playback head

American  

noun

1. the part of a tape recorder that is used to pick up the magnetic pattern on tape in order to play back material previously recorded.

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Etymology

Origin of playback head

First recorded in 1945–50

Example Sentences

In 1948, Bing Crosby gave Paul his first mono Ampex recorder, to which Paul added a second playback head, which enabled him to record multiple tracks on the same reel of tape.

From Los Angeles Times

The only moving part at the point of signal retrieval is the tape, which travels in a straight line across a stationary playback head.

From The Verge

While the system appears to function like a modern-day website, with pictures loading when they are clicked on, the playback head is constantly jumping between 50,000 video stills.

From BBC

Her violin bow has prerecorded tape where the hairs should be, and is drawn across a tape playback head on the instrument's bridge, enabling the violin to "speak."

From Time Magazine Archive