An EAS system employs multiple antennas which are in separate electrical circuits and do not overlap to avoid magnetic coupling. Each antenna is paired with each other antenna. The controls for the system employ multi-function amplifier filters (MAF) to perform a difference operation on the signals in each pair. The results are converted from analog to digital and directed to a digital signal processor (DSP). The DSP adjusts digital potentiometers to minimize the differences at the MAFs. The controls then operate at least one antenna to pulse generate an interrogation field. The controls monitor the antenna signals for additional signal at the MAFs. The DSP performs pattern recognition on additional signals at the MAFs to distinguish types of EAS tags.