EarthQuaker Devices Grand Orbiter vs MXR Phase 95

The EarthQuaker Devices Grand Orbiter and the MXR Phase 95 are both pedals sharing low gain, modulated.

Similarity
citedBlended 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.

44% somewhat different

Shared tone character
citedDerived from overlapping tonal signals across both listings.
  • low gain
  • modulated
Citation fame
citedCitation/mention fame — how often this gear is cited across artist rigs and gear discussion.
17%
0%
Price

$199via Reverb

Description

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.

The MXR Phase 95 is a compact phaser combining Phase 45 and Phase 90 circuits with a Script/Block toggle, offering four-stage and two-stage phasing in a mini enclosure. Used by Steve Lukather, it delivers classic MXR swirl from subtle shimmer to deeper modulation, suited to rock and fusion clean and lead tones. Its compact size and dual voices make it pedalboard-friendly.

Genres
citedGenres this gear is documented as being used in.
  • Ambient
  • Classic Rock
  • Funk
  • Blues
  • Alternative Rock
  • Rock

Related searches

EarthQuaker Devices Grand Orbiter vs MXR Phase 95 — Shared Character & Differences — NodeTone