Patent ID: 7260035

Claim:
A recording/playback device, comprising: a simultaneous recording/reading unit operable to simultaneously record an input signal in a storage device and to read an input signal recorded in the storage device as a read signal; a playback speed changing unit operable to change a playback speed of the read signal without a sound dropout; an output switching unit operable to alternatively select one of the input signal and the read signal and to output the selected signal to an output device; and a switching timing indicating unit operable to indicate a switching timing to the output switching unit, wherein: the playback speed changing unit is further operable to increase the playback speed of the read signal higher than single speed and, after playback is started, when a delay time of the read signal with respect to the input signal is below a predetermined time, is further operable to decrease the playback speed of the read signal to single speed, and after the delay time of the read signal with respect to the input signal is below the predetermined time, upon receiving an indication from the switching timing indicating unit, the output switching unit is further operable to switch an output from the read signal to the input signal.