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It's not like Sony could really keep this thing under wraps for much longer, but the company finally did the deed by announcing the PSP-3000 at the Leipzig Games Convention. The unit itself will look exactly like the PSP-2000, though it will feature an "improved screen that's better outside with no glare and a built-in mic." The juicy tidbits have yet to surface, but we are told to expect the new handheld in Europe for €199 ($291) on October 15th.

The Intel HDA sound drivers that ship with Hardy work just fine on this machine, but if you don't know what all the sliders do (I had absolutely no clue) you'll have a hard time getting any signal from the built-in microphone.

After some fiddling I figured out that the Capture screen of alsamixer gives you access to the appropriate controls. You need to set one of the Input sources to "Front mic", you need to up the Mux on that one a little, and you need to make sure that the channel says "Capture" below it (in red, leftmost column in the image below) - otherwise it's actually muted.

Now if you want to know a little bit more on what all this is about: I found a few clues here. Apparently Mux controls something like an analog pre-gain for the AD-converter, and the different channels on display in the Capture menu reflect the fact that the Sigmatel chip offers multiple AD-converters.

You can verify the proper operation of the mic using arecord and aplay like so (where hw:0,0 refers to the channel I activated as shown in the screenshot):

arecord -f cd -D hw:0,0 -d 5 test.wav # now say something...
aplay test.wav

Another thing I have to point out is that I have no idea if this is a best practice to getting it working right. Ubuntu Hardy uses something called PulseAudio and I haven't had time to educate myself as to where that fits into the whole audio stack. Should I not fiddle with things through ALSA anymore? There's more reading on all the different audio components at Linux.com but I haven't had time to really get a clear picture of matters so far. Would love to hear from anyone who knows more about this.

In case the follow-up doesn't come soon enough, do prod me if you need more info on the Latitude. One hint: if you're ordering, phone them up and insist that you want Intel wifi (that's not configurable in the webshop sometimes) and not the Broadcom stuff.

My sister and I temporarily take the reigns on this episode and talk about the new iPods, Chuck, Fracture, Warhammer Online, House, CSI Miami, and Larry Bear.   Also, a new hard drive, Apple microphone and how iTunes makes me an honest man.

RSS Feed

.MP3 Link

The next step to building my home studio was doing some research.  One week ago I didn't know much about home recording.  I have done recording at a friends home studio (check out Tim McGivern on MySpace), and I have played live music, but someone else is always running all the equipment.  I knew that there were different types of mics, and that mics are very important.  If you have a crap mic, then all the best software in the world isn't going to make you sound nice.  I knew that I needed some sort of panel to plug into prior to the computer, and I knew I needed a good set of headphones in order to mix and master the recorded product.  To get me further along in knowledge, I visited the Pro Audio section of Guitar Center.  Some musicians out there don't really like Guitar Center, and I can understand why.  I see it as a place to go try out instruments and talk to people who know way more about stuff than I do.  They also have excellent sales every now and then.

I learned all about preamps, interface's, phantom power, condensor microphones, instrument microphones, microphone combos.  I learned about monitor headphones, monitor speakers, firewire vs USB, latency and on and on.  I hit the internet that night to find out more.  After a few hours researching I bought the following gear for $367 at Musicians Friend:

MXL 992 LARGE DIAPHRAGM CONDENSER MICROPHONE

I also got a mic stand for this.  Its a boom stand, so the placement should be very easy.  This mic has had fantastic reviews.  5 stars in a lot of cases.  Everyone from home studio recorders to professionals like this baby.  I know that microphones are the single most important thing when it comes to having a recording you can be proud of, so I spent some time looking into them and reading review after review.  The negative thing people said about this mic is that the shell is a little flimsy, so you have to handle it with care.  I'm going to treat it like my baby.

PRESONUS AUDIOBOX

So it seems that the preamps is another important piece.  This little guy is going to take the signal I give it from the microphone and turn it into something that the computer software can use.  This is what delivers the signal to the computer.  The higher quality the signal, the better your recording is going to sound.  This little puppy plugs into the USB port (which has more latency than Firewire) and again, has rave reviews among home recording artists out there.  PreSonus is widely known for the quality of their preamps.  The preamp is what creates the signal delivered to the computer.  Of course, I'm not being too technical here because I don't really know much more than this.  I'm sure there are better explanations out there.

