The invention relates to a comprising a magnetic tape formatted by a write head, and an apparatus comprising a magnetic head unit which is movable on a transverse direction by an actuator. The write head records the magnetic tape with a pattern of servotracks ST101-ST127 which extend in a longitudinal direction. The odd-numbered servotracks contain a first servosignal and the even-numbered servotracks contain a second servosignal Sb which is phase opposition to the first servosignal. The servotracks ST103-ST113 and ST116-ST126 have a typical width W1 and form a group of two bands of N1 servotracks which are separated by a band of N2 servotracks ST114, ST115 having a typical width W2. The magnetic tape is adapted to cooperate with an apparatus comprising eight magnetic write heads. The actuator is controlled in response to the servosignals read by the heads. The center-to-center distance between the magnetic write heads is equal to four times the typical width W1 and, moreover, it holds that:N2=2, 4, 6 etc. and W2=(k+1/2)W1or N2=1, 3, 5 etc. and W2=2k.W1,where k=1, 2 etc.