JPH0427757B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a video and audio signal reproducing device for reproducing signals from a recording tape on which video signals and audio signals constituting a television signal are recorded, and in particular, the present invention relates to a video and audio signal reproducing device for reproducing signals from a recording tape on which video signals and audio signals constituting a television signal are recorded. The video signal and the frequency-modulated audio signal are reproduced from a recording tape recorded with a common slope track along with the video signal by a common playback head, and the playback output is played back. An object of the present invention is to provide a video and audio signal reproducing device which can obtain an audio signal, and which can prevent the reproduced audio signal from significantly deteriorating even when an appropriate reproduction output cannot be obtained from a common reproduction head. It is something to do.

When a color television signal is recorded on a magnetic tape, the carrier chrominance signal and luminance signal that form the color video signal are separated, the carrier chrominance signal is frequency-converted to the lower frequency band, and the luminance signal is frequency-converted to the higher frequency band. After frequency modulation (hereinafter referred to as FM modulation) on the band side, both are mixed and recorded on recording tracks arranged at an angle with respect to the running direction of the magnetic tape (hereinafter referred to as tilted tracks).
Furthermore, the mainstream format is one in which the audio signal is recorded with a recording track (hereinafter referred to as an audio track) extending in a direction along the running direction of the magnetic tape.

In such a recording format, the gradient track on which the color video signal, that is, the carrier color signal converted to the low frequency range and the luminance signal modulated by FM on the high frequency side, is recorded as follows.
Two rotating magnetic heads to which both of these signals are supplied alternately scan the magnetic tape at an angle with respect to its traveling direction, thereby increasing the recording density. In order to enable long-term recording, it has been proposed to leave no gaps, or so-called guard bands, between adjacent inclined tracks, but to allow the inclined tracks to be adjacent to each other. In this case, crosstalk between adjacent tilted tracks becomes a problem during playback, but by making the azimuth angles of the two rotating magnetic heads different from each other, the brightness signal that is FM modulated on the high frequency side during playback can be For example, for a low-pass converted carrier color signal where the azimuth loss effect is small, the phase is changed by increasing the azimuth loss with respect to the crosstalk components from adjacent tracks. The tracks are made continuous, and the remaining tilted tracks are recorded in reverse every horizontal period, and a predetermined phase restoration is performed on the reproduced conveyed color signal to obtain a comb-shaped characteristic. By passing the signal through a filter, crosstalk components from adjacent tracks can be removed, thereby solving the problem of crosstalk. Further, the audio track is continuously formed, for example, at the upper end of the magnetic tape by constantly contacting the running magnetic tape with a fixed head that receives audio signals. At this time, if there are two types of audio signals, such as a stereo left signal and a right signal, the left and right signals are supplied to separate fixed heads, and these two fixed heads are used to output signals in parallel. Two audio tracks are formed.

By the way, when high-density recording of color video signals as described above is attempted, the running speed of the magnetic tape increases while the relative speed between the magnetic tape and the rotating magnetic head is maintained at a predetermined level. extremely slow,
For example, it can be set to about 1.33cm/sec. For this reason,
This has the disadvantage that the relative speed between the fixed head forming the audio track and the magnetic tape becomes extremely low, resulting in a reduction in the quality of the recorded audio signal.

Therefore, the audio signal is mixed with the color video signal as an FM modulated signal, supplied to the rotating magnetic head, and is recorded together with the color video signal on the inclined track where the color video signal is originally recorded. Systems have been proposed that attempt to prevent the quality of recorded audio signals from deteriorating due to the low relative speed between the recording head and the magnetic tape.

Based on this method of preventing the quality of recorded audio signals from deteriorating, a color video signal is recorded from a magnetic tape on which a color video signal and an FM-modulated audio signal are recorded with a common slope track. When the audio signal is reproduced, a mixed signal of the recorded color video signal and the FM modulated audio signal is reproduced for each inclined track by a reproducing rotating magnetic head that sequentially scans the arranged inclined tracks. , the FM modulated audio signal being reproduced and output from the reproducing rotating magnetic head is demodulated to obtain a reproduced audio signal.