AUDIO TECHNICA ATH-M40FS PRECISION STUDIOPHONES

These headphones, again, good reviews for mixing recordings.  The only negative is that after a few years the padding starts to chip away.  Oh well.  The price was great.

I'd love it if anyone reading has an suggestions on how to make the set up better.  I'm planning on setting the mic up for mono recording to get a live feel.  This will mean placement of the mic halfway up, and a bit above the fret board of the guitar.  I'll experiment with distance from the mic.  I'm pumped!!!

Enjoy the Sounds,

Tim

With all of the choices on the market, it can definitely be overwhelming choosing a digital camcorder. There are several things to consider when shopping. A lot of brands can now record in high definition, but, there are some limitations to having an HD camcorder, such as incompatible video editing software.

The amount of zoom should also be taken into account, but, not the digital zoom. The higher the digital zoom, the more the resolution is decreased, making for blurry, pixelated pictures.

The optical zoom, however, will actually let you zoom in on your subject without sacrificing the picture quality. The optical zoom and the digital zoom are often not differentiated clearly on the manufacturer's information. Keeping this in mind, paying close attention to the specs, and not being 'fooled' by a high digital zoom number on the camera box, will help to make sure you wind up with clearer zoomed pictures and videos.

Another thing to consider is the size of the viewing, or LCD, screen. The LCD screen is both the viewfinder and the playback screen, so having a large one would be beneficial. The cost will go up as the size of the screen goes up, however. On the subject of size, the size of the camcorder itself, along with the weight, are important things to consider. Most electronics for sale today boast of their tiny size. This has not always proven to be a good thing. If the camera is too small for you to properly hold onto, or operate the different functions, then you will want to think about getting a larger one.

A very important feature of a digital camcorder is the microphone. If you can hear more of the activity around the person filming than the subject, then this is definitely a good thing. One way to help alleviate this issue is to make sure you get a camcorder with a front-mounted microphone, as opposed to a top-mounted microphone. Some camcorders even come with audio zoom for the microphone, that zooms the audio when the picture is zoomed.

There are lots of different features to check out when buying a camcorder, like what kind of battery is needed and how long it will last. Doing some research online and asking lots of questions at the store will help you make an informed decision.

Now this has taken a while. As long as I am a lite box.net user I can't upload files larger than 10MB, but now I have found some significant ways to down-size a psd file. One of them is to put a white layer right on top of the layers, so to keep the thumbnail very simple. It really reduces the file a lot. Check here. So here is my first upload of a large background image that I used for a people poster. It is A3 in size – high res.

After I began using Skype, I found a need for a headset, not just using my external speakers and a standalone microphone anymore.  Not private enough.  So, I picked up this headset since it was one of the cheapest, and I have never had a problem with cheaper headphones and phones.  Cheaper usually means clearer sound.  And, I wasn't surprised, this is a great headset, especially for the money.

The microphone is loud and crisp, anyone can hear me on the other line without hesitation.  Same with listening to others, it no longer sounds like you are talking on the phone, but as if the person on the other line is right there next to you.

The cushioning is soft and fits snuggly on top of my ear, no discomfort whatsoever.  However, it is a little tight, something that really can't be adjusted.  If you have a bigger head than mine, not to worry, it's completely adjustable.  The microphone is also adjustable 180 degrees, or, if you so wish, bendy so that you can move the mic further or closer to your mouth.  Makes a great difference so that the person on the other line doesn't have to hear me breathing.

Highly recommended!

Listen to Show # 12

[audio=http://audiogeekzine.com/podcast/012.hrs.mp3]

Enjoy!

We were finally back in the air on our long trip from Houston to San Diego. My wife and son were cleaned up after our unexpected stop in Junction, and the morning air was still cool and clear. We still had about 340 nautical miles (that’s just a little less than 400 statute miles for the non-flyers out there) to go to our next scheduled stop just outside of El Paso.

Anna tried sleeping, but had little success. This time, she remained in the front seat and our son slept in the back. Climbing back up to altitude, we reflected on the recent incident and were thankful it was behind us. (For more on this, click here)

West Texas looks pretty lifeless from the air on even the clearest day. At night, it looks even more lifeless. Coming from the sprawling lights of Houston, the sparse lights looked like distant stars as they stretched out across the dark ground. The high cloud cover obscured the actual stars so it felt like we were flying upside down at times!

