches I have had in regards to EVP.

I pointed out in another thread durring the week that I had a hunch that EVP in most forms had little to do with air movement or SPL and more to do with electromagnetic phenomena. To have this confirmed by Mr Roundtree was great.

The Tascam units he is talking about are extreamly good as I own one myslelf.
On the microphone side of things in regards to earthworks there are other companys that produce mics of the close to if not the same grade. dbx produce an extreamly good RTA microphone that like the earthworks RTA has a range from 20hz to 20khz.

Got to run as I have a show to pack in.

Any thoughts on EVP please feel free to chat with me as I am most happy to explain any audio concepts to you all.

I have to agree with you..

Also, as a sound engineer of 13 years working for a audio duplication plant I too have dipped my feet into the Paranormal pool when it comes to EVP.. The subject has totally facinated me for years.

Personall I feel, EVP is more to do with some form of electromagnetic mental imprinting. I consider that if we do survive death and go on in some form of energy then it makes sence to at least consider that most of our post death actions are going to be carried out by only having the ability to manifest and affect though thought and the manipultion of energy, and so mental imprinting might be key to comuication after death (EVP).

In my experimention some years ago, I would always notice before a voice was heard there was always a static click or pop before hand.

I get so angry when I see these Ghost Hunting groups with these crappy hand held recorders thinking every tick and pop they capture is a voice from ther great beyond! Those things record more noise then they do actual speech! lol

 

[stonehart]

I have to agree with you.. Also, as a sound engineer of 13 years working for a audio duplication plant I too have dipped my feet into the Paranormal pool when it comes to EVP.. The subject has totally facinated me for years. Personall I feel, EVP is more to do with some form of electromagnetic mental imprinting. I consider that if we do survive death and go on in some form of energy then it makes sence to at least consider that most of our post death actions are going to be carried out by only having the ability to manifest and affect though thought and the manipultion of energy, and so mental imprinting might be key to comuication after death (EVP). In my experimention some years ago, I would always notice before a voice was heard there was always a static click or pop before hand. I get so angry when I see these Ghost Hunting groups with these crappy hand held recorders thinking every tick and pop they capture is a voice from ther great beyond! Those things record more noise then they do actual speech! lol

Hey pleased to meet another sound guy on here. I have been in the industry for around 16 years now and have had a few people send me EVP stuff but in most cases I have rejected it as either punch through or just bad tape noise etc. I have to agree with the cheap Dictaphone units that people use being bad due to the propensity to have an extremely high noise floor as well as a habit of picking up far too much RF and EMF interference.Anyway I am off to sleep again as I did a 16 hour shift behind a monitor desk for a music festival yesterday and I really need the sleep lol

 

[Para]

Hey pleased to meet another sound guy on here. I have been in the industry for around 16 years now and have had a few people send me EVP stuff but in most cases I have rejected it as either punch through or just bad tape noise etc. I have to agree with the cheap Dictaphone units that people use being bad due to the propensity to have an extremely high noise floor as well as a habit of picking up far too much RF and EMF interference.Anyway I am off to sleep again as I did a 16 hour shift behind a monitor desk for a music festival yesterday and I really need the sleep lol

Hey!

I hear what you are saying about the cheap digi machines.

If I was ever to jump back into recording EVP's which, I have done in the past (late 1990s). I'd use either my Nakamichi or Yamaha casstte decks with metal grade virgin cassttes and a good quality microphone and a god pair of Zenhiser headphones for playback.

It's what I used years back to capture class A EVPs.

---------- Post added at 06:35 PM ---------- Previous post was at 06:25 PM ----------

This show seriously changed a lot of my attitude and thought process regarding ghost hunting, something I've been seriously doing for just over two years, now. Ironically enough I modified a Shack Hack about two weeks ago, and after hearing Mr. Rountree's explanation of the process in greater detail, and my own knowledge of the psychology behind hearing things we want to hear out of random words, I'll probably never use the thing.

