Flipping polarity is slightly different, as technically polarity is an electrical inversion, so no timing involved, but it has a similar effect as a 180 degree phase shift. Phase itself has to do with time though, so delaying one thing against another shifts phase at different degrees. However, you can also delay certain frequencies more than others (which is basically how eq works, hence why some eq’s introduce phase shift that’s pleasant and some that is unpleasant), so an all pass shifts the phase without raising the volume of frequencies. This aligns different parts of the signal differently. Just moving the waveform does change phase, however one thing I don’t like about just moving waveforms is that you can lose the perception of depth this way, which matters more in some styles than others. I love the Little Labs IBP plugin to do phase alignment because it is a combination of delay and all pass filters at 2 different frequencies (you choose which one you want to use. I usually use the low frequency because that’s where phase shift affects the impact and body of sounds the most). The SSL x phase is very similar, but you can select the frequency at which you shift phase from any frequency in the spectrum. I just got that the other day, so have only experimented with it some. IBP is easier to get results from quickly, but x-phase may reward the extra time, I’ll be figuring that out in the next few weeks since January is usually my slow season. Another choice is melda mautoalign, which, as its name implies, has an automated process. You put it on the tracks you want to align then you hit “analyze,” which calculates delays and, if you turn it on, then also spectral phase alignment. I use this when aligning two mics that should be time aligned, such as 2 mics in a guitar amp that are right next to each other, a pair of overheads, etc. With this plugin, sometimes several tries at analysis yield different results, so it’s worth trying again if you feel there isn’t a big enough improvement. And often you find that nothing needed to be done. I mix a lot of things that I didn’t track, so I’ll always check with any of these plugins to see if there is improvement. When I track, I pay attention as much as I can to phase, but I still find I can get a little more from the sound at times when I use IBP in mixing. I also track with IBP if using my Apollo, for example with bass amp and bass DI. Finally, sometimes “misaligning” the phase can give you good results too, for example if a kick drum is too boomy you can manipulate phase a little bit and thin it out in the right spot. Anyway, I hope someone finds that helpful.

I want that answers also