Delay Time Calculator
Convert BPM to milliseconds for every note value at once — straight, dotted and triplet — so your delay, reverb and LFO lock to the grid instead of fighting it.
| Note | Straight (ms) | Dotted (ms) | Triplet (ms) | Rate (Hz) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1/1 | 2000.00 | 3000.00 | 1333.33 | 0.500 |
| 1/2 | 1000.00 | 1500.00 | 666.67 | 1.000 |
| 1/4 | 500.00 | 750.00 | 333.33 | 2.000 |
| 1/8 | 250.00 | 375.00 | 166.67 | 4.000 |
| 1/16 | 125.00 | 187.50 | 83.33 | 8.000 |
| 1/32 | 62.50 | 93.75 | 41.67 | 16.000 |
| 1/64 | 31.25 | 46.88 | 20.83 | 32.000 |
Dotted values are 1.5x the straight value; triplets are two-thirds of it. The Hz column is one full cycle per note value, for LFOs and tremolo without host sync. The 1/1 row assumes four beats to a bar.
Who needs BPM to ms conversion
Producers dialling in delay
A delay set by ear lands between subdivisions and blurs the groove. Typing the exact millisecond value makes the repeats fall on the grid, which is the difference between a delay that grooves and one that muddies.
Mix engineers setting reverb
Pre-delay timed to a 1/32 or 1/16 keeps a vocal forward without losing the tail, and a decay timed to a bar clears before the next downbeat. Both need the number, not a guess.
Sound designers timing LFOs
The Hz column is the LFO rate that completes one cycle per note value. Set a filter or tremolo to it and the movement locks to the tempo even when the plugin has no host sync.
Anyone on a plugin without host sync
Plenty of hardware units and older plugins only take raw milliseconds. This is the lookup that gets tempo-locked results out of them anyway.
How delay time is calculated
1. Enter the tempo
Type the BPM or hit a preset. Decimals are accepted, which matters when a project sits at something like 128.5 rather than a round number.
2. One beat becomes the base
A quarter note is 60,000 divided by the BPM. At 120 BPM that's exactly 500 ms — the number every other value is derived from.
3. Read the value you need
Straight values halve as you go down the table. Dotted is 1.5x the straight value; triplet is two-thirds of it. The Hz column is one cycle per note value, for LFOs.
Delay time calculator FAQ
How do I convert BPM to milliseconds?
Divide 60,000 by the BPM to get the length of one quarter-note beat in milliseconds. At 120 BPM that's 500 ms; at 140 BPM it's about 428.57 ms. Every other note value scales from there — an eighth is half a beat, a sixteenth is a quarter of one.
What is a dotted eighth delay and why is it everywhere?
A dot adds half the note's length again, so a dotted eighth is 0.75 of a beat. The repeats land off the straight eighth grid and interlock with it, which creates the galloping rhythmic pattern heard on countless guitar and synth parts. It's the single most-used tempo-synced delay setting.
Which delay time should I use?
For a subtle thickening, a short value like 1/32 or 1/64 reads as ambience rather than a repeat. For rhythmic interest, 1/8 or dotted 1/8. For dub-style washes, 1/4 or longer with high feedback. Slower material generally suits longer values; dense fast material needs shorter ones to avoid clutter.
What do I use the Hz column for?
It's the frequency of one full cycle per note value — the rate to dial into an LFO, tremolo, or auto-filter that has no tempo sync. Set a tremolo to the 1/8 Hz value and it pulses in eighth notes with the track.
How does this apply to reverb?
Two ways. Pre-delay set to a short note value (1/64 to 1/32) separates the source from its tail so vocals stay intelligible. Decay time set so the tail dies just before the next downbeat — often around one bar — keeps the mix from smearing across chord changes.
Does the time signature change these numbers?
The note values themselves don't change — a quarter note is a quarter note at any time signature. What changes is the bar: the 1/1 row assumes four beats per bar, so in 3/4 a bar is three beats, meaning three times the quarter-note value rather than four.
Lock your delay to the grid.
One BPM in, every note value out — straight, dotted, triplet and Hz.
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