PURPOSE: To prevent erroneous erase of a tape by providing a recording, stop and reproducing operation switching unit to prevent a recording mode due to a stopping material even if operation switching from reproducing to stop is performed rapidly.

CONSTITUTION: When operation finger-screw 7 is operated in the arrow A direction under a stop mode in the figure, slider 8 is slided in the A direction similarly, and stopping lever 15 comes to a position parallel with axis 14 and is held in this position due to the action of the stopping part and driving pin 19, and simultaneously, control contact piece 9 is moved to control the terminal board and set the main body to a reproducing mode. Next, a recording mode is set by moving operation finger-screw 7 in the arrow B direction from the stop mode. Next, the stop mode is set by operating finger-screw 7 in the arrow A direction from the recording mode. Next, even if finger-screw 7 is moved to the stop mode from the reproducing mode rapidly, slider 8 is stopped from sliding furthermore to prevent the recording mode because stopping lever 15 rotates slowly due to viscosity resistance of silicon grease.