David Gilmour's Binson Echorec settings for 'Echoes' cascading delay

The cascading delay that defines David Gilmour’s solo in “Echoes” comes from a Binson Echorec 2 — specifically the Italian-made model with a magnetic drum instead of tape. He used the four playback heads to create a multi-tap delay where each head feeds back into the previous one, producing a rising, swirling effect that sounds like it’s breathing.

Gilmour typically set heads 1 through 4 at roughly 1/4, 1/2, 3/4, and full delay intervals, then cranked the feedback (repeat control) to let the echoes stack. The result is a rhythmically uneven cascade — each repeat slightly louder and more distorted than the last — that glides underneath the melody instead of sitting behind it. Unlike a standard tape echo, the Binson’s drum head system can cycle repeats indefinitely without degrading, which is why those “Echoes