Teriible quality when recording from pc to cassette tape.

[Noodles!]

I'm really new to all this stuff, so I don't even know what cable I am using, but I will describe it as best I can.
It's a cable with the same plugs on either end which look similar to the headphone jacks on normal walkmans.
I have connected one of these to the jack I normally plug my speakers for the pc into and the other one is connected to the "mic" jack of my hifi (there is only that, I'm fairly sure there's no other "line in" things".
Now when I try to record a song from my computer onto a tape on the hifi it works fine apart from the crap quality - it's very very distant sound, I have to turn the hifi right up to be able to hear it.
I've checked the resistance on the cord by running it from my walkman into the line in on the pc, and plugged my speakers into what I assume is the line out on the pc - it works fine, so I don't think it's the cord.
Any suggestions would be really appreciated.
Thanks.

 

[Spider]

i think your problem , and someone please correct me if im wrong , is the fact your using an input that doesnt usually take a line level signal. Thats why on the back of soundcards there are mic ins and line ins ... they are not shared ... well ive never experienced that problem but thats what i think it might be .. try investing in a burner ...$$$$$$ yeah i know , and it sucks!!!!! but its worth it in the long run ... anyway goodluck ....
Spider

 

[nubius]

Connecting a speaker output to a Mic Input is a bad idea since the Mic input has an amplification stage to boost the low level output of microphones. The signal at the speaker outputs has already been amplified.

Your far-away sound is probably due to the fact that :

1. You're using a stereo cord to connect and the Mic Input is (obviously) mono.

2. You've blown the input stage on your hifi.

 

[sonusman]

Clarification time.

First, the speaker output on most Soundblaster type cards is a LINE Level output, and is suitable for this task (although the audio cards quality is suspect really... )

Second, that mic input on your tape player has a microphone preamplifier on it, and it is not a very good one by any standard.

Line level outputs are MANY db louder the what a microphone outputs, so, a cheap mic preamp will not be able to handle all that volume it is getting.

Next, there is possibly some sort of compression circuit on that mic input on your cassette deck that is constantly compression the sound being recorded, that is more then likely the "far away" sound you are descibing. You can usually tell if this is the case by running some sound that increases in volume to it. It should sound somewhat okay when it is quiet, but when it starts getting louder, you will hear it start to suck.

Get a cassette deck with line inputs, and a stereo mini plug to dual RCA connector to go between them, and all should be much better for you (at least as well as cassette can be... )

Ed

 

[Eurythmic]

You're in a tough position. To get a cassette deck that can give you dubs that are close to CD quality, it's going to cost you some bucks.
I paid about $500 for my tape deck, for instance. I used to be big into tape trading, and was sick of listening to my tapes on a $40 boombox...
This was around Christmas of 1997. Since then, CD burners have become more and more accessable, and nowadays you can land a CDR drive for a Benjamin (maybe two). I'm betting tape decks aren't any cheaper if you demand quality. In fact, they may well be more expensive now than they were when I got mine.
The moral of the story? I'm now the god of mix tapes, and that's pretty much it. Luckily I have lots of friends with CD burners when I need to use one.
Don't get a new cassette deck. If you want to make replicas of your music, I think a CD burner would be the only way to go.

 

[Noodles!]

Thanks guys, I figured after reading all of that I may just get a burner. Like you said, it's the best bet and investing in all the tape recording stuff is more of a hassle in the long run.
Thanks again.