Magnetic recording and reproducing apparatus

A magnetic recording and reproducing apparatus comprising means for generating a recording current, means for generating an erase current, a motor-driven head drum having at least one rotary recording head mounted thereon for recording signals on a magnetic tape in response to said recording current and for reproducing said signals and further having at least one rotary erase head for scanning signal tracks which have been recorded by said rotary recording head, to erase said signal tracks in response to said erase current, said signal tracks being successively formed with a fixed track width and a fixed pitch, in which said rotary erase head is formed with a track width which is equal to at least twice a value W, where W is the product of the number of said rotary recording heads multiplied by the pitch of said signal tracks, divided by the number of said rotary erase heads, whereby during erasure of said signal tracks said rotary erase head scans over substantially the entire width of each of said signal tracks twice in succession, and further comprising control means for controlling the supply of said recording current and said erase current to said rotary recording head and rotary erase head respectively such that upon termination of supply of said erase current to said rotary erase head a supply of said recording current to said rotary recording head is continued during a specific period of time, for thereby executing recording upon a portion of said magnetic tape which has been immediately previously erased by said rotary erase head.