The airport we chose for our next fuel stop was just to the east of El Paso International Airport. I prefer to frequent the smaller airports when I can. They are usually friendlier, easier to get in and out, and the fuel is much cheaper. The airport we chose was Horizon Airport.

Horizon Airport is a very quaint airport with a single runway. I looked it up online and called ahead a couple of days before the trip to make sure they had fuel and that they take credit cards - I’d already been surprised once before by a small airport that didn’t! I was also concerned about what time the airport opened because I expected to be coming through very early. The guy on the phone assured me that I could get fuel early in the morning so I didn’t give it another thought.

By the time we got in the vicinity of Horizon, the sun was still not up but the sky was getting lighter and we could make out features on the ground – you know: sagebrush, cacti, and sand. In the dimness of dawn, I could just make out a road on the ground. I decided that I would turn the lights on at Horizon for easy navigation right to the field. My GPS told me it was straight ahead, but there’s no substitute for seeing with your own eyes. Since the road was just barely visible, I was eager to see the lighted outline of the runway ahead.

Runway lights can be turned on from the air by clicking the microphone switch 3 to 7 times within a certain number of seconds. The airport radio monitors the frequency and recognizes those clicks as a signal to either turn on the lights or adjust their intensity. It’s pretty cool to watch a runway light up out of the darkness. I was still a few miles away, but I still tried it. Click, click, click.

Nothing happened, no lights appeared ahead. I checked the radio and verified that I was transmitting on the correct frequency and tried again. Click, click, click.

There was still no response of light from ahead. My GPS has information relating that the runway has pilot controlled lighting (PCL) but doesn’t mention how many clicks are required to activate the lights. I decided to try 5: Click, click, click, click, click.

Still nothing. I knew I wasn’t too far away because I’ve turned on lights at airports much farther away. I figured I would  try 7 clicks. Click, click, click, click, click, click, click.

Still no response, so I decided to use my wife’s radio transmit button on her yoke. Click, click, click. Nope. Click, click, click, click, click. Nothing. Click, click, click, click, click, click, click. Nothing seemed to work.

I was getting close enough to see the runway and I could just make out the pavement, though barely. The pavement had only a slight variation in shade from the surrounding sand, so I really wanted the lights to come on. Click, click click. Come on! CLICK, CLICK, CLICK!

I tried clicking faster, ClickCLICKclick. I tried a little slower, Click-Click-Click. I tried 5 fast clicks, ClickCLICKclickCLICKclick. I was getting very frustrated, though, I wasn’t the only one. ClickCLICKclickCLICKclickCLICKclickCLICKclickCLICK-CLICK!

The frequency used by the airport is not a private one. Anyone wishing to tune in to that frequency will hear anything said, or clicked. I just knew someone out there was listening and laughing at my dilemma. Turns out, I was half right.

During a lull in my clicking, while I was actually preparing to land the plane, a surly voice came on the radio with a very slow cadence and said, “One… Two… Three…”. There was an audible click after each word and the lights came blazing on. I was on short final and had already resigned myself to landing without the runway lights. After the last click, when the lights flashed on, I could clearly see the edges of the runway and tell right where it was – always a good thing. I muttered a quick “thank you” on the radio and went about the business of landing the plane. It was clear the person uttering those three words was not happy at my incessant clicking. Hey, at least the lights were on!

As we taxied up to the fuel pumps, I checked the time. It was just about 6:45. The airport was supposed to be open at 7:00. I figured we could stretch our legs a little bit and be the first customer of the day when they opened up the door. Just as I shut off the plane, a man came out of the FBO and just sort of looked at us. It seemed like he was sizing us up and deciding if he wanted to even greet us. It was not the most pleasant greeting I’ve received at an airport, but at least someone was there – and early, too!

I greeted the man (I later learned his name was Phil) and tried to engage him in some small talk about general topics. I let him know we were on our way to California and we could use some fuel. He muttered something about getting the key and unlocking the pumps then disappeared inside. We followed him in to use the restroom and freshen up a bit.

You can’t fly for long without developing a sort of sense of when things just aren’t right. Bumping sounds from the engine, the smell of gasoline in flight, static on a radio that should have conversation – these are all hallmarks that something is amiss. Well, stone silence from the folks in a small-town airport is another sure sign that something is amiss. I just couldn’t figure out what was wrong. Sure, we were 15 minutes early but what harm was there in getting fuel since he was already at the airport? Small-town airport folks are generally so laid back and very friendly – especially to travelling strangers.