One thing that keeps getting hammered on The Paracast, by dB specifically, is the 'easy' way of standardizing equipment and techniques in the ghost hunting field. It sure seems an easy thing on the outside but it won't happen any time soon. For one thing you have to understand that the grand majority of people who do this "research" are, well, plumbers and college kids, house wives, firefighters, and common people. We're computer technical support analysts and factory workers with little to no investigative or governmental backgrounds. We're "normal" "everyday" people, and when you get folks like that in a mix you're going to have a lot of ignorance (I use that term kindly) regarding the subject matter. We're people with good hearts but lacking the background necessary to be taken seriously when doing something along these lines.
Another road block; $. I know that $200 for a few quality grade audio recorders and microphones may seem pretty inexpensive, but when you're a fry cook at McDonalds that's just not do-able. That same person can either spend the $120 for an H2, or the $40 for the Sony dictation recorder and still have the chance to catch an EVP. That's an easy choice on a budget, despite the fact that those EVP's are probably reverb off of walls and such.

That's the logic there. It's sad and pathetic, I know, but that's why the ghost hunters bumbling around out there in cemeteries and abandoned buildings use the equipment they do and have the attitudes they do. It's not right, it's seriously lacking, ignorant, and unscientific, but these people do it for their own reasons, and frankly, they're doing the best that they can with what they have.

With that being said, I offer a heart-felt thank you to David and Gene, and especially to David Rountree for this episode. You've given this ghost hunter something to strive for, and changed my focus toward something far more technical and serious when it comes to paranormal research. Time to save some pennies.

Stay safe, and keep the faith.

J.

J
I think the major issue is the people who are actually in the spot light are so full of shit riding this band wagon not for exploration but for ratings, money and fame.

Sadly the Ghost Hunter at home on a budget see these people on TV and think that is the way to do things. I totally understand where you are coming from on this issue.

 

[Vomitor]

This was seriously a great show guys...more like this ! Lets just hope now that some of the "psychics" that roundtree mentions doesnt turn out to be another diappointment

 

[Jeff Crowell]

Hey!


J
I think the major issue is the people who are actually in the spot light are so full of shit riding this band wagon not for exploration but for ratings, money and fame.

Sadly the Ghost Hunter at home on a budget see these people on TV and think that is the way to do things. I totally understand where you are coming from on this issue.

LOL, yeah, funny thing about that; My wife and I got into ghost hunting as a direct result of one of those popular shows (the one involving two plumbers). We had a case of hero worship but for me it started to fade about a year ago when I started seriously suspecting some of their results, (I'd love to hear Cobra Commander say that last sentence.) In Nov. 09, "one of their own", a former cast member came out and blew the whistle, confirming that this group fabricates their evidence. That pushed me over the edge and I refuse to watch the show, now, even for the entertainment factor. My wife is in denial and, though she admits that this group fakes evidence, she still watches them to "learn more about their techniques." I told her she needed to listen to this podcast to learn about new techniques....proper ones, at least.


Thanks Para.

J.

 

[Para]

LOL, yeah, funny thing about that; My wife and I got into ghost hunting as a direct result of one of those popular shows (the one involving two plumbers). We had a case of hero worship but for me it started to fade about a year ago when I started seriously suspecting some of their results, (I'd love to hear Cobra Commander say that last sentence.) In Nov. 09, "one of their own", a former cast member came out and blew the whistle, confirming that this group fabricates their evidence. That pushed me over the edge and I refuse to watch the show, now, even for the entertainment factor. My wife is in denial and, though she admits that this group fakes evidence, she still watches them to "learn more about their techniques." I told her she needed to listen to this podcast to learn about new techniques....proper ones, at least.


Thanks Para.

J.

I hear you... Sadly all these shows on TV now are all based on weekly viewer counts. I admit, I do still watch some of these shows, but only for the giggle factor, nothing more.

As for the plumbers, are they not now also hotel mangers? lol