In a system for recording and reproducing digital signals on a magnetic tape using a rotary head, in which the signals are recorded as a series of slanted tracks without guard bands, pilot signals that control tracking alignment of a playback head are recorded at particular positions in a specific pilot signal record region, independent of the information signal record region. Position detecting signals having various recording lengths are also recorded in the pilot signal region in such a manner that the start position of each position detecting signal corresponds substantially to the center portion of the pilot signal on an adjacent track. When the recorded tracks are reproduced by a rotary playback head having a tracing width greater than the track width, the pilot signals from the two tracks adjacent to the reproduced track on either side thereof are sampled by sampling pulses generated in response to the reproduced position detecting signal and compared in level, and the comparison output is used to control the tracking alignment of the rotary playback head.