Celtic66 is on the mark.
I strongly second his advice to have the deck calibrated. This is typically done to max out performance with a specific brand / type of tape.
I also strongly second the advice about losing the Dolby.
A good metal tape run without dolby on a top cassette deck that has been professionally re-calibrated can come surprisingly close to the sound of the source.
Analogique in NYC does this type of work and it is not expensive.
I strongly second his advice to have the deck calibrated. This is typically done to max out performance with a specific brand / type of tape.
I also strongly second the advice about losing the Dolby.
A good metal tape run without dolby on a top cassette deck that has been professionally re-calibrated can come surprisingly close to the sound of the source.
Analogique in NYC does this type of work and it is not expensive.