However, in this case, when a tracking deviation occurs in the scanning of the inclined track by the reproducing rotating magnetic head, the reproduction output level from the reproducing rotating magnetic head decreases, and accordingly, the reproduction output of the FM modulated audio signal The level also becomes small, and the reproduced audio signal obtained by demodulating this is
The signal-to-noise ratio is reduced and the signal contains a lot of pulsed noise. Furthermore, when a dropout occurs in the playback output from the playback rotating magnetic head due to scratches on the magnetic tape, etc., the playback output of the FM modulated audio signal cannot be obtained for a short period of time. The reproduced audio signal becomes a large-amplitude pulse noise state. Since such tracking deviations and drop-outs occur suddenly and are not extremely rare, the resulting drop in signal-to-noise ratio and the introduction of noise may affect the reproduced audio signal. There is a problem in that the quality of the image will be significantly deteriorated.

The present invention was made in view of the above problems, and
When reproducing the video signal and the FM modulated audio signal from a recording tape on which the video signal and the FM modulated audio signal are recorded on a common inclined track by a common reproducing rotary head, while performing such reproduction, Even from an audio track formed separately on a recording tape, an audio signal is separately reproduced by a reproducing head different from a reproducing rotary head,
When a tracking error or output drop-out occurs in connection with the reproducing rotary head, instead of the demodulated output of the FM modulated audio signal from the reproducing rotary head, the audio from a reproducing head other than the reproducing rotary head is output. An object of the present invention is to provide a video and audio signal reproducing device which derives a signal as a reproduced audio signal and can reduce deterioration in the quality of the reproduced audio signal. Examples of the present invention will be described below.

First, prior to describing the embodiments of the present invention, a video and audio signal recording system for a recording tape that is reproduced by the video and audio signal reproducing apparatus according to the present invention will be described.

FIG. 1 shows the main parts of an example of such a video and audio signal recording system. In this example, two channels of stereo left and right signals are supplied as audio signals to be recorded, and these two channels of audio signals are converted into four FM modulated audio signals, first to fourth. , which is recorded together with a color video signal. In this example, left signal SL and right signal SR of stereo audio signals are supplied to audio input terminals 1 and 2, respectively. This left signal SL sequentially passes through an automatic gain control amplifier circuit 3, a noise reduction circuit 4, and a pre-emphasis circuit 5, and is supplied to first and second FM modulators 6 and 7, respectively. Similarly, the right signal SR also sequentially passes through the automatic gain control amplifier circuit 8, the noise reduction circuit 9, and the pre-emphasis circuit 10, and then passes through the third and fourth
The signal is supplied to each of FM modulators 11 and 12. The first and second FM modulators 6 and 7 have a frequency f ₁ and a frequency f ₂ higher than f ₁ , for example f ₁ =1.325MHz.
The carrier waves of f ₂ = 1.475 MHz are each FM modulated with the same frequency shift width, for example, about 100 to 150 kHz, using the left signal SL, and FM signals with different frequency shift bands are sent to each output end. Modulated left signals (hereinafter referred to as left FM signals) LF ₁ and LF ₂ are obtained.
Also, the third and fourth FM modulators 11 and 12
is a frequency f ₃ higher than f ₂ and a frequency f ₄ even higher than f ₃ , for example, f ₃ = 1.625 MHz and f ₄ = 1.775 MHz,
The carrier waves of are respectively FM-modulated with the right signal SR with the same frequency shift width as above, and the FM-modulated right signals with different frequency shift bands are output to each output end (hereinafter referred to as right FM signal). RF ₃ and RF ₄ are obtained.
Here, the frequencies f ₁ , f ₂ , f ₃ and f ₄ are
This interval is selected so that the beat noise component between the left FM signal and the right FM signal after demodulation is outside the reproduced audio signal band, and in the above example, this interval is 150 kHz. The two left FM signals LF ₁ and LF ₂ and the two right FM signals RF ₃ and RF ₄ thus obtained pass through corresponding bandpass filters 13, 14, 15 and 16, respectively. These left FM signals LF ₁ and LF ₂ and the right
FM signals RF ₃ and RF ₄ have their level LF ₁
<LF ₂ <RF ₃ <RF ₄ , and the frequency spectrum is as shown in FIG. 2 (the horizontal axis is frequency/f).

The left FM signal LF ₁ from the bandpass filter 13 and the right FM signal RF ₃ from the bandpass filter 15 are supplied to a common mixing amplifier circuit 17, and the left FM signal LF 2 from the bandpass filter 14 and the right FM signal RF ₃ from the bandpass filter 15 are supplied to a common mixing amplifier circuit 17. The right FM signal RF ₄ from 16 is supplied to a common mixing amplifier circuit 18 . Further, a mixed output of the left FM signal LF ₁ and the right FM signal RF ₃ from the mixing amplifier circuit 17 and the left FM signal from the mixing amplifier circuit 18
In mixing circuits 19 and 20, the mixed output of LF ₂ and the right FM signal RF ₄ is outputted from the carrier color signal C from terminal 21, which is a video signal, and the carrier color signal C from terminal 22, which is a video signal.
The FM modulated luminance signal Lm is mixed.

