The Mask Audio Line Blur is a semi-parametric EQ and overdrive pedal for guitar and bass, made by Mask Audio1. It is a reinterpretation of the legendary Pultec EQP-1a, a vintage studio EQ, optimized for electric guitar2. For a player, that means a pedal that can shape mids and highs in a studio-EQ style and also add saturation, from light overdrive through distortion to fuzz, depending on how the gain knobs are set1.
What it does to your sound
Delicious Audio's Paolo De Gregorio describes the pedal's character as "lo-fi in a hi-fi kind of way"1. The semi-parametric mid control opens up a wide range of tones, which he says includes "the always trendy scooped and boosted mids, not to mention the cocked wah of Zappian memory"1. The pedal runs on audiophile-grade op amps1.
The controls: Freq, Mid, More and Loud
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Freq | Sets the frequency boosted or cut by the Mid knob1 |
| Mid | Boosts or cuts the frequency set by the Freq control1 |
| More | Gain knob: turning it up adds saturation ranging from overdrive to distortion, and even fuzz when the EQ controls are turned up1 |
| Loud | The second of the two gain knobs; both can be turned down for a clean EQ1 |
On top of the mid section, the Hi Boost and Hi Cut knobs each have their own rotary knob selecting the center frequency, also optimized for guitar2.
Clean EQ and clean boost modes
The two gain knobs, Loud and More, and the three EQ controls give the pedal two useful neutral settings1:
- Clean EQ: with the two gain knobs (Loud and More) down, the pedal works as a clean EQ1
- Clean boost: with the three EQ controls in their neutral position, it acts as a clean boost1
That flexibility puts it in territory shared by dedicated EQ pedals, overdrive pedals and boost pedals, and its saturation range reaches into distortion and fuzz when the EQ controls are turned up alongside More1.
What reviewers said
Paolo De Gregorio at Delicious Audio summed the pedal up this way:
"This looks like a very useful pedal that's also creative in its own way, allowing to dial up a variety of tones"
In Delicious Audio's later EQ buying guide, Griffin Jennings included it among the pedals worth a player's attention, describing it as "A reinterpretation of the legendary Pultec EQP-1a, optimized for electric guitar."2
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Questions
Is the Mask Audio Line Blur based on a Pultec?
Yes. Delicious Audio's buying guide, written by Griffin Jennings, describes the Line Blur as a reinterpretation of the legendary Pultec EQP-1a, a vintage studio EQ, optimized for electric guitar. The pedal brings that studio-style approach to a format guitar and bass players can put on a board.
Can the Line Blur be used as a clean EQ?
Yes. According to Delicious Audio's Paolo De Gregorio, the pedal works as a clean EQ when the two gain knobs, Loud and More, are turned down. That leaves the EQ section on its own, shaping the tone without added saturation.
Does the Line Blur work with bass?
Yes. Delicious Audio describes the Line Blur as a semi-parametric EQ and overdrive pedal for guitar and bass, so it is aimed at both instruments rather than guitar alone.
Can the Line Blur act as a clean boost?
Yes. Paolo De Gregorio of Delicious Audio notes that the pedal can act as a clean boost when the three EQ controls are in their neutral position, with the EQ section effectively out of the way.
What does the Freq knob do on the Line Blur?
The Freq control sets the frequency that the Mid knob boosts or cuts. Together they form a semi-parametric mid section, so you choose the center frequency with Freq and then decide how much it is boosted or cut with Mid.
Sources (2)
- Mask Audio Line Blur EQ, Delicious Audio, 2023-02-17
- 2023 UPDATE! Best EQ Pedals For Guitar: Graphic & Parametric, Delicious Audio, 2023-12-13