How do I make a mixtape?

  • Thread starter Thread starter MontanaSlim
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MontanaSlim

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I'm looking to make some mixtapes by recording FLAC/MP3 straight from my PC to cassette, and I have no idea how to go about it. I've bought this, because it was incredibly cheap and seemed like it'd do the trick:

Ion USB Cassette Deck with USB Connection to PC (Amazon.co.uk, I can't post the link due to post count.)

It comes with 2 RCA-to-RCA cables for tape-to-tape recording and a USB cable for cassette-to-MP3 recording, but I am at a loss as to how to get it to actually record anything to cassette. Apologies if I'm being painfully stupid, but any help would be very much appreciated.
 
I don't believe it works that way. Just get an 1/8" to RCA cable and record from the PC out to the tape deck in's. Not the highest quality but should be good enough for a mix tape.
 
jimmys69 said:
I don't believe it works that way. Just get an 1/8" to RCA cable and record from the PC out to the tape deck in's. Not the highest quality but should be good enough for a mix tape.
Click to expand...

Yeah that's the way I've been trying to do it. Nothing's being recorded.
 
Headphone/speaker out of PC to 'REC' in on tape deck should work. Adjust best sounding level with the speaker icon in taskbar and record level on tape deck. Typically you should have the record level pretty high on deck and out put low on PC.
 
jimmys69 said:
Headphone/speaker out of PC to 'REC' in on tape deck should work. Adjust best sounding level with the speaker icon in taskbar and record level on tape deck. Typically you should have the record level pretty high on deck and out put low on PC.
Click to expand...

As far as I can tell that's exactly what I'm doing. I have the 1/8" to RCA going from PC's out to the tape deck's "REC input." Hitting record on the tape deck and then playing my mix from MusicBee audio player but getting nothing. Both outputs on max for the time being just to test and see if I can get anything at all to record.

Can someone look up the shitty tape deck I have on Amazon and tell me if it's even doable using this?
 
I did, but the information isn't really there. Even the pic sucks. The setup seems right.
 
Okay, apparently I can't post links, even though I have 5 posts. Great stuff.
 
Basically it has PLAY/Output on the left side and REC/Input on the right side, a USB port and gain on the back. I don't see why it isn't recording.
 
I PM'd Chater-La about the post requirement message.

I don't see why either. The tabs on the cassette aren't popped out are they?
 
You mean the play/fast forward/rewind buttons on the tape deck? If so, yeah. They're the ones you click down.

Sorry in advance for being frustratingly clueless haha.
 
Naw, the plastic tabs on the cassette itself. A tape deck wont go into record mode with them missing.
 
Oh right, well I have no idea what they look like so I can't really tell. They're brand new cassettes though, TDK 90Mins from Amazon.

Derp, googled it like I should have in the first place and no, they're not down. I'm pretty sure it's trying to record, but just not getting the sound from my PC. Definitely have the cable plugged into the PC's output though.
 
Should be fine then. Are you getting signal to the deck (meters moving)? If not can you make sure you are getting signal from PC with headphones?
 
No signal whatsoever on the tape deck, but I'm definitely getting signal from MusicBee/PC.

Here's my PC Sound setup, just in case I'm being really thick:

imgur dot com/pk2SS.png
 
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