Here, the carrier color signal C is a carrier color signal separated from a color video signal whose color subcarrier has a frequency f _c lower than the above-mentioned frequency f ₁ , for example,
f _c = 688kHz, and the FM-modulated luminance signal Lm has the leading edge of the synchronization signal of the luminance signal separated from the color video signal well above the frequency f ₄ . A high frequency f _s , for example, f _s =4MHz, and a frequency f p whose white peak (maximum amplitude part) is higher than f _s by a predetermined frequency, for example, 1.2 MHz, for example, f _{p =}
It was obtained by performing FM modulation to achieve a frequency of 5.2MHz. Note that the level of the carrier color signal C is
Left FM signal LF ₁ and LF ₂ , right FM signal RF ₃ and RF ₄
The level of the FM-modulated luminance signal Lm is set to be higher than the level of the carrier color signal C. These low-pass converted carrier color signal C and FM modulated luminance signal
Lm and left FM signal LF ₁ and LF ₂ and right FM signal
An example of the relationship between the frequency spectrum of RF ₃ and RF ₄ and each level is as shown in FIG. 3 (the horizontal axis is the frequency f and the vertical axis is the level l).
Note that lm indicates a luminance signal separated from the color video signal.

Then, the carrier color signal C from the mixing circuit 19,
A first mixed output _M1 in which the FM-modulated luminance signal Lm, left FM signal LF ₁ and right FM signal RF ₃ are mixed is supplied to the rotating magnetic head 24 via the recording amplifier circuit 23, and the mixing circuit 20, carrier chrominance signal C, FM modulated luminance signal Lm, left FM signal
A second mixed output M ₂ in which LF ₂ and the right FM signal RF ₄ are mixed is supplied to the rotating magnetic head 26 via the recording amplifier circuit 25 . These rotating magnetic heads 2
4 and 26 have different azimuth angles and alternately form inclined tracks without guard bands on the magnetic tape, and the first mixed output
Record M ₁ and the second mixed output M ₂ alternately. That is, the rotating magnetic heads 24 and 26 form two inclined tracks adjacent to each other, with first and second mixed outputs M ₁ and M ₂ on their respective tracks.
Azimuth records are made. Here, the first mixed output _M1 has a frequency spectrum as shown in FIG. 4, and the second mixed output _M2 has a frequency spectrum as shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 6, these are adjacent inclined tracks t ₁ and t ₂ formed on the magnetic tape T by rotating magnetic heads 24 and 26 having different azimuth angles.
will be recorded respectively.

In FIG. 6, arrow a and arrow b are respectively
The running direction of the magnetic tape and the scanning direction of the rotating magnetic heads 24 and 26 are shown, and CTL shows the control signal track. Also, the inclined track _t1 and
It is assumed that the carrier color signal C and the FM-modulated luminance signal Lm recorded individually at t ₂ correspond to one vertical period, that is, one field.

Furthermore, circuits 27 and 28 for recording audio signals using fixed heads for left signal SL and right signal SR, and fixed magnetic heads 29 and 30 are provided, and left signal SL from audio input terminals 1 and 2 is provided. and right signal SR are supplied to fixed magnetic heads 29 and 30 via circuits 27 and 28, respectively, for audio signal recording by fixed heads, and these fixed magnetic heads 29 and 30 cause the magnetic recording in FIG. The sound is recorded on two audio tracks t _L ' and t _R ' formed at the upper end of the tape T.

As described above, the carrier color signal C, which is a video signal, the FM-modulated luminance signal Lm, and the FM-modulated audio signal are recorded with a tilt track formed by a common rotating magnetic head, and , a magnetic tape is obtained on which the audio signal is recorded with an audio track formed separately by a fixed magnetic head, but the relative speed between the rotating magnetic head and the magnetic tape is high enough to record the video signal. Therefore, the quality of audio signals recorded using a rotating magnetic head will not deteriorate, and in the case of the above-mentioned recording system, when playing back the recorded magnetic tape, Therefore, the audio signals of multiple channels from the inclined track are sufficiently separated from each other, and the recording is performed such that it is possible to obtain a reproduced audio signal in which adjacent track crosstalk interference is extremely reduced. Then, such a magnetic tape is reproduced by the video and audio signal reproducing apparatus according to the present invention. Next, embodiments of the present invention will be described.

