17.
Most cassette recorders are good at
recording, even the cheap ones like mine, but
not at playing back. Generally, the larger the
speaker the better the sound quality, but the
larger and heavier the machine. I have a small
tinny speaker on mine but a larger speaker on
the shelf at home. Make sure yours has an
external speaker socket. I can
play back through a hifi system
and the sound is superb. Sound
quality will also depend on the
microphone. Most cheaper
machines have slimline or pen
"sensitive to
microphones. For most purposes
high notes these are fine, but they are not
particularly sensitive to high notes. If you
are still young enough to hear such notes then
invest in a good microphone.
Many recorders are "automatic". Nice and
simple but beware. Pay less for. a non-auto
machine and your recordings might be more
successful. If the sound volume is too loud
for the equipment then distortion will occur on
playback. If it is too quiet then you will
hear a loud hiss caused by amplification of the
tape rubbing over the playback head. To get
the happy medium you adjust what is known as
the recording level. Automatic machines do it
for you, but only so far. Manual machines have
a dial that lets you know what
is happening. If the sound is
too quiet, you can either turn
up the level or get a bit
closer. Usually with auto
machines you cannot tell what
is happening and you must hope 
 "hiss"
for the best.
Hiss is the main drawback of the cassette