Scotch 111

Scotch 111 is 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. There was a Polyester version of this tape, type 102, but this seems to be not as popular, probably due to its higher cost at the time. This was a very popular tape back in the day, so they are often found in garage or estate sales. It was produced until 1972 for an incredible 24 year production run.  Notes:

• Performance will be similar to other standard tapes produced in its day. We recently made some test recordings with a TASCAM 3030 at 7-1/2 and 15 ips and got great results on a tape nearly 70 years old.
• As with any Acetate backed tape, the 111 presents long term usage and storage challenges. The Scotch acetate tapes seem to hold up better than other brands (with the exception of Audio Devices / Audiotape) but should not be considered reliable choices for daily use going forward. Their quality today is directly rated to the way they were stored.
• 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: No, we do not sell acetate backed tapes as refurbished, as we cannot guarantee performance.
• Available Used: Yes, we offer select Scotch 111 tapes that appear to be in good condition as used. We offer these for collectors, or for those interested in testing these tapes.