Abstract: In one exemplary embodiment, an improved apparatus for recovery of a dead track in NRZI tape data format having parallel transmission of data bits is provided in which a dead track recoverer circuit is provided for sensing the absence of a necessary data bit to replace the dead track data bit, and provides means for inserting the data bit in proper time sequence with the data character to reconstitute the data character and thus recover the data information, even though one channel may be dead or inoperative. In combination with the dead track recovery circuit is an improved clock track generator which electronically simulates a clock track to generate strobe signals by utilizing the bit scatter average of the bit characters, averaging them over several characters and generating a variable periodic clock that generates strobe signals having a delay of one-half cell time between data characters.