Digital signal recording and reproducing apparatus for recording digital signals in successive tracks of given pitch on a record medium and for reproducing digital signals therefrom. A rotary head assembly including two pairs of head subassemblies angularly separated by approximately 180.degree., with each subassembly comprised of a pair of heads displaced from each other in a direction parallel to the track pitch, is driven at a predetermined rotation speed to record digital signals selectively supplied at respectively different original transmission rates which exhibit a predetermined ratio. The digital signals are timebase modified to have substantially the same data rate even though their original transmission rates differ from each other; and are coupled to the rotary head assembly. The record medium is driven during a recording mode at respectively different speeds determined by the original transmission rate of the selectively supplied digital signal, whereby the number of tracks recorded on the record medium during a unit time period T (where T is the time for the rotary head assembly to make a predetermined number of rotations) corresponds to the original transmission rate. The record medium is driven during a reproducing mode at the same speed as was used during recording, whereby during the time period T the rotary head assembly reproduces digital signals from twice the number of tracks that had been recorded during that same time period . The reproduced digital signals are recovered substantially without defects at their original transmission rate by way of a memory.