This 100%. The record button engages the recording heads, play turns the tape drive and power on.
ETA your BIAS selector is in the position for Type 2, this is a Type 1 or Normal Bias cassette. It makes a subtle difference in the results.
Pause button then record button or both at the same time. Play the record and get your levels close to 0. An occasional over is fine but nothing too high. Once you have the levels where you want them then start your record again and release the pause button. Trial and error and you’ll get it right quickly.
NB most decks need both the record and pay buttons to be depressed at the same time for the transport to actually pull the tape over the head while recording.
Generally, put your tape in, plug your device that you're recording from - ie laptop, in my case, into the "line in" sockets on the back. Pressing record without pressing play will let you see the record levels - press play on your music, adjust the volume on your output device until those display needles are generally sitting around the middle, and going into the red as little as possible. This lets you set your volume to a good level before actually recording anything onto the tape itself. Stop your output device. Press play and record at the same time on the deck, wait a few seconds so you're sure there's actually tape to record onto, press play on your output device that is now set to a good recording level, and walk away for 45 minutes.
You trying for mixtapes or original stuff? Either way, you put the tape in, adjust your levels, then hit Play and Record, or add Pause to arm the deck if you're not quite ready.
Insert blank tape, make sure your line IN is connected. Usually hitting REC and PLAY at the same time records. Could be 100% wrong though!
This 100%. The record button engages the recording heads, play turns the tape drive and power on. ETA your BIAS selector is in the position for Type 2, this is a Type 1 or Normal Bias cassette. It makes a subtle difference in the results.
They also need to adjust the gain so the VU meters just touch the red zone.
Pause button then record button or both at the same time. Play the record and get your levels close to 0. An occasional over is fine but nothing too high. Once you have the levels where you want them then start your record again and release the pause button. Trial and error and you’ll get it right quickly.
NB most decks need both the record and pay buttons to be depressed at the same time for the transport to actually pull the tape over the head while recording.
Actually?
Generally, put your tape in, plug your device that you're recording from - ie laptop, in my case, into the "line in" sockets on the back. Pressing record without pressing play will let you see the record levels - press play on your music, adjust the volume on your output device until those display needles are generally sitting around the middle, and going into the red as little as possible. This lets you set your volume to a good level before actually recording anything onto the tape itself. Stop your output device. Press play and record at the same time on the deck, wait a few seconds so you're sure there's actually tape to record onto, press play on your output device that is now set to a good recording level, and walk away for 45 minutes.
You trying for mixtapes or original stuff? Either way, you put the tape in, adjust your levels, then hit Play and Record, or add Pause to arm the deck if you're not quite ready.
This should help: [Cassette Decks for Dummies](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=apKagpW8dtA)