To further simplify movie shooting, Live View is activated at a single flick of a dedicated switch, and HD video recording is achieved by a simple press of a button.

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From a recording point of view, the simple four-track, sometimes mono, sound and structure of the early songs seem dated, but the musical quality is undeniable.

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The notion of using the flipped classroom to help guide students to greater understanding by connecting them to true subject matter expert resources is the approach behind the Khan Academy, whose founder, Sal Khan, started by recording simple but engaging math lessons for a young cousin, and posting the videos on YouTube.

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"I'd like to try to go back to recording with just one microphone - the band gathering around - a really simple live thing, " he said.

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