has anyone tried this pedal on bass? I saw a band tonight and their guitarist kicked it on and it sounded insane. I want to get one for bass but I don't know if it will stack up to my psilocybe phaser. Just curios if anyone has tried one on bass!
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Earthquaker devices phaser
- Thread starter Musicman1901
- Start date
If it's the Grand Orbiter you're thinking of ... my opinion is that it is a great sounding phaser but too dark and too subtle to work really well for bass in a mix, it gets a bit lost. From what I've read about the Psilocybe (haven't tried it myself) it is a better phaser for bass.
Interesting that it sounds too dark. It's so tough to find good
Examples of pedals on bass. I end up having to buy things blindly all the time.
Examples of pedals on bass. I end up having to buy things blindly all the time.
Have you tried te psilocybe by any chance? Or at least heard it? How does it compare to that?
Based on the vid I'd say the Grand Orbiter is a bit less 'thick'. Four controls for Sweep, Rate, Resonance and Depth. A rate switch and a dry on off ( I have an older one.) So maybe a bit more options for dialing in what you want. It's very responsive to touch. I had one song where i needed that down sweep on a certain spot and I could nail it every time. Fretnomore says it's dark and subtle. I don't think its that dark and it IS subtle if you want that but it can get bonkers too if that's your thing.
It does let your original tone seep in which I like. It doesn't 'take over'.
It does let your original tone seep in which I like. It doesn't 'take over'.
Awesome man, thanks for the description. That's very insightful! I appreciate it. I may have to get one. It sounded so awesome on that guys rig last night!
Just my $0.02 but I didn't find the Grand Orbiter to be subtle at all unless you turned down the resonance significantly. Now, I had the old bigger box version but I'm guessing the circuit and sound are still the same.
To me the Earthquaker has a very thick tone with a prominent pulse which makes sense as it was based (at least in part) on the old DOD 490. I don't like it as a funky phaser but I thought it sounded great with dirt.
Here's an old thread I made comparing the Earthquaker with the Blackout Whetstone and Maxon PH-350.
Phaser Battle Royale
Unfortunately the clips and pictures are long gone but you can read my thoughts on the Grand Orbiter in post #38. For reference the Psilocybe is somewhere between the Whetstone and the Maxon in 4 stage mode. Not as dark as the Whetstone but with a more interesting waveshape than the Maxon.
Having gone through a ton of phasers I am personally using the Source Audio Lunar these days. To be fair, I'm not a fan of Phase 90 or the many boutique clones based on the "script" circuit but lots of people love them. But depending on what you're going for, the Grand Orbiter definitely has a lot of good points.
To me the Earthquaker has a very thick tone with a prominent pulse which makes sense as it was based (at least in part) on the old DOD 490. I don't like it as a funky phaser but I thought it sounded great with dirt.
Here's an old thread I made comparing the Earthquaker with the Blackout Whetstone and Maxon PH-350.
Phaser Battle Royale
Unfortunately the clips and pictures are long gone but you can read my thoughts on the Grand Orbiter in post #38. For reference the Psilocybe is somewhere between the Whetstone and the Maxon in 4 stage mode. Not as dark as the Whetstone but with a more interesting waveshape than the Maxon.
Having gone through a ton of phasers I am personally using the Source Audio Lunar these days. To be fair, I'm not a fan of Phase 90 or the many boutique clones based on the "script" circuit but lots of people love them. But depending on what you're going for, the Grand Orbiter definitely has a lot of good points.
Thick/dark, maybe we're saying the same thing. Compared to for instance the EHX Small Stone which I find has a thinner/brighter sound that you hear better in the mix I still find the GO less audible. Now, you mention dirt, that is another matter because the phaser will have more highs and mids to work with and there the GO does work better IMHO.
Anyway, best to try and listen to pedals yourself if possible. It must work with your own combination of bass/pedals/amp and online samples- and opinions - may not give the whole story.
Anyway, best to try and listen to pedals yourself if possible. It must work with your own combination of bass/pedals/amp and online samples- and opinions - may not give the whole story.
Thanks for all the feedback guys. The only way I can satisfy myself is probably buy it and side by side it with the psilocybe and sell the weaker one haha.
I looked further into the lunar and it looks pretty badass. How would you compare it to be psilocybe in terms of depth? I'm wanting that super deep wet sound
Lots of phasers have enough resonance control to get resonant enough to where they are pretty much unusable. The Lunar can do that.
But in terms of "usable" depth, it can match the Psilocybe, sure. And it does 6 & 8 stage phasing which to me is where the really "wet" phaser sounds for bass are found.
My only issue with the Lunar is that the waveshape is always symmetrical and so it doesn't have as much character as something like the HBE or the EHX Bad Stone or Small Stone. But it can get super deep/wet sounds and is incredibly flexible.
Dang. Now I feel kinda bad. I have a Lunar and a Grand Orbiter v2. I was going to use the GO as my phaser and turn the Lunar into a Mercury Flanger, but I just decided to leave the GO on and not have a flanger, as I really don't use one. I listened to them both and I like the GO as much as I liked the Lunar and the GO fits on my board, and will fit better on my upcoming downsized board...
Thanks for the valuable input! Have you tried the vfe phaser by any chance? And how does it sound compared to others?
I haven't. I've always assumed it was a highly modded Phase 90/script circuit phaser and I've played tons of those.
But @Matt Dean has owned one so he'd be a good person to ask.
Maybe I'm happier than I think with the psilocybe and I'm just getting antsy haha. I have to say that it doesn't play along great with dirt. Multiple people have said the GO is great with dirt. How is the lunar? Do you guys run your phaser before or after dirt pedals? I run it after dirt and I feel like it's not "strong?" Enough to sweep the signal powerfully.
I've always run my phasers after dirt.
The Grand Orbiter works well with distortions, overdrives and fuzzes because it has a very prominent pulse to it's sound.
In that way I liked it better than most phasers but clean I didn't care for it a ton. YMMV.
The Grand Orbiter works well with distortions, overdrives and fuzzes because it has a very prominent pulse to it's sound.
In that way I liked it better than most phasers but clean I didn't care for it a ton. YMMV.
