January 15, 2009
GHI: The Little Castle
First off, this was a 20-minuter; an investigation tacked on during the last third (or sometimes less) of an episode. Considering the amount of time taken up by the pre-investigation walkthrough, the evidence review and the final reveal, either the investigation was really boring or they're going to edit it to look that way in order to fit for time.
Right off the bat though we are told the owner of the property is trying to get investors interested in order to fund the restoration project. Now, I appreciate the up-front-honesty, we've certainly seen plenty of commercial locations investigated where we had reason to suspect maybe the owners were trying to use GHI or TAPS to drum up business; coming right out and basically saying it certainly scores points for honesty but at the same time it's also telling us the place isn't being investigated because it's had so many reports of activity, it's being investigated because maybe there were a couple of reports and the owner is really hoping to build on that.
To make matters worse, this place is an absolute wreck with the upper floors entirely ripped, broken windows everywhere, and it's located on a busy street corner in a busy city. The noise contamination was horrendous. Team members talking to the camera were audibly raising their voices to be clearly heard over the din of passing trucks and the team could just forget about any standard "make a noise if you're here with us" B.S. — you couldn't hear the noise if one was made, and if you could then you couldn't tell where it was coming from or if it was coming from outside, next door or across the street.
Also, not that I'm trying to work Andy's removal from the show into every GHI write-up (I'm not, I promise) but I was reminded of him yet again when Brandy thought she was hearing something up on the second floor (where there was no actual floor) and Dustin grabbed a ladder to climb up there and take a look. He didn't seem to have nearly the enthusiasm Andy did on similar occasions and seemed almost reluctant even to be bothered climbing up somewhere to get a better look.
On a sunny note, both Barry and the newest GHI addition, Angela spoke Portuguese in an effort to communicate with any Brazilian spirits that might be haunting the place. Super props to the both of them for going the extra mile instead of clinging to the theory that "ghosts can speak the language of the people who are trying to communicate with them". I think that theory was made up by a bogus lazy psychic somewhere, some while back. A client probably said, "You're communicating with my mother? But my mother only spoke German" and the psychic pulled the "theory" fully-formed straight out of his (or her) CYA.
The most interesting thing about this investigation is the history of the building. The Little Castle was built by a wealthy family who used it as office space for their business. There was a mother and two brothers, who were at odds with one another. Apparently they were all found dead and it was believed to be a murder-suicide by one of the brothers (Alvaro, I believe). During the investigation the team kept asking who the killer was and with a directional microphone set up in front of the building, Barry seems to have gotten an answer. On the recording there is an EVP of a female voice clearly saying "Eduardo". I say clearly and I mean it. I was able to identify the voice as a voice, as female and specifically what she was saying on the first pass hearing it, without any "help" from the GHI team, and they seemed to have heard the same thing.
Now, Eduardo was not the name of anyone known to be associated with the building or the murders, however one of the brothers was thought to have had a business partner that may have been present for the murders and who fled. His name was not known, but some other anomalies suggest the official report of the murders may be erroneous. For instance, the mother was shot with four bullets, from two different guns one of which was never found. Also, the brother believed to have begun the masscre and then killed himself was found with not one but two bullets through his heart, and the gun that fired the shots in his left hand despite being right-handed.
So as it turns out, this investigation leaves us on a curious note. Maybe the "EVP" was really just some lady across the street yelling at her son to take out the garbage, no matter how many times Robb insists the sound had to come from inside the building because they used a directional microphone — but then again maybe Robb is right, and then were does that leave us? Neither Angela nor Brandy would have any reason to say "Eduardo". Add that to the discrepencies in the facts surrounding the murder and we seem to be touching on something fairly intriguing.
Filed under Ghost Hunters International, Posts by Logisti
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Comments on GHI: The Little Castle »
Harry @ 3:00 pm
Yes, the EVP definitely sounded like "Eduardo." But there's nothing intriguing about it.
It's a building wide open to the outside world. It has plenty of walls for echoes.
And Robb's claim the sound had to be coming from inside the building because they used a "directional microphone" is nonsense. The acoustic patterns of directional microphones are actually fairly broad, as witness these references:
http://arts.ucsc.edu/ems/music/tech_background/te-20/Directional_Microphones.html
http://www.audiologyonline.com/articles/pf_article_detail.asp?article_id=219
As you can see, the pickup pattern of a "directional" microphone is not as narrow as, say, a flashlight beam. Add to that the openness of the building to outside noises and possible echoes, and this boy ain't impressed with a thing in this episode outside of Barry and Angela speaking Portuguese.
SJ @ 3:07 pm
I, for one, am interested in seeing this directional microphone Robb talks about. I find it interesting that they just happened to have one to avoid contamination at this location. How convenient! A piece of equipment that would normally be a hindrance to catching activity…
I'm willing to bet it was a cardioid or an omni-directional, and the Pilgrim sound crew taught Robb what a uni-directional mike was in order to make this claim more believable.
I did think the history of this location was really interesting.
The girls on this show still bore me to death (I wish Brandy would take some voice lessons to quit talking through her nose), but I suppose that's beside the point.
Nosfer @ 4:17 pm
Anyone else think the "evp" sounded like Brandy's voice?
SJ @ 4:26 pm
Great links.
And from I remember of Sound Design class, calling a mike unidirectional basically means it picks up things at about a 180 degree angle if the mike is placed at the center of the "circle". Basically, it picks up anything in front of it, but not behind it. So, you could be standing to the side of where it is facing and be picked up.
Here's a simplistic diagram, because I'm just confusing everyone I'm sure:
MIKE FACES THIS WAY
________MIKE________
BACK OF MIKE
The microphone picks up sounds above the line (so, pretty far to the sides as well).
