A while back, after some sound advice from others around here, I picked up a WM-DC2 player.  The device was in excellent condition, and I used it to play all of my old tapes.  I even picked up some new tapes from a local record store for $2/each.  Not a bad price for some new music (to me).

It didn't take long before I decided I wanted to make my own mixed tapes again.  I picked up a pack of Maxell XLII (60) tapes on Amazon.  They sat on my desk for a few months before I found the perfect recorder.  I recently purchased a WM-D6C off of eBay, and it arrived today.

After unboxing it, I ran out to Radio Shack and picked up an adapter that could put out several voltages at 1 Amp.  I set it at 6 volts, then double checked the polarity with a multimeter (center negative).  I believe the plug for the adapter was a type "M".

To test things out, I took a recent CD I had purchased and ripped it into iTunes.  Then I played it out of my MacBook into the line in on the WM-D6C.  I split the tracks into two parts, obviously for side A and some for side B.  

The tape turned out well, although I realized after I made it that I had the recording level on the WM-D6C too high and the volume out of the computer too low.  This resulted in some hiss in between songs and the need to turn the volume up too much.  I also need to experiment whether to use Dolby B or C when making the recordings.  

I realize this is fairly simple to most people, but for a technology I haven't used in 20 years, I had a blast this afternoon.  

Just for comparison, I'm planning on picking up a Sony NW-ZX1 when they come out.  Then I'll have the best of both worlds.  A perfect tape player, and a perfect FLAC player.  Now I just need to upgrade my headphones . . .

Cool, do you have a CD player? If so make a direct recording to your D6C. You will get a better recording.

I do not have a (working) CD player.  I'll keep looking though . . .

Ahhh nice! don't forget to adjust the heads

Like WA says, you need to slowly crank up the volume of the source to see the lvl meter rise. (had to turn down the volume slide of the D6C, it's deceptive)

I second what toocool4 says. It is well worth getting hold of a good CD player. The better the source material, the better the recording! A decent CD player will have a better audio output stage than the computer as well.

Okay, here is a question - how do I check the azimuth or the heads?  I've never done this before.

You need specialist tapes and equipment with test tones etc or you can try and do it by ear using music. I would not recommended trying to do it by ear as if you get it wrong everything will sound off and it will cost you more to get sorted out for you.

If you want it done, I recommend you get it to some one qualified to do it.  

Nice thread! I'm on the way to make my own cassette records too, but my target is to get best ANALOG sound! So I already have got very good equipment for my vinyl LP records and very soon I will start to record from vinyl (by using top quality cartridges/needles) on cassette tapes (chrome or metal ones, dont know yet). And after that I will blow myself by listening this self-made records on some TOP walkmans with very good headphones and some other portable equipment (portable amplifier, custom cables etc).

This is one of my favorite things in my life which makes me very happy! I'm so addict to analog sound and equipment

Good luck to you Alligator with your records!  

p.s. Hugo, hi buddy! Can you check your e-mail, please!?

Cool, i make my recording from vinyl too.

See my portable setup below.

Yes, what headphones are those?  And what amp?  Oh, and where did you get the wooden headphone stand?  I've seen those in numerous photos lately.

Hi Roman the IEM one is an Etymotic ER-4S. The bigger one is, well I have to explain as its not what it seems.

The headphone started of as Beyerdynamic T70. Now it is a T70 housing, T90 drivers, T90 ear pads, T70p cables. In the housing I added felt for damping, drilled holes in the bottom of the housing to relieve the backpressure on the drivers.

So what I have ended up with is a closed back headphone that sounds like an open back headphones. It is more forgiving than the original T70.

The amps are Ray Samuels P-51 Mustang.

Headphone stands i think you can get here http://www.thecollectiveloop.c...headphone-stand.html

To adjust the azimuth is adjusting the angle between the head and the tape direction. It always should be a small angle. There are always small deviations between decks and walkmans. Matching the angle used to record the tape is so important to extract all the high freqs on it.

You can adjust it with a small screwdriver, while the tape is playing. You may have access to the screw beside the head through a special hole in the deck/walkman, for that. 

You can do it by ear, just trying to search for the position where most HF is heard. Or with special tools (a calibration tape and an oscilloscope/software), which allows for more precise adjustment.

I recommend you to start doing it by ear, using a good pre-recorded tape of any well known artist. Search for a song with good HF and do try it.

However, I always do with calibration tapes and oscilloscope software, as I learned how.

Here's a video I found  and  seems good (although I didn't watch it): 

Tell me please, WM-DC2 works with AA type batery of with gum-stick battery ?

AA only. You can also use a 3V wall adaptor. 

Thanx a lot for quick respond ))

Adjusting the azimuth can be done by ear (if your hearing is 100%).

Usually walkmans have a small plastic nub (f.e. Sony DD) to coverup the hole for a small crosshead screwdriver.  That nub can be pushed out from the inside of the lid by carefully using a flat  surface of a small screwdriver.

Once you get it out, you can see the hole perfectly aligned to the screw next to the head. First try to unscrew the head and see if the head moves along. If not it's stuck because of aging/corrosion of the tensionplate. You can try help moving it carefully with a flat screwdriver.

Take an original music cassette (not a recorded one, in case it has been recorded with a wrong adjusted head), close lid and press play.

Then I turn with the screwdriver left and right to hear the difference, then I pinpoint the middle where it sounds the clearest.

Use small screwdriver set, and be gentle.

Usually the adjusting screw is positioned rightside of the head facing towards you.

I tried adjusting it for the first time today, and it went very well.  It was fairly easy to tell when it was out of alignment, especially if you pick a tape with highs and lows.  The highs quickly fell off when it was out of alignment.  I also noticed that the screwdriver's pressure slightly affected the playback, so it took some patience to get it to sound perfect when the screwdriver was pulled out.

1 thing sprint to mind here, what tape did you use and how do you know the tape has the correct azimuth? All you have done is aligned your deck to the same deck that made the tape used.

Once you have done your azimuth adjustment, you may need to apply some sort of lock tight to the screw so it does not move on it’s own if it’s a metal screw.