Heres a little basic multitrack cassette recorder theory. To keep things simple, I'll speak in terms of a four track. Eight tracks work the same way, the tracks are just 'thinner'. Your standard tape is already designed to be used with four tracks. These four tracks are side1 left, side1 right, side2left, and side2right. When you play something in your stereo, it only looks at two of the tracks, one for the left speaker and one for the right speaker. When you flip the tape to side 2, you're now listening to tracks three and four. Your multitracker, on the other hand, can look at all four tracks at once, and records all 4 in the same direction. To make something thats listenable on a normal stereo, you need to 'mix down' your recording. Your manual should have a description of how to do this. Try this for fun: take a standard stereo recording (one of those eighties metal albums that supposedly has subliminal messages is always great fun) and pop it into your multiracker. turn off tracks 1 and 2, and just listen to 3 and 4. You'll find yourself listening to side two of the tape, only backwards.
-Nate K
