Equalizer allows you to keep a close look on buffs and debuffs on you, your target, your focus, or your pet, to see which buffs are up, how many stacks they have, and how long until they run out and need to be renewed.
Getting started
To get started, sync equalizer to your current role by using, for example, /eq role 1. This allows you to keep different configurations for different roles, quickly switching them by putting something like /eq role n into your role change macro.
Next, stand next to the dummy, buff up, cast your debuffs dummy, and possibly use your abilities that stack up buffs or may proc a buff. Equalizer will build a list of all buffs/debuffs it sees for you to use.
Then, use /eq config. Select a debuff you want to watch by clicking the first text entry box on the right side, then either type the name of the buff you want to watch, or pick it from the select box. Next, put the maximum number of stacks of this buff into the 2nd entry field. In the third field, you can select who you want to watch the buff on, and in the 4th field, select the name of the ability you want to show with the buff. This can be the ability that casts the buff, or it can be an ability you want to use when a certain buff is up.
Save the configuration for this buff, move to the <empty> row on the left side, and repeat until you're finished.
Changing the appearance of the addon
You can drag the equalizer box around as long as you aren't infight. To help you see if the box is draggable, the frame around it will turn green when you can move it, and red when it's locked.
You can change the width of the bars (and the size of the ability icon) using /eq size <size>, e.g. /eq size 50.
To change the height, use /eq height <size>. This INCLUDES the size of the ability icon, so /eq size 50 and /eq height 100 gives you a square ability box below a square buff box.
The buff display
Each buff display shows the remaining duration of the buff (bar height) and the number of stacks in relation to the maximum configured (bar width). So, if there's a buff you have to apply several times, enter the appropriate value when configuring, and you'll see how the bar fills up from left to right when you stack up the buff.
Your buffs will be shown in light green when renewed, and change their color to yellow, then red, as they run out. If a buff has run out completely, but a different player has the same buff on the target, equalizer will show that in a dark greyish green color. This is useful for buffs that have to be applied only once per raid - you'll see if the buff is already up by somebody else so you don't have to cast it yourself.
You can press the ability icon below the buff display to trigger the ability on the unit that's watched. So, if you're assigned to heal the 2nd tank in a raid, you could take the 1st tank into focus, configure Equalizer to watch a debuff on your focus, then press the ability below that buff bar to purge or heal the 1st tank without ever switching targets.
Watching Life and Mana
You can watch the life and mana of selected raid members as well. Select the "* Life" or "* Mana" buff from the list. Then, type "group01" into the target field -- group01 assumes your main tank is the 1st member in the raid, anything from group01 to group20 works. Combining this with an ability like essence surge gives you a nice way to quickly heal your main tank even when you're raid-healing and not having the tank in your target or focus. Similarily, bards can use this to give their raid healers mana when they drop low.
Commands
/eq config - show the config screen /eq hide - hide the config screen (not the equalizer bars themselves) /eq role <X> - switch to role (and configuration set) X. X can be just a number that corresponds to your role number, but it can be anything else as well. So, if you're playing chloromancer, you might have 2 macros "/eq role tankheal" and "/eq role groupheal" to change configurations within the same role. /eq freeze, /eq melt - In some encounters, like open world bosses or event bosses, with dozens of players casting hundreds of buffs on the boss, equalizer might get quite CPU intensive. /eq freeze stops equalizer from updating in this case, possibly improving your frame rate. /eq melt starts updates again. This setting is NOT saved, equalizer is always in "melted" state after login. /eq hideothers Hide buffs from others completely /eq showothers Show buffs from others in a darker, less visible color than mine /eq showothers <alpha> Show buffs from others more/less distinct than normally. alpha=0.2 is default, alpha=1 shows other's buffs as if they were yours, alpha=0 is identical to hideothers. /eq lock, /eq unlock prevents/allows movement of the Equalizer buff window /eq copy <role> copies the configuration from <role> to your current one, use for similar configurations /eq reset resets the list of known buffs, in case you've been playing for a while and get flooded in Buffs from other players/roles /eq alpha <n> set the transparency of the window, 0 makes it transparent, 1 fully opaque; values between 0 and 1 work as well (/eq alpha 0.2)