The NUX Masamune is a boost pedal and a compressor built into a single metal housing, made by NUX. NUX describes the pairing as the gigging guitarist's secret weapon: the pedal processes your dry signal, enhancing the sound before it reaches your amp or other effects, and the Booster side adds what the maker calls beneficial color to the signal1. Pedal of the Day reviewed it in July 2024 under its full name, the NBK-5 Masamune Booster & Kompressor, noting that it puts two effects in one box with selectable signal routing2.
What it does: a booster and compressor in one housing
The Masamune combines two of the most common utility pedals a player puts at the front of a signal chain. The Booster section can raise volume or push an amp into breakup, and the Kompressor section evens out dynamics and adds sustain. Pedal of the Day summed up the range of uses: "Bring the funk, boost your volume, breakup your amp, they're all possible with this gleaming white beauty!"2
What sets the Masamune apart from buying two separate boxes is its selectable internal routing. NUX gives the inside routing three functions1:
- Both effects in a parallel connection
- MUTEX mode (toggle up), which engages only one effect at a time
- A mode that lets you choose which effect comes first in the signal chain
That last option matters in practice. Compressor into boost and boost into compressor behave differently, and being able to flip the order without repatching the board is the kind of flexibility a fixed two-in-one pedal usually cannot offer.
Controls
Each side of the pedal has its own control set. The Boost section carries Boost Level, Drive, and Hi-Cut controls1, and the compressor side adds its own knobs1.
| Control | Section | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Boost Level | Boost | Adjusts the boost level1 |
| Drive | Boost | Sets the drive character of the boost section1 |
| Hi-Cut toggle | Boost | Cuts high frequencies on the input signal, after boost and drive levels are set1 |
| Clip toggle | Boost | Chooses the clipping range of the input signal; toggle up squeezes the signal for a voluminous sound, toggle down opens up more space in the clipping range1 |
| Sustain | Compressor | Adjusts the compression ratio and increases sustain; higher settings squash the signal harder for longer, richer sustain2 |
| Komp Level | Compressor | Sets the compressor's final output level, balancing input and output signals2 |
| Blend | Compressor | Adjusts compressor transparency from 50% to 100%, so you can dial in the exact amount of compressed dry signal1 |
The Blend knob is worth a note for players new to compression. Because it blends from half to full compression, the effect can stay subtle rather than fully squashing the signal, which is a common complaint about simpler compressor designs12.
Power and connections
The Masamune runs on 9V DC with a negative tip, using NUX's optional ACD-006A adapter, and draws 20mA1. That is a light draw, well within what a typical isolated power supply or even a daisy chain can handle alongside other pedals.
The pedal also has an external footswitch jack input, so you can operate it with an additional remote switch1. For a player with a large board, that means the Masamune can sit anywhere and still be switched from a more convenient position.
NUX publishes these measured specifications for the pedal1:
| Specification | Value |
|---|---|
| Frequency response | 20Hz to 20kHz, plus or minus 1dB |
| Dynamic range | +110dBu |
| Input | +5dBu |
| Output | +10dBu (THD+N no greater than 5%) |
| THD+N | -100dBu (A-weighted) |
Where it came from
The Masamune houses both of its effects in a single metal enclosure, which NUX describes as putting "both pedals... in one convenient metal housing" with selectable signal routing1. That routing option is the pedal's main point of difference from buying a separate boost and compressor: the player can choose how the two stages connect rather than being locked into a fixed order.
What reviewers said
Pedal of the Day covered the pedal in July 2024, walking through both sections and the routing options. The review described the pedal's overall job in the same terms the maker uses, processing the dry signal and enhancing it before the amp or other effects2. On the compressor side, the reviewer explained Sustain and Komp Level in practical terms: higher Sustain settings squash the signal harder and create longer, richer sustain, while Komp Level balances the input and output signals2.
Videos
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Mike Hermans
Questions
Is the NUX Masamune analog?
Yes. NUX lists the Masamune's signal type as Pure Analog. The maker also publishes a frequency response of 20Hz to 20kHz at plus or minus 1dB, a dynamic range of +110dBu, and THD+N of -100dBu (A-weighted).
What does the Hi-Cut switch on the NUX Masamune do?
The Hi-Cut toggle switch cuts high frequencies on the input signal. NUX positions it as a shaping step after you have set the Boost and Drive levels, so you can tame brightness once the boost character is dialed in.
Can you use the boost and compressor on the Masamune separately?
Yes. The internal routing has three functions: both effects in a parallel connection, a MUTEX mode (toggle up) that engages only one effect at a time, and a mode that lets you choose which effect comes first in the signal chain.
What is the remote footswitch jack on the NUX Masamune for?
The Masamune has an external footswitch jack input, so you can operate the pedal with an additional remote switch. That lets you place the pedal anywhere on a board or in a rack and still switch it from a more convenient spot.
Sources (2)
- Masamune, NUX Audio, 2025-11-06
- NUX NBK-5 Masamune Booster & Kompressor, Pedal of the Day, 2024-07-25