This time was obviously different. No amount of smiling, small talk, or compliments on the rustic airport décor elicited anything in response. We all just ambled back out to the plane and tried to not get in Phil’s way.

When the fuel was finally pumped – in silence, and the fuel hose had been stowed – in silence, and the credit card transaction had been completed – in silence, I shrugged and thanked Phil anyway and went back out to my plane. I pushed it back just enough to be able to turn away from the fuel pump and started it up. I was eager to get back into the friendly skies and leave Phil to his morose mood.

I went through some items on my checklist as I was taxiing to the runway and came across the “set clock” portion of the checklist. No sweat, the clock was working just fine when we landed – at 6:45 and it was just fine at a little before 7:30. Cross check that with the GPS which was also showing… 6:30.

6:30?

Yep, 6:30 – El Paso is in the Mountain Time Zone, my clock was still showing Central Time. I wasn’t 15 minutes early, I was 75 minutes early! Phil wasn’t just arriving at work – he lives at the airport! I didn’t just wake him with the sound of my airplane taxiing up to his pumps, I woke him with:

Click click click click click click click click click click click …

All my life I'd never dabbed a single finger in the pot of radio. Now I have a five-week skills course on writing and producing for it. Radio is a unique form of communication. Once you have the medium (a receiver), the content is free and virtually limitless, perhaps set only by the boundaries of geography. A television signal receiver isn't as compact as one for radio, while just about all print content is restricted by your willingness to pay. Of course, the big, mighty internet is the omnipotent king of information, but even with the new iPhones and PDAs that leech onto wireless networks, as of today the unseen networks of wi-fi still aren't as prevalent as radio waves that engulf the world.

Yesterday was the third radio lesson of this mini-course. I remember in the first week I was still struggling with digital audio manipulation and the disgust at hearing how my real-world voice sounded in the microphone. Things are moving much more smoothly now, and I'm actually relishing the skill-sets being taught in this Saturday class. Pro Tools is a complex editing tool with a simple interface, so I'm getting quite adept at using it. Having to lug around a mini-disc recorder with an conspicuous mic still needs getting used to, but the experience is liberating.

For a long time I only thought myself capable of being a print journalist, but now the avenues of photography and radio are equally seductive, to say the least. And with whole battalions of good writers and print journalists out there, it might not be a bad idea to drive towards a smaller town, where competition is friendlier and there aren't so many rats in the rat race.

1. Most of the built-in microphones common in today's camcorders use a unidirectional design. This means that the mike tends to favor sounds coming from directly in front of the camcorder.

So the first way to improve your audio when using the internal mike is to minimize your hand movements on the camcorder's body while shooting. Placing your camcorder on a tripod will help, but you must still use a light touch when zooming, focusing or using other controls. Better yet, control these functions with the remote, if you can.

2. Use headphones if you can. This is the only way to be sure of what you're getting. There's absolutely no better way to measure the quality of the audio you're recording than to listen to it as you record it. Getting good audio requires paying attention to what you hear in your earphones. You will hear them when you play back your tapes.

What if your camcorder doesn't have a headphone jack? This can be a problem. But since most camcorders send the audio signal out through an RCA jack while in camera mode, there is a solution. You could hook a small, battery-operated audio amplifier between the RCA output and your earphones. I have gotten very good sound using this method in the past.

3. Keep your hands still while shooting. Your internal mike can pick up the whirring sound of some zoom and focus motors, especially on older and cheaper camcorders. This is especially true when shooting in fairly quiet environments. Remember that you can also make more sound than your subject simply by rubbing the body of your camcorder.

A good habit to develop is to try to set your shot with your zoom before you start shooting, and to use the manual focus. This will eliminate any possible noise from the motors that control these features.

4. Get in close. That's where the best sound is. You'll get less of what you don't want if you get more of what you do want. With your talent speaking close to the mike, he or she will be the dominant sound source. The closer you can get to the action, the better your sound will be.

5. When it's windy outdoors, use your windscreen setting or make sure your windscreen is on before shooting. Turn it off or remove it indoors.

6. To reduce motor noise from your camcorder, In quiet environments, work those features that use motors before you start shooting. Set your shot with your zoom before you start to record and then focus manually.

