Scotch 102

Scotch 102 is the polyester version of the 111, the classic formulation introduced in 1948 and was considered THE standard tape for a very long time. Many of the world’s most famous recordings from the 1950s and 1960s were made on Scotch 111 and many old machines were calibrated to this tape. The Polyester version was not as popular, due to its higher cost at the time – and the fact that professionals preferred acetate due to the way the tape broke without stretching under tensile stress, meaning repairs could be made without affecting the recording.  It was produced until 1972 for an incredible 20 year production run.  Notes:

• Performance will be similar to other standard tapes produced in its day. We recently made some test recordings with 102 a TASCAM 3030 at 7-1/2 and 15 ips and got great results on a tape nearly 70 years old.
• Tapes of this vintage have a tendency to shed oxide more than modern tapes. This is not a sign that this tape is degrading, it should be considered normal.
• The general quality of these tapes increased over their production run as general improvements were made, particularly with oxide shedding and smoothness.
• This tape formulation was often used for commercial tape duplication.
• Available Refurbished: Yes, we offer the Scotch 102 tapes as refurbished, and it’s a good way to test one of the most influential tape formulations of all time.