The Mask Audio Electronics Titan is a fuzz pedal from a boutique builder based in Michigan. Delicious Audio's Paolo De Gregorio describes it as a stripped-down take on the Big Muff, covering a range he sums up as "Pleasant transistor overdrive to full-on doom meltdown."1 It sits in the wider family of fuzz pedals built around the Muff circuit, alongside other Mask Audio designs like the Black Math.
Controls
The Titan keeps its panel simple: two knobs and a toggle.
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| MORE (gain) | Rolling it back removes bass as well as gain, producing a crunchy overdrive sound1 |
| LOUD | Master volume1 |
| Texture (toggle) | Introduces Schottky diodes into the circuit for more compression and upper octave artifacts1 |
The gain control's taper is the notable design choice here: because rolling back the MORE knob strips out low end along with gain, the pedal narrows into overdrive voicing rather than simply getting quieter, which is what lets one two-knob fuzz cover both ends of its range.1
Where it came from
De Gregorio says the Titan "started as one of my first DIY projects" before becoming a finished product.1 It was also the first Mask Audio Electronics project to have enclosures finished in house, and because of variations in the etching and stamping process, each Titan looks distinct.1
In mid-2019, Evan from Dirge Electronics and De Gregorio did a limited run of the Titan made specifically for low tuned instruments and bass guitar.1 That version is a limited edition, so it differs from the standard pedal described above.
Power and switching
The Titan runs on a standard Boss-style supply: 9VDC through a 2.1mm center negative connector.1 Its bypass is not a conventional mechanical true-bypass footswitch: it uses soft-touch relay bypass, an Incandenza switching design developed by Steve Demedash.1 Relay bypass still takes the pedal out of the signal path when off, but the footswitch press is soft-touch rather than the click of a mechanical switch.
How it compares
Spaceman Effects has also used the Titan name for fuzz pedals. The Spaceman Titan II: Fuzz Machine is a separate design that uses conventional true-bypass switching with open-frame Switchcraft jacks,3 and Delicious Audio found it "sounds awesome with standard, bass and baritone guitars, as well as most things you plug into it."4 The two share only a name: the Mask Audio Titan is the Muff-based, relay-bypass pedal covered on this page.
Videos
collector//emitter
Demos In The Dark
Hondo Felder Music
Questions
Is the Mask Audio Electronics Titan based on a Big Muff?
Yes. Delicious Audio's Paolo De Gregorio describes the Titan as a stripped-down take on the Big Muff circuit. The design trims the classic Muff layout down to a gain control, a master volume and a Texture toggle, and the gain control itself is voiced so that rolling it back removes bass as well as gain, taking the pedal from full fuzz into crunchy overdrive territory.
Does the Titan work with bass guitar?
A mid-2019 limited run of the Titan, done by Paolo De Gregorio of Mask Audio Electronics together with Evan from Dirge Electronics, was made specifically for low tuned instruments and bass guitar. That version was a limited edition, so the standard Titan is the version most players will encounter.
What power supply does the Mask Audio Titan need?
The Titan uses a standard Boss-style power supply: 9VDC through a 2.1mm center negative connector. Any regulated 9V supply with that plug type will run it, and it does not call for anything unusual in terms of voltage or polarity.
What is the Texture switch on the Titan?
The Texture toggle introduces Schottky diodes into the circuit. According to Delicious Audio, engaging it brings more compression and upper octave artifacts, so it shifts the fuzz from a straightforward Muff-style voice toward something tighter and more harmonically active.
Does the Titan use true bypass?
Not in the mechanical sense. The Titan uses soft-touch relay bypass switching, an Incandenza design developed by Steve Demedash. Relay bypass is a form of true bypass that uses an electronic relay rather than a mechanical footswitch, giving a soft-touch press while still removing the pedal from the signal path when off.
Who is Dirge Electronics and what was their part in the Titan?
Dirge Electronics is a builder whose Evan collaborated with Mask Audio Electronics on a limited mid-2019 run of the Titan. That run was made specifically for low tuned instruments and bass guitar, adapting the standard Titan design for players who tune down.
Sources (4)
- Mask Audio Electronics Titan Muff-Style Fuzz, Delicious Audio, 2020-10-19
- Titan - Mask Audio Electronics, Mask Audio Electronics
- Titan II: Fuzz Machine, Spaceman Effects
- Spaceman Effects Titan II Fuzz Machine, Delicious Audio, 2018-03-29
