Continuously zoned servo preamble detection and frequency acquisition

An apparatus for storing data includes a storage medium with user data regions and with servo data regions containing preamble patterns. Servo data in the servo data regions is written with a varying clock frequency across the storage medium. The apparatus also includes a head assembly disposed in relation to the storage medium and operable to read and write data on the storage medium. The apparatus also includes a preamble detection circuit adapted to search an input stream derived from the head assembly for the preamble patterns in a number of frequency bins.