Use the best TYPE II tapes as possible, no more than C-90's.
C-60's a good length, and gives you a slightly thicker, heartier tape, that in the long run will probably hold up to a little more punishment than a C-90. However, that being said, I've always used C-90's and have experienced no tape failures or other problems, whatsoever.
I've always used Maxell XLII's or TDK SA/SAX's, and I've found that the newer TDK CD-Power tapes to be a good tape that seems [IMO] to hold a slightly hotter signal. If your unit has two speeds, always use high tape speed.
On the recording side, try to first get your best live sound, then try to record with a consistently strong signal, but not overdriven or too 'peaky'. Experiment with mic positioning to get best overall mic sound. Use onboard EQ sparingly, but [IMO] a little high EQ boost can be used to compensate for the slight high frequency rolloff you'll tend to get with cassette.
I'd try to get the most out of the 4 basic tape tracks, and only use bouncing sparingly. The stuff you hear about maximum bounce to 10 tracks on a 4-track cassette [IMO] is a bit overly optimistic. Sure, you can do it, but you can count on a fair amount of compromise in the sound and sonic degradation. I like to bounce minor parts in behind more major parts, and that's about the extent of it for me.
If you work alone, bouncing is sometimes handy, but if you work with other people, it becomes a little easier to 'pack the tracks' with parts by playing and taping several parts live, down to one track. Things like that depend on your situation.
Like Bear said, always keep the noise reduction ON.
Welcome to the bored,... uh,... board! [haha]
Good luck and have fun.
