RECORDING AND REPRODUCING DEVICE

PURPOSE:To prevent the abrasion of a rotary head and the damage of a tape in a standby state where the head is rotated, and to perform recording and reproducing immediately after standing by forcibly lifting the tape from the head by air pressure and allowing the tape to float. CONSTITUTION:A control microcomputer 7 instructs a pressure control means 11 to deliver compressed air with specified pressure to a rotary head device 13. According to the instruction, the means 11 supplies air to the device 13 by using a compressor 101 so as to allow a part of the tape 4 to float from the head device 13. The microcomputer 7 allows the air to blow off in the operation mode of a recording and reproducing device. That is, in a standby mode, the device 13 is rotated, and reel motors 251 and 252 are stopped. The means 11 is set to the blowoff of strong air pressure, and the air is discharged from the vicinity of the heads 3a to 3d so as to allow the tape 4 to float to be in a non-contact state, thereby improving the life of the head. In a reproducing/recording mode, weak air pressure is allowed to blow off, the contact pressure of the heads 3a to 3d with the tape 4 is made necessary minimum, and the life of the head is improved.