7. Turn off AGC or automatic gain control. Most camcorders provide an AGC circuit for their built-in mikes. Basically, this circuit raises or lowers the recording level based on the strength of the incoming signal from your mike. They give you the advantage of not having to worry about your audio recording level while you're busy shooting.

But the AGC circuit can be a major problem when you want good audio. Weak sound will cause the circuit to raise the recorded level of everything, including background noise, camcorder noise and even microphone hiss.

If you use only one of these suggestions--get closer. This should offer you more audio improvement than all of the others combined. However, if you try all of these suggestions, you'll be well on the road to getting the best possible audio from your built-in mike.

Stereo Mikes

Stereo mikes pick up sounds from the right and left sides just as well as sounds from in front of the camcorder. Because of this, they can be more difficult to use when trying to get quality audio from a single source. If you're shooting in quiet environments (indoors, for example), ambient sounds coming from the side may not be a problem for your stereo mike.

Trying to shoot someone talking on a busy city street can be horror with a stereo mike; all the noise coming in from the sides comes in at the same level as the talent's voice. Here again, the closer you are, the better your intended sound will dominate the recording. In this situation, you might want to consider making little cardboard sound baffles to place against the sides of your camcorder mike. These will help block out ambient noise coming from the sides.

A lot of people think that because they have a stereo mike, they can make good musical recordings regardless of where they place it. But if you're shooting live music or stage plays, the placement of your camcorder can make or break your audio. If you're way back in the audience, your sound may have a tinny quality, or you may find that audience noise dominates the audio.

The sound may also blend together before it reaches you, causing little difference in the right and left channel playback. The solution: get closer.

But don't get too close, because this can cause problems as well. Let's take our previous example: you want to tape a rock band's performance with your stereo mike. You could very well end up with unbalanced stereo sound unless you know exactly where to stand (near the middle, where you can pick up all instruments equally).

During a play or stage show, it's not likely that you'll be able to walk into the performance. So try to shoot from the very center of the front rows, if your ticket (or the house management) allows it.

If possible, try to do a rehearsal for every shooting setup and listen to the sound in your headphones. This is the only way to judge the quality of the sound you're getting. If it doesn't sound right, stop. Figure out what's wrong or where to re-position and fix it. Use your headphones as a tool to get good sound.

Listen to Show # 11

[audio=http://audiogeekzine.com/podcast/011.hrs.mp3]

Links:
These plugins were used in the Modulation segment.
Chorus and Phaser - http://www.stillwellaudio.com/?page_id=39
Flanger - http://kunz.corrupt.ch/?Products:VST_TAL-Flanger
Tremolo - http://www.niallmoody.com/ndcplugs/ndctrem.htm
Vibrato - http://www.twocircuits.com/freeware.php

These are the DIY preamp kits we talked about
FiveFishStudios Kits - http://fivefishstudios.com/
Seventh Circle Audio Kits - http://www.seventhcircleaudio.com/

Enjoy!

2. Use an external microphone to limit the noise from the recorder, preferably a condenser microphone. Make sure you handle the microphone correctly to avoid artifacts on the recordings. No rings, no unnecessary hand movement and keep it clear of clothes and other fabrics. Use a windscreen aswell.

3. Use batteries that do not drain out slowly, but the kind that cut the power directly when the power is too low. These are often available at music stores, since they often are used in effect pedals. This allows for limiting artifacts from power fluctuations or low power which is a known audio phenomena.

4. Before performing an EVP session, it is useful to get a baseline reading by using a  recorder, preferably of some quality and with a decent microphone, and via headphones listen to the room for a short while. This will help you find sound sources that may contaminate the recording , so that you can pick them out when you review the recording or remove them from the room. There a number of sound sources that is not readily audible to the human ear, but that a good microphone picks up. Anything which is electrical or  mechanical can produce sounds, good examples are fans or heating. This also allows for find sounds leaking in and sound travelling from outside or inside the house to the specific location you are recording in.

5. Before an EVP session, try to determine whether there is risk of travelling sounds contaminating the recording. Do a test, preferably just before starting the investigation, where one person stands in the room you intend to investigate while the another person walks the house and speaks and makes sounds. Repeat this procedure for all the rooms you intend to do EVP sessions in. Make sure, perhaps with a third person that talking or noises from outdoor does not travel indoors into the rooms you intend to investigate.

