How Bob Ezrin Used the Fairlight CMI to Reinforce Nick Mason’s Drums on ‘One Slip’

On A Momentary Lapse of Reason, Nick Mason hadn’t played drums consistently in years — the band’s hiatus meant his chops were rusty, and the album needed a punchier, more consistent rhythmic backbone. Producer Bob Ezrin solved this by leaning on the Fairlight CMI, a pioneering digital sampler that could capture, store, and trigger any sound.

For “One Slip,” Ezrin sampled a single clean drum hit — likely from Mason’s own kit or a library — and loaded it into the Fairlight. Then