EarthQuaker Devices Grand Orbiter vs Heavy Metal FX HMFX Phase Riot Factory Second
The EarthQuaker Devices Grand Orbiter and the Heavy Metal FX HMFX Phase Riot Factory Second are both pedals sharing modulated. The Heavy Metal FX HMFX Phase Riot Factory Second leans aggressive and high gain.
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Blended from circuit-archetype lineage, dynamic feel, tone-signal overlap and tone-vector distance — the tone vector itself is derived from editorial description text, not a measured acoustic signal, so this reflects how similarly the catalog copy describes the two, not a lab measurement. Shown only within a gear class, and only where there's enough evidence to be meaningful.43% — somewhat different
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Genres both listings are associated with.- Alternative Rock
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Derived from overlapping tonal signals across both listings.- modulated
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Citation/mention fame — how often this gear is cited across artist rigs and gear discussion.$199via Reverb
The EarthQuaker Devices Grand Orbiter is a 4-stage OTA-based phaser built around Rate, Depth, Sweep, and Resonance controls, offering a wide range of phaser textures from subtle swirl to intense, resonant sweeping. As the original version, it uses a hard mechanical footswitch, later replaced in V3 by a quieter soft switch with added Flexi-switch momentary functionality. The underlying 4-stage OTA phaser circuit and its four tone-shaping controls are identical across versions, meaning the original delivers the same core phaser character that made the Grand Orbiter a well-regarded pedal in EarthQuaker's lineup.
Heavy Metal FX is a small boutique builder whose catalog leans toward gain and modulation pedals aimed at metal and hard-rock players, and the Phase Riot is the brand's take on an aggressive phaser rather than a subtle, vintage-style sweep. This particular unit is listed as a factory second, meaning it likely carries a minor cosmetic flaw such as an enclosure scratch or slightly off-center graphic rather than any functional defect, sold at a discount versus a first-quality unit. Specific control layout and sweep-rate range for this model aren't confirmed here beyond the boutique gain-pedal positioning implied by the brand's broader catalog.
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Genres this gear is documented as being used in.- Ambient
- Classic Rock
- Funk
- Blues
- Metal
- Hard Rock
- aggressive
- high gain