How do I tape a record to turn it into a cassette without buying a special turntable for it?

I have a PT-649D dual-tape audio cassette player that can also record things onto a tape. However when I played a record while recording the song on a never used blank tape (Maxwell XLII) the results were "choppy" and unclear (not like it should be, even as the music is supposed to be a lower quality when you copy it), is there any way I can record it so the sound is better without buying a turntable specifically made for that purpose?
Tvguy, your solution makes sense because the VU is always in the red, but how do you do what you are trying to do?

The problem may be the cassette recorder not the player.
Make sure the recording head is clean and also make sure to adjust the recording volume to match the player's input
(if you player has a VU meter, make sure it is not in the "red" area), otherwise the audio will be distorted.

Try recording a song with various level of audio input and see what works the best.