PURPOSE: To reduce greatly the number of times of hunting of a tape by changing the torque of a reel motor after positioning the lower end of a tape loop in a fixed interval by turning or reversing the reel motor.

CONSTITUTION: While the lower end of tape 2 is between tape sensors 8 and 9, no signal is sent out from tape loop control circuit TRC to a constant current driver circuit. When the lower end of tape 2 is above sensor 8, circuit TRC sends out a take-up control signal to circuit CDC to turn reel motor M, thereby feeding tape 2. The moment the detection signal of sensor 8 is generated, it is inputted to terminals CL and (i) of a shift register to control the output of reel motor braking current control circuit MSC, thereby reducing the torque of motor M. When the lower end of tape 2 lowers below sensor 9, motor M is reversed to rewnd tape 2. At the point in time when sensor 9 does not detect tape 2 any more, a signal is inputted to terminals CL and (j) of register SR to increase the torque of motor M.