There are both XLR and 1/4" / 6.35mm line-level inputs, each being DC coupled. The XLR output includes a Class-A transformer, which offers isolation from ground loops and hum with soft saturation and a beefy low end often associated with vintage gear. Additionally, there is a 1/4" / 6.35 mm instrument input on the front panel, which effectively turns the Lil Freq into an instrument DI for studio recording and live performance applications. The Lil Freq is hand-wired in the USA and ships with a standard IEC power cord.
The Lil Freq from Empirical Labs is a mastering quality equalizer with eight processing sections including two shelf equalizers, a high-pass (low-cut) filter, four fully parametric equalizer bands, and a dynamic equalizer section for de-essing and high-frequency limiting. The Lil Freq utilizes traditional and digitally controlled analog circuitry combined in a new topology, which offers a performance that exceeds most digital EQs in terms of distortion and noise.