phase reverse

[mixsit]

I'm glad you said something, because I was beginning to think I was crazy... that works if you're trying to align ONE frequency, but it'll throw the rest off...!

I agree, you can only time align for one frequency (and it's octave's presumably?) at a time. There will be some frequencies out of phase at all time differences other than 'zero. (Screw 3:1' for this one. )
'Sliding tracks back to 'zero is as close as you can get, but +/- reflections, pattern and pickup differences...

...I've discovered on more than one occasion that to get the best snare sound, I actually have to reverse the TOP snare mic.

Yeah! The brain tilt I get here is, the O/H's are pointing down and the snare mic might be closer to 90 degrees. Then we have this 0/180 button. WTF, it's neither of those, both are just different.

And as to the question of "what gets phase-aligned with what"...

If it necessarily sounds better(?) Different certainly. Maybe start at kick=positive, or just pick O/H and work 'out from there.

Personally, just playing with polarity is plenty of options.

 

[mixsit]

..or just saying people are confusing physically moving the track in time with a polarity switch?

No no. It's all good and on track. Fuquam' had slipped seamlessly from 'phase (polarity) to 'manual adjust' mode followed by Ford Van's slide to 'relative polarity'. Threw me for a second.
No worries.