FIG. 7 shows an example of a video and audio signal reproducing device according to the present invention. In this example, 31 and 32
is a rotating magnetic head for reproduction, and these rotating magnetic heads 31 and 32 for reproduction are formed on a magnetic tape T recorded by the recording system shown in FIG. 1, as shown in FIG. In addition, the adjacent inclined tracks _t1 and _t2 are alternately scanned with an overlap time, and the rotating magnetic head 31 reproduces the signal recorded on the inclined track _t1 during one field period, and then scans the next signal. During one field period, the rotating magnetic head 32 is controlled to reproduce the signal recorded on the inclined track _t2 . Here, the rotating magnetic head 31 has an azimuth angle corresponding to the azimuth angle of the rotating magnetic head 24 forming the inclined track _t1 , and the rotating magnetic head 32 has an azimuth angle corresponding to the azimuth angle of the rotating magnetic head ₂₄ forming the inclined track t2. It has an azimuth angle corresponding to the azimuth angle of . Therefore, a reproduced output of the first mixed output _M1 having a frequency spectrum as shown in FIG. 4 is obtained from the rotating magnetic head 31.
Further, from the rotating magnetic head 32, a reproduced output of a second mixed output _M2 having a frequency spectrum as shown in FIG. 5 is obtained. The outputs from these rotating magnetic heads 31 and 32 are sent to a video signal processing section 35 via head amplifier circuits 33 and 34, respectively.
The video signal processing unit 35 performs normal processing on the carrier color signal C and demodulation of the FM-modulated luminance signal Lm.

Furthermore, the output from the rotating magnetic head 31 is
It is supplied to a bandpass filter 36 for passing the FM signal LF ₁ and a bandpass filter 38 for passing the right FM signal RF ₃ . These left
Since the frequency shift bands of the FM signal LF ₁ and the right FM signal RF ₃ are not adjacent to each other, they are sufficiently separated by the bandpass filters 36 and 38, respectively, and sent to the output sides of the bandpass filters 36 and 38. are the left FM signal LF ₁ and the right FM signal without each other's crosstalk components
An FM signal RF ₃ is obtained respectively. Furthermore, the output from the rotating magnetic head 32 is connected to a band pass filter 37 for passing the left FM signal LF ₂ and a right FM signal.
Bandpass filter 39 for passing RF ₄
supplied to These left FM signals LF ₂ and right FM
Since the signal RF ₄ also has non-adjacent frequency shift bands, the bandpass filters 37 and 3 are used, respectively.
9, the left FM signal LF ₁ and the right FM signal RF ₃ , which are free from mutual crosstalk components, are obtained at the output sides of the bandpass filters 37 and 39, respectively. Then, the left FM signals LF ₁ and LF ₂ and the right FM signals RF ₃ and RF ₄ from the band pass filters 36 to 39, respectively, are transmitted to the amplitude limiting circuits 40, 41, 4.
2 and 43, the corresponding FM demodulators 44, 4
5, 46 and 47 and demodulated,
The left signal SL reproduced at the output side of the FM demodulators 44 and 45 is obtained alternately for each field period with overlap time at the start and end ends,
Further, the right signal SR reproduced at the output side of the FM demodulators 46 and 47 is obtained alternately for each field period with overlap time at the start and end portions. And each of these FM demodulators 44 to 47
are passed through low-pass filters 48, 49, 50 and 51, respectively, in the audio signal band.

Thus, the regenerated left signal SL obtained intermittently from each of the low-pass filters 48 and 49 is
The signal is supplied to both selection input terminals of a switching circuit 53, which performs switching at field intervals based on the control signal Q from the terminal 52, and is alternately taken out to its output terminal. As a result, the switching circuit 5
3, the regenerated left signal SL from the low-pass filters 48 and 49 is spliced together.
A continuous reproduced left signal SL is obtained. Also,
Similarly, the regenerated right signal SR obtained intermittently from each of the low-pass filters 50 and 51 is applied to both sides of the switching circuit 54, which is switched at the field period based on the control signal Q from the terminal 52. It is supplied to the selection input terminal and taken out alternately to its output terminal. As a result, the switching circuit 5
The regenerated right signal SR from the low-pass filters 50 and 51 is spliced to the output end of 4.
A continuous reproduced right signal SR is obtained. Then, these continuously reproduced left signal SL and reproduced right signal SR are transmitted to the rotating magnetic head 3, respectively.
Noise canceling circuits 55 and 56 for canceling noise that occurs when drop-out occurs in the outputs from 1 and 32, and a de-emphasis circuit 5.
7 and 58, switching circuits 59 and 6
0 to one input terminal of each.

