At least three heads are mounted on a rotary drum. Between the first and third heads which are located in close proximity to each other and have different azimuth angles, an intentionally provided minute height difference is formed in the rotation shaft direction of the rotary drum. Signals of a plurality of data rates are recorded and reproduced by using the first and second heads or the first and third heads. Two heads having the same azimuth angle are disposed on the rotary drum so as to be opposed each other at a central angle of 180.degree.. In search speed reproduction, search data are reproduced by the two heads. Tracks are divided in the unit of plural tracks so as to form track sets. Search data areas of each track set are disposed at a position of each track which is separated from the edge of a tape by a predetermined distance. In search speed reproduction, the phases of the tracks and the heads are controlled, and all effective data of the search data areas are reproduced by plural scans of the heads.