The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 4 letter word MONO
I've seen this crossword clue in The Times
M
O
N
O
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "sort of recording" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case sort of recording = mono.The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.
What does MONO mean?
MONO noun- A viral infection marked by extreme fatigue, high fever, and swollen lymph nodes.
- A bicycle or motorcycle trick where the front wheel is lifted off the ground while riding
- Monaural or monophonic; having only a single audio channel.
- Monochrome.
- An injective homomorphism
- The absence of sexual dimorphism
- A morphism n such that for any other morphisms f and g, if n \circ f = n \circ g then f = g.
- A monogamous person.
- Monoamorous, monogamous.
- Monosexual.