Gilmour’s Binson Echorec 2 Setting on the ‘Time’ Solo: Drum 4 and Manual Tempo Sync

For the solo on “Time,” David Gilmour set his Binson Echorec 2 to drum 4 — the fourth playback head. This head, combined with the right speed setting, produced the characteristic triplet‑delay pattern that mimics his phrasing. Each repeat lands exactly on the next eighth‑note triplet, so the notes seem to chase themselves around the beat.

He did not use a sync box or MIDI clock; the delay time was dialed in by ear using the Echorec’s speed control. By matching the delay time to the song’s tempo (roughly 108–112 BPM), he locked the repeats to the triplet rhythm. This manual method became a signature part of his 1970s tone, because the Echorec’s magnetic drum heads allowed subtle pitch and timing variations that tape or digital delays couldn’t replicate