PURPOSE: To keep a regenerative output at the maximum with respect to the fluctuation in regenerative output of a VTR.

CONSTITUTION: A high frequency signal component EH and a low frequency signal component EL are extracted 8 and 8' from a regenerative output signal and, maximum values EHmax and ELmax for the respective extracted components EH and EL are detected 10 and 10'. Further, the EH/EHmax and EL/ELmax are calculated 12 and 12', both of them are compared 13, it is inferred 14 from the compared result whether the cause of output fluctuation is off tracking or space fluctuation, and the position of a magnetic head 4 is controlled 15 corresponding to the value of the off tracking amount.