6. Supervise or control the recording device from external manipulation. This means as far as possible using shielding devices such as the Faraday cage or likewise. If you are leaving it unattended make sure to leave it in a secure location where you can control the access to it or videotape it. And again, shield it. If you can lock the door or doors, that is preferable. And again make sure to keep the location and surroundings under control to avoid contamination of the recording. That means no speaking, laughing or running around outside the room or location. Also note the time when leaving audibly into the recording and when returning, and who you are. Be sure to schedule the time so that recorders are not left indefinitely and make sure everyone on your team knows where the recorder is and that it is running. All to avoid contamination.

7. Before starting an EVP session, note the time and let the persons present audibly state their name into the recorder. This should help in distinguishing the team's voices from any other voices heard on the tape. Make sure only one person handles the recorder, though. Make yourselves comfortable, to avoid unnecessary movement and make sure everyone is close enough to the recorder to be easily discernable. Preferably, the recorder is placed on a stationary surface with the microphone in a stand and shielded with a Faraday cage or likewise. Movement is to kept to the minimal, and when movement or other sounds, coughs, sighs, scratching or whatnot, is made state that audibly in to the recorder and explain the source. Anyone entering or leaving should state their name audibly  into the recording, and if the are leaving or entering and at what time. Again, this is all for comparisment purposes and to avoid false readings and furthermost to facilitate the reviewing process.

8. The reviewing process should preferably be done by two people separately, who  wasn't  present at the EVP session in question. That is to avoid bias and  retrofitting  on what might be found. It's not possible to wholly rule out bias or retrofitting for example, without using two independent reviewers who wasn't present for the investigation. That is a steep task, I admit, but cruciable and should be done. Of course, the primary objective is to help the client and haist might be of essence, and that takes presidence, Therefor it is possible to use team members, present or not present at the EVP session, for reviewing. But anything claimed as anomolous, unexplainable or evidence of paranormal phenomena needs to be peer-reviewed if we are make it a credible claim. Therefor it is also important to use a transparent methodology and to maintain some kind of protocol. And to let independent peers review it, before making a claim with any certainty.

9. A written report should be included with any caught EVP's, stating which kind of recorder and microphone was used, where it was recorded, timestamps, who was present,  the methods used for ruling out natural sounds or contamination and what the recorded voices are believed to say. The latter should of course be included separately to be disclosed for the person reviewing after the reviewing is completed. This to compare the notes and avoid retrofitting. Of course as far as possible, the whole recording is to be archived and be open for anyone wishing to review it. 

10. Questions used in an EVP session, should be of two kinds. Open questions and  closed questions. To illustrate, open questions are questions of the type: Tell me about yourself or tell me more or the journalistic favourites how? and why? This allow for lengthier responses in humans as well in possible entities. It also allows for a better claim for connecting questions and answers since a "yes" or "no" really can be answers to anything and furthermost appear randomly. Lengthier responses is more tangible and not as easily misinterpretations of actual, naturally occuring, sounds in the environment. It makes interpretations easier and holds up better against scrutiny since they are not as easily prey to retrofitting, matrixing and other phenomena. But lengthier responses does require more energy and it is possible the entity might not be able to sustain their audial output for that long. Therefor closed questions such as "are you X", "did you live here" are necessary, where the questions implies facts making it easier for the ghosts not having to provide them but just confirm or deny. But, possible answers to such questions are to be taken with factors such as retrofitting, matrixing and chance considered. The bottom line, think of EVP sessions as interviews, not conversations.  

11. At the start of the EVP session and recording, it is common courtesy to identify and present yourself and what you intend to do. And do this audibly into the recorder. Questions should be stated clearly and politely. Speak cleanly and avoid profanity. Provoking should be limited, preferably not used at all. It is lack of respect for any possible entities as well as for your clients and for the field at large. It is neither proven a good method to provide more EVP's, quite the opposite. This does not mean you can't be harsh at times, and even demanding, that is in order and might prove useful, but avoid outright provoking. 

That is my eleven notes. Of course, these are not engraved in stone, but guidelines coming from experience and a review of methods used by different groups. This is all written with the explicit wish for an advancement  in the methodology of the paranormal field and not primarily as a critique. The more the paranormal field adopts scientific methodology and subject itself under transparent and reviewable protocols or guidelines and furthermost provide the investigations, claims and evidence for peer-review, the more we advance this field.  Which is what we all want, I presume.