Of course, it's been awhile since I've taken that class, so I could be wrong on the severity of the angle. I'm merely pointing out (as Harry did, probably more eloquently), that "directional" doesn't mean "a straight line" or "directly in front of and not to the sides".
Nosfer @ 4:58 pm
"Neither Angela nor Brandy would have any reason to say "Eduardo". "
ASSUMING, that the EVP is actually saying Eduardo. I thought it said something else before they mentioned Eduardo, though for the life of me I can't remember what LOL, guess I'll have to force myself to relisten to that part!
John @ 6:43 pm
What I heard was Brandy saying "What?". It was very clear to me – I didn't hear a first syllable ("Eh – ") or a final syllable " – do"), just "What?"
Nosfer @ 9:44 pm
There is a first syllable but "what" is what I hear too. The nasally tone is there, too.
Wes @ 10:16 pm
I thought it was quite clearly saying "and what?" with an emphasis on the "what" part. I was surpised that they heard "Eduardo" as I still don't hear an "o" sound at the end .. but I could be wrong.
Lar @ 8:42 am
Nosfer, yes Brandy & Angela do have reason to say "Eduardo!" It's their code name for Barry, as in "Oh! Eduardo…. is that a full spectrum camera you're holding or are you just happy to see me!"
Handsty @ 1:24 pm
When is someone going to tell Dustin, the Duke of Dork, that he is not supposed to wear a sun visor backwards AND upside-down????!!!!
windwhisperer @ 2:05 pm
At first I thought the evp said "I want it". Of course it'll sound like "Eduardo" after they say it because that's how the brain works.
But it still sounded like "I want it" to me.
Handsty, Duke of Dork!?….good one.
CC @ 3:58 pm
Yes, I did, and I thought it sounded like "I want more."
Or maybe it was "I want it, Like the post above me says, I can't recall exactly right now, but "I want…" was definitely what I heard.
Hal @ 2:28 pm
I made some comments on speaking Portugese directed at Angela & Barry that I posted on the Grand Hotel forum. Sorry. I mean't those comments to reflect what I had observed while watching the even-more-boring Little Castle story.
MacLager @ 8:24 am
I only made it through the first 15-20 minutes of this episode. I'm sure the members of the team are sincerely nice people, but they have to be the most boring and uninspired group I've seen in awhile! Robb is the worst of the group. Brandy's nasal voice grates on me.I know she can't help it, but is this the best they have to offer? This show is really badly done. It seems to me they are running out of interesting places to investigate or are being sent to the wrong locations. I'm starting to think my wife is correct in that she states there are "no such thing as ghosts".
Oubliette @ 6:41 pm
Wow, I have so much to catch up on.
First off, about Andy–I know that his personality rubs a lot of people the wrong way. But his debunking skills have always been top notch. Even in GH, he was responsible for some excellent debunking of evidence, though one could sense Jason's dislike of Andy. He was the recipient of Jay's famous angry glare and some snide remarks, and in fact I felt it was better for Andy that he is no longer officially with TAPS.
When GHI came on, Andy proved a real "gung ho" type, and the shakiest ladder did not daunt him in trying to get to the bottom (or the top) of phenomena. I'll stick my neck out and say that he probably would rank amongst the most enthusiastic of any TAPS member that made the big time. Not only that, but he would use his noggin when trying tests that might recreate what people had seen or smelled (like the old wooden table that emitted a scent when heated).
As to the episode, I felt it was a complete waste of time to try and do any sort of investigating in a decrepit building on a very noisy street. It should not even have been done, let alone shone. But I guess when it comes to fillers, you have to use what you have.
The team tried their best to do their thing but IMO it was for the cameras only. I don't think anyone was really happy to be there. This show was almost the "OK Corral" counterpart, only instead of a big windstorm there was the constant sound of heavy traffic outside.
Bad call on the production's side.
hooligan @ 10:43 pm
Oh, Dustin my boy… why???!!! You would think the producers would have had a little "talk" with him about this stupid hat thing. Maybe he is trying to make it his trademark, like Linus and his blanket, Captain hook and his… well, whatever.. it's hideous!!!
HollyDolly @ 10:39 am
Yeah kind of miss Andy, but maybe he will be back or on Ghost Hunters again.
I liked Brian's idea with the hat cam thing.Both he and Andy were really enthusiastic about what they did. Andy was indeed a great debunker.
The Doctor @ 6:09 pm
Hooligan-
"Maybe he is trying to make it his trademark, like Linus and his blanket, Captain hook and his… well, whatever.. it's hideous!!!"
Not as bad as having a dribble of soup permanently attached under your bottom lip – someone please give Barry a napkin
Oubliette @ 5:13 pm
I'm sorry, but Dustin's hat has got to go! What is wrong with him? Does he not realize how ridiculous he looks? If the GHI team want to be taken seriously, he needs to ditch the hat as there is no purpose at all in wearing his duckbill derby that way. IMO it reflects on the whole team, even though I'm sure that's not the intention. If I were a client I would find it hard not to laugh but also make me question just who are these people???
blinddog50 @ 5:58 pm
Oubliette,
Dustin is just following the example set forth by the Paranormal Pirates( J&G ).
Remember last season and Jasons' baggy camo shorts and flip flops.
They arrive at a location looking like they want to vandalize the place instead of wanting to investigate it.
Even the 'Ghostbusters' had uniforms!
A little more professional look would definitely help their cause.
It would not make them more believable, just not as stupid looking.
Although I do have to give credit to Grant(can't believe just I wrote that) for wearing a shirt with buttons on it occasionally.