AUFZEICHNUNGS- UND/ODER WIEDERGABEGERAET NACH ART EINES AUTOMATISCHEN BANDLADEGERAETES

An automatic tape loading type recording and/or reproducing apparatus comprises a guide drum, a first loading mechanism for drawing a tape out of a loaded cassette and for guiding the tape by moving from an unloading position to a loading completion position on an entrance side of the guide drum in a tape moving direction, without changing a height position thereof which corresponds to a height position of a tape moving plane in which the tape moves within the cassette, a second loading mechanism for drawing the tape out of the cassette and for guiding the tape by moving from an unloading position to a loading completion position which is on an exit side of the guide drum in the tape moving direction and is in a plane lower than the tape moving plane, so that a height position of the tape on a downstream side of the second loading mechanism is restored to an original height position, and a tape guiding mechanism arranged on a downstream side of the second tape loading mechanism, for making contact with and guiding the tape having the restored height position by changing a moving direction of the tape to a direction along the tape moving plane. The tape is wrapped around the peripheral surface of the guide drum between the first and second loading mechanisms, over an angular range which greatly exceeds 180 DEG .