On the other hand, reference numerals 61 and 62 are fixed magnetic heads for reproduction, and these fixed magnetic heads 61 and 62 for reproduction, as shown in FIG. The audio tracks t _L ' and t _R ' formed on the tape T are respectively continuously scanned. Therefore, from the fixed magnetic head 61, a reproduced left signal SL', which is the reproduced output of the left signal SL recorded in the audio track _tL ', is obtained, and from the fixed magnetic head 62, the reproduced left signal SL' is obtained from the audio track _tR '. A reproduced right signal SR' is obtained which is the reproduced output of the right signal SR recorded in . These play left signals
SL' and the reproduced right signal SR' are transmitted through head amplifier circuits 63 and 64, equalizer circuits 65 and 66, respectively.
The signals are supplied to the other input terminals of switching circuits 59 and 60 via amplifier circuits 67 and 68 and further through level adjustment circuits 69 and 70. In this case, the levels of the reproduced left signal SL' and the reproduced right signal SR' are adjusted by the level adjustment circuits 69 and 70 to the level of the reproduced left signal supplied in an appropriate state to one input terminal of each of the switching circuits 59 and 60. Signal SL
and the level of the reproduced right signal SR. That is, the level adjustment circuits 69 and 70
Accordingly, relative level adjustment is performed between the reproduced left signal SL, the reproduced right signal SR, and the reproduced left signal SL' and reproduced right signal SR'.

Switching circuits 59 and 60, depending on the level of output from rotating magnetic heads 31 and 32,
Regenerated left signal fed to one input terminal
The SL and the reproduced right signal SR, or the reproduced left signal SL' and the reproduced right signal SR' supplied to the other input terminal, are controlled to be selectively led out to the respective output terminals. Therefore, the head amplifier circuit 33
The outputs of the rotating magnetic heads 31 and 32 are supplied to level detection circuits 71 and 72, respectively.
A control signal P for 0 is formed. The level detection circuits 71 and 72 are connected to the rotating magnetic head 3, for example.
When the outputs 1 and 32 are in a proper state and their level exceeds a predetermined value, no output is produced and the rotating magnetic head 31 or 32 scans the inclined track _t1 or _t2 . When the output from the rotating magnetic head 31 or 32 becomes small and its level falls below a predetermined value, or a dropout occurs in the output from the rotating magnetic head 31 or 32. A detection output is generated when the output is missing. However, no output is produced when the rotating magnetic heads 31 and 32 are not scanning the magnetic tape. Then, the detection output from the level detection circuit 71 or 72 is passed through the OR circuit 73 to the control signal forming circuit 7.
The control signal forming circuit 74 generates a control signal P and supplies it to the switching circuits 59 and 60 when the detection output from the level detection circuit 71 or 72 is supplied. When the control signal P is not supplied to the switching circuits 59 and 60, the regenerated left signal SL and the regenerated right signal SR supplied to one of their input terminals are led out to the output terminal, and the control signal P is supplied to the switching circuits 59 and 60. When the signal is input, the reproduced left signal SL' and the reproduced right signal SR' supplied to the other input terminal are controlled to be delivered to the output terminal. That is, the rotating magnetic heads 31 and 32 are connected to the output ends of the switching circuits 59 and 60, respectively.
When the output is appropriate and the level exceeds a predetermined value, the right FM signals LF ₁ and LF ₂ and the right FM signal RF ₃ are reproduced by the rotating magnetic heads 31 and 32.
and RF ₄ are demodulated, and the demodulated outputs are combined to obtain a regenerated left signal SL and a regenerated right signal SR, and also the regenerated left signal SL and the regenerated right signal SR. The rotating magnetic head 31 or 3 has a reduced signal-to-noise ratio, contains a lot of pulsed noise, or is in a state of large-amplitude pulsed noise.
2, tracking deviation or output drop-out may occur, and the rotating magnetic head 31 or 3 may
When the output level of the fixed magnetic heads 61 and 62 is below a predetermined value or is in a missing state, the fixed magnetic heads 61 and 62
The reproduced left signal SL′ and the reproduced right signal reproduced by
SR′ is obtained. Signals obtained at the output terminals of these switching circuits 59 and 60 are derived from audio output terminals 75 and 76 as reproduced audio signals. Therefore, the rotating magnetic head 3
Therefore, it is possible to obtain a reproduced audio signal that does not include portions where the signal-to-noise ratio has decreased due to tracking deviation or output drop-out with respect to 1 or 32, and portions where pulse noise has occurred.

