Recording and/or reproducing device for magnetic tape

A recording and/or reproducing apparatus for a magnetic tape of a tape cassette, comprising:

• a supply side reel for reeling out the magnetic tape;
• a supply side reel gear for rotationally driving the supply side reel;
• a takeup side reel for taking up the magnetic tape;
• a takeup side reel gear for rotationally driving the takeup side reel;
• a tape guide drum wound with the magnetic tape pulled out from the tape cassette;
• a tape loading mechanism for pulling out the magnetic tape from the tape cassette and placing the magnetic tape on the tape guide drum by way of a tape loading operation and for separating the magnetic tape from the tape guide drum and housing the magnetic tape in the tape cassette by way of a tape unloading operation;
• and
• a switching mechanism for switching a running direction of the magnetic tape pulled out from the tape cassette by the tape loading mechanism, wherein
• the switching mechanism includes a counter gear movable between a position in which the counter gear selectively meshes with one of the supply side reel gear and the takeup side reel gear for selectively driving one of the supply side reel gear and the takeup side reel gear and a position in which the counter gear is positioned between the supply side reel gear and the takeup side reel gear and is out of contact with both the supply side reel gear and the takeup side reel gear, and wherein the counter gear is positioned during the tape loading operation by the tape loading mechanism to be out of contact with both the supply side reel gear and the takeup side reel gear.