Abstract: To assure good data playback characteristics even when reading data from a magnetic tape having recording tracks at a narrow pitch, a data recording and/or reproducing apparatus is provided which includes a tape feeder 7 to feed a magnetic tape 100 in which data is recorded on recording tracks formed obliquely to the moving direction of the magnetic tape 100, a magnetic head 4 including a playback head having a width smaller than the recording width of the recording tracks to read data from the magnetic tape 100 and a record head to write data to the magnetic tape 100, a rotating drum 5 on which the magnetic tape 100 is scanned by the magnetic head 4, a rotating drum controller 6 to allow the playback head to scan the recording tracks at least two times in order to detect data recorded in the magnetic tape 100, and a read signal processor 3 to reproduce data recorded in the magnetic tape 100 from the data detected by the playback head having been allowed by the rotating drum controller 6 to scan the recording