🎛️ BPM to Delay Time Calculator
Enter your track's tempo to get delay, echo and reverb pre-delay times in milliseconds for each note value, straight, dotted and triplet.
| Note | Straight | Dotted | Triplet | Hz |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Whole (1/1) | 2000 ms | 3000 ms | 1333.3 ms | 0.5 |
| Half (1/2) | 1000 ms | 1500 ms | 666.7 ms | 1 |
| Quarter (1/4) | 500 ms | 750 ms | 333.3 ms | 2 |
| Eighth (1/8) | 250 ms | 375 ms | 166.7 ms | 4 |
| Sixteenth (1/16) | 125 ms | 187.5 ms | 83.3 ms | 8 |
| Thirty-second (1/32) | 62.5 ms | 93.8 ms | 41.7 ms | 16 |
A quarter-note beat is 60,000 ÷ BPM milliseconds. Dotted = ×1.5, triplet = ×⅔. Use these for tempo-synced delay, echo and reverb pre-delay; the Hz column suits tempo-synced LFOs. 🔒 In your browser.
How the bpm to delay time calculator works
A quarter-note beat lasts 60,000 ÷ BPM milliseconds. From that, every note division follows: an eighth is half, a sixteenth a quarter, and so on. Dotted values are 1.5× as long and triplets are ⅔ as long. The tool builds the full table so you can dial tempo-synced delay and modulation by ear or by number.
Setting a delay to a note value locks the echoes to the groove instead of muddying it. Dotted-eighth delays are a classic rhythmic effect; the Hz column converts the same timings for tempo-synced LFOs and tremolo. If your plugin syncs to host tempo, you may not need the numbers, but they're essential for hardware and free-running units.
Frequently asked questions
How do I calculate delay time from BPM?
A quarter note is 60,000 ÷ BPM milliseconds. At 120 BPM that's 500 ms; an eighth note is 250 ms, a sixteenth 125 ms. Dotted values ×1.5, triplets ×⅔. The tool lists them all.
What delay time should I use at 120 BPM?
It depends on the effect: a quarter-note delay is 500 ms, an eighth 250 ms, a dotted-eighth 375 ms (a popular rhythmic delay). Match the note value to the feel you want.
What is a dotted-eighth delay?
A delay set to 1.5× an eighth note, 375 ms at 120 BPM. It creates an offbeat, galloping echo made famous on many guitar and synth parts. The tool gives the dotted time for every division.
How do I sync an LFO to tempo?
Convert the note value's period (in ms) to a frequency: Hz = 1,000 ÷ ms. A quarter note at 120 BPM (500 ms) is 2 Hz. The Hz column does this for you.
What about reverb pre-delay?
Setting reverb pre-delay to a small note value (like a sixteenth or thirty-second) separates the dry sound from the tail in time with the track, keeping things clear. Use the shorter divisions in the table.