How the bpm to delay calculator works
Tempo is beats per minute, and in most music one beat is a quarter note. Dividing a minute (60,000 ms) by the tempo gives the length of one quarter note; every other note value is a simple fraction of it.
Dotted = note × 1.5 · Triplet = note × 2/3
Rate (Hz) = 1,000 ÷ note length in ms
Delays timed to these values sit inside the groove instead of fighting it. The dotted eighth is the classic rhythmic delay used by many guitarists, and a sixteenth or thirty-second note works well as reverb pre-delay to keep vocals clear. The Hz value is useful for syncing tremolo, chorus or filter LFOs on gear without tempo sync.
Worked example
At 120 BPM a quarter note lasts 60,000 ÷ 120 = 500 ms. An eighth note is 250 ms, a dotted eighth 375 ms, an eighth-note triplet 166.67 ms and a sixteenth 125 ms. A quarter-note LFO would run at 2 Hz.
Frequently asked questions
How do I convert BPM to milliseconds?
Divide 60,000 by the BPM to get a quarter note in ms.
What is a dotted eighth delay?
A delay of three sixteenth notes (0.75 of a beat), which creates a galloping rhythmic echo.
How do I calculate triplet delay times?
Multiply the straight note length by 2/3.
What is a good reverb pre-delay?
Often a 1/32 or 1/64 note, or 10 to 40 ms, depending on tempo and how upfront the source should sound.
Updated October 2026. Results are estimates for education, not financial or medical advice. All math runs in your browser; nothing you type is sent anywhere.