A recording or reproduction apparatus is disclosed which optimizes a standby state for recording or reproduction of a cartridge disk and can achieve rapid restoration of recording action upon ejection. A shutter close mode wherein a recording medium in a cartridge recording medium is not driven by a driving section and a shutter mechanism is closed can be maintained as one of modes during a loading process of the cartridge recording medium to achieve a dust preventing effect, a collision preventing effect with a head and a power saving effect while the cartridge recording medium is in a standby state. If a request to discharge the cartridge recording medium is issued, then the successive changeover from a drive on mode to a drive off mode shutter close mode eject mode is controlled using individual commands for the modes.