We are often asked about the tools we use for our investigation, but the second most common question about Evidence is what software do you use to review the photographic, audio, and video evidence?

There are many excellent tools for reviewing photographic evidence. It would be terrific if some visual anomaly would "hold still", announcing its presence, while we snap a picture, but that has not been our experience. We do not manipulate images to create evidence. If there is some unusual object or photographic anomaly, we may use filters to isolate the instance or identify its source. It is not typical to post these filtered photos unless noted. We use software to isolate and validate/invalidate object and/or anomalies.

Photographic Software:

• Adobe Photoshop CS3 (Expensive)
• Picassa (Free)

If you have watched any episode of TAPS, you will notice the software they use for their reveal is Cool Edit Pro. This is an excellent program used for the analysis of digital audio. The software creates a visual representation of the recorded audio displayed on tracks. There are a wide range of filters used for reducing background noise or increasing the decibel levels. Other features include isolating tracks to a separate file, changing the frequency, stretching or compressing wavelengths, and adjusting amplitude. Class A EVP's require no filters.

Audio Software:

• Cool Edit Pro (Discontinued) ~ Adobe purchased this Company/Software
• Adobe Audition (formerly Cool Edit Pro)

Video Evidence