How Alan Parsons Created the Phased Drum Sound on Pink Floyd's 'Time'

The swooshing, jet-like phase on Nick Mason’s drums during the solo section of “Time” is one of the most imitated sounds in rock. It came from a classic tape flanging trick: Alan Parsons ran a second tape machine in parallel, then physically slowed its reel by pressing a finger against the flange (the rim of the tape reel). This slight speed variation caused the two copies of the drum track to drift in and out of sync, creating that thick, sweeping