Tempo to Delay Calculator
Convert a tempo in BPM into delay and echo times in milliseconds for every note value.
Eighth note 250 ms · delay frequency 2 Hz.
| Note | Straight | Dotted (×1.5) | Triplet (×⅔) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Whole | 2000 ms | 3000 ms | 1333.33 ms |
| Half | 1000 ms | 1500 ms | 666.67 ms |
| Quarter | 500 ms | 750 ms | 333.33 ms |
| Eighth | 250 ms | 375 ms | 166.67 ms |
| Sixteenth | 125 ms | 187.5 ms | 83.33 ms |
A quarter-note delay is 60000 ÷ BPM milliseconds. At 120 BPM that is 60000 ÷ 120 = 500 ms, and an eighth-note delay is half of that, 250 ms. Scale by the note value — halve for each faster note, multiply dotted times by 1.5 and triplets by ⅔ — to sync any echo to the beat.
Why delay time follows the tempo
An echo sounds musical when its repeats land on the grid rather than between beats. Because one beat equals a quarter note, its length in milliseconds is simply a minute (60000 ms) divided by the number of beats per minute. Every other note value is a fraction or multiple of that quarter, so once you know the quarter-note time you know them all — set your delay, reverb pre-delay, or LFO rate to one of them and the effect breathes with the track.
Milliseconds for a quarter note; multiply by the note-value factor for the rest.
Worked example
A track at 120 BPM, finding the classic dotted-eighth delay.
- 1 Find the quarter-note time. ms = 60000 ÷ 120 = 500 ms — the length of one beat.
- 2 Scale to the note value you want. An eighth note is half a quarter: 500 × 0.5 = 250 ms.
- 3 Apply the dotted factor. A dotted note lasts 1.5× its base: 250 × 1.5 = 375 ms — the dotted-eighth delay.
- 4 Optionally convert to frequency. Delay frequency in Hz = 1000 ÷ ms, so 500 ms ≈ 2 Hz — handy for tempo-synced LFOs.
Note value → multiplier of the quarter note
Multiply the quarter-note time by the factor; dotted notes add half again (×1.5), triplets fit three in the space of two (×⅔ ≈ 0.667).
| Note value | Factor (of quarter) | At 120 BPM |
|---|---|---|
| Whole | × 4 | 2000 ms |
| Half | × 2 | 1000 ms |
| Quarter | × 1 | 500 ms |
| Eighth | × 0.5 | 250 ms |
| Sixteenth | × 0.25 | 125 ms |
| Dotted (any) | × 1.5 | eighth → 375 ms |
| Triplet (any) | × 0.667 | eighth → 166.67 ms |
Using the times in a mix
Delay and echo. Dial the calculated milliseconds straight into a delay unit. A dotted-eighth delay — 375 ms at 120 BPM — is the classic rhythmic guitar and synth sound: the repeats fall on the off-beats and create a rolling, syncopated pattern.
Reverb pre-delay and LFO sync. The same numbers set reverb pre-delay so the tail starts on a beat, or a modulation rate when your synth wants milliseconds instead of note values. To go the other way, delay frequency in Hz = 1000 ÷ ms, so a 500 ms quarter is 2 Hz.
Straight, dotted, or triplet. Straight values sit on the grid, dotted values push the repeats later for a lazy swing, and triplets divide the beat into three for a rolling feel. Match the choice to the groove rather than defaulting to straight every time.