EQ KillerTypically, a DJ will drastically EQ (or kill) some rhythmic element such as a kick drum or snare, and then bring this element in and out of the overall mix. The Electrix EQ Killer ($299) is a Kill Box that lets DJs and producers EQ an element without investing in expensive equipment. Built like a tank, the unit comes encased in a rugged aluminum housing that will absorb a lot of abuse. With the included joiner plate, you can connect two Electrix Mods devices in a 19-inch rack. The EQ Killer can also rest on a flat surface. The front panel is tilted upward, making the controls easier to read.
Kill the BandThe front panel is divided into three sections: Low, Mid, and High. Each section has a Momentary switch, a Band Kill switch, and level control knobs. The level knobs dial up the amount of gain or attenuation for their respective frequency bands, offering up to 6 dB of gain per band. Unity gain is achieved when the level knob is set at 12 o'clock. Between the Low, Mid, and High level knobs are the Low X-Over and High X-Over sweep controls. The Low X-Over sets the point where the Low band ends and the Mid band starts. The High X-Over adjusts where the Mid band ends and the High band starts.
The back panel has three input/output sections. Inputs 1 and 2 have standard RCA stereo connectors. There's also a switch to select between line level and turntable input levels, and grounding posts for turntables. The third section's Send/Return loop lets you apply external effects to the killed band. At the front of the unit's bottom right-hand corner is an input selection switch for toggling between turntables or line-level devices. The button will act as a bypass switch if there's only one device connected to EQ Killer.
Freq OutBy dialing out the Low level, cranking up the Mid and High levels, and adjusting the Mid and High X-Over frequencies, you can create a mix that sounds as though it's playing through your telephone's speaker. By twirling the Mid and High level knobs to 0 dB and cranking the Low level all the way up, you can also get the familiar thud and thump of that bass-from-the-trunk-of-your-car sound. If you use it tastefully, the EQ Killer can have a stunning effect on mixes.
To focus on the hi-hat in your mix, kill the Low and Mid bands and boost the High X-Over. With help from the Band Kill and Momentary switches, you can change the groove by rhythmically adding and subtracting the low- and midfrequency elements.
To remove a vocal track, kill the Mid band and work with the Low and High X-Over knobs to fudge and smudge the vocal track out of existence. On some of my test mixes, I couldn't completely eliminate the vocal track; this probably stemmed from the way the track was mixed down. If you attempt to remove a vocal track, you'll lose related frequencies that you might otherwise want to leave in. It's not perfect - but it is interesting.
Frequency DependentThis unit may not look like much, but there's a lot of on-the-fly sound-shaping going on here. Once you get to know the EQ Killer's functions, it can become a very cool, creative widget in your production bag of tricks.