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In the 1940s and 50s, recording music demanded a high degree of skill, patience, and artistry. Artists like Frank Sinatra recorded in single takes with minimal oversight—typically just one microphone capturing an authentic vocal performance in front of an orchestra. This process inherently favored musicians who could deliver authentic, well-crafted performances, with little room for error or extensive editing.
However, the advent of multitrack recording in the 1960s introduced the possibility of editing performances post-recording. Artists or engineers could punch in corrections, altering mistakes in vocals or instrumental takes swiftly. This technological progress started to diminish the raw authenticity of the recorded sound but offered greater flexibility in the studio.