Electro Kabuki dropper modules are internally hard-wired at the time of manufacture and designated as ‘Circuit 1’ or ‘Circuit 2’. The designation of each module is marked on the product label and stamped into the metal load-hook jaw.

If you’re rigging a simple drop, you will want all your dropper modules to actuate in one go. In this case, it makes no difference whether you use Circuit 1, Circuit 2 or a mixture of both. The firing box allows you to fire them all simultaneously.

Circuit 1 or Circuit 2 dropper module designation only becomes significant when you rig a more sophisticated reveal effect, like a flop and drop or phased drop (see the EK System page for configuration examples). And the good news is that you can still control these advanced effects from a single firing box, connected to the rig by just one cable.

For example, to set up a phased drop, simply rig all your Circuit 1 dropper modules for the first part of the two-phase drop and all Circuit 2 dropper modules for the second part of the effect. Now use the firing box to control the drop sequence.

The basic firing box and DMX/sensing firing box feature a rotary switch to select which dropper modules are fired: either Circuit 1, Circuit 2 or ‘Both’. The DMX/Sensing firing box has an additional position on its rotary switch to select ‘DMX’. In this position, firing control is handed over to the event’s central automation control system using industry-standard DMX protocols.

Selecting Circuit 1 and pressing the Fire button (on either style of firing box) will release only those module droppers designated as Circuit 1. Turning the selector switch to Circuit 2 lines up the next part of the release for the dropper modules designated as Circuit 2. That’s how you manage a 2-circuit drop: select 1, fire; select 2, fire. Couldn’t be easier! As you might expect, selecting ‘Both’ and then hitting the fire button will operate all your dropper modules simultaneously.

The single cable that connects the firing box to the first electro kabuki dropper module carries the power and signal for both circuits; you don’t need two cables. It’s the same with the cables that link the modules together.

Our popular Electro Kabuki starter packs include 4 dropper modules. We always include two each of Circuit 1 and Circuit 2. That allows you to rig a phased kabuki drop or run an experiment to see how that works. Of course, you can always fire all four modules at once by selecting the ‘Both’ setting on the firing box.