Recording and reproducing apparatus

A recording apparatus for recording signals to plural tracks formed sequentially on a tape-like recording medium using plural recording heads disposed on a rotating drum, said apparatus comprising:

• a first selecting means for selecting the first through n track sets, each track set comprising m continuous tracks within the plural tracks formed on said tape-like recording medium, said n being 1 or greater, said m being 2 or greater;
• a disposing means for disposing the first through k separated high speed reproduction data areas to the same positions in each of the m tracks comprising the first through n track sets, said k being 1 or greater;
• a first recording means for recording the same high speed reproduction data to the same track position in at least the tracks having the same azimuth angle within the m*k high speed reproduction data areas belonging to the same track set;
• a second selecting means for selecting n+1 through n+N track sets, each track set comprising M tracks selected from among the tracks to which the high speed reproduction data areas are not disposed, said N being 1 or greater, said M being 2 or greater;
• a second disposing means for disposing a continuous very-high speed reproduction data area to the same position in each of the M tracks forming the n+1 through n+N track sets;
• and
• a second recording means for recording the same very-high speed reproduction data to the M very-high speed reproduction data areas belonging to the same track set within the M*N very-high speed reproduction data areas belonging to the n+1 to n+N track sets.