Incidentally, drop-out in the output of the rotating magnetic head 31 or 32 often occurs intermittently for a certain period of time, and therefore the level detection circuit 71 or 72 When the detection output from The resulting reproduced left signal SL' and reproduced right signal SR' may be taken out.

As explained above, according to the video and audio signal reproducing device according to the present invention, the recording quality obtained by demodulating the FM-modulated audio signal that is normally reproduced together with the video signal by the rotating magnetic head. It is possible to obtain a high-fidelity reproduced audio signal without any deterioration in performance, and to avoid tracking deviation and output drop caused by the rotating magnetic head.
When the quality of the reproduced audio signal obtained by demodulating the reproduced output of the FM modulated audio signal is degraded due to an error such as an error, the audio signal recorded on the audio track can be used instead of the reproduced audio signal. Since the reproduced audio signal obtained by reproducing the audio with a fixed magnetic head is extracted, there is no tracking deviation or output drop caused by the rotating magnetic head.
It is possible to significantly reduce deterioration in the quality of the reproduced audio signal due to out-of-band noise, etc.

In addition, in the above embodiment, the audio signals of two channels of stereo left signal and right signal are transmitted to four types of FM.
The apparatus according to the present invention reproduces a video signal and an audio signal from a recording tape recorded together with a video signal as a modulated audio signal.
In addition, for example, it is of course possible to configure the apparatus to reproduce a video signal and an audio signal from a recording tape on which one type of FM-modulated audio signal is recorded together with a video signal.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block connection diagram showing essential parts of an example of a video and audio signal recording system for a recording tape that is reproduced by the video and audio signal reproducing apparatus according to the present invention, and FIGS. 2, 3, and 4. and FIG. 5 is a frequency spectrum diagram used to explain the operation of the example shown in FIG. FIG. 7 is a conceptual diagram showing an example. FIG. 7 is a block connection diagram showing essential parts of an example of the video and audio signal reproducing apparatus according to the present invention. In the figure, 31 and 32 are rotating magnetic heads, 36,
37, 38 and 39 are band pass filters, 4
0, 41, 42 and 43 are amplitude limiting circuits; 44;
45, 46 and 47 are FM demodulators, 48, 4
9, 50 and 51 are low pass filters, 53, 5
4, 59 and 60 are switching circuits, 61 and 62 are fixed magnetic heads, 69 and 70 are level adjustment circuits, 71 and 72 are level detection circuits, 73 is an OR circuit, 74 is a control signal forming circuit, 75 and 7
6 is an audio output terminal.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. An array of inclined tracks is formed in which a video signal and a frequency-modulated signal obtained by frequency-modulating a carrier wave of a predetermined frequency with an audio signal are mixed and recorded, and further, the audio signal is a reproducing rotary head section for reproducing a video signal and a frequency modulated signal recorded on the inclined track from a recording tape on which the recorded audio track is formed in an area different from the inclined track; a filter section that separates the frequency modulated signal from the output of the head section; a demodulation section that demodulates the frequency modulated signal from the reproduction rotary head section separated by the filter section to obtain a reproduced audio signal; a reproducing head section separate from the reproducing rotary head section for reproducing the audio signal recorded on the audio track from the recording tape; a level adjustment section that adjusts the relative level between the audio signal reproduced by the reproduction head; and a reproduction audio signal obtained from the demodulation section and the audio reproduced by a reproduction head separate from the reproduction rotary head. a switching section for selectively deriving the signal; a level detection section for detecting the level of the output of the regeneration rotary head section; and a level detection section for detecting the level of the output of the regeneration rotary head section; When the value is exceeded,
The switching section is caused to take a state in which a reproduced audio signal obtained from the demodulating section is derived, and the level of the output of the reproducing rotary head section is below a predetermined value.
Alternatively, a control section that causes the switching section to take a state in which, when a missing state occurs, the switching section derives an audio signal to be reproduced by a reproduction head section different from the reproduction rotary head section; Signal regenerator.