BPM to milliseconds — delay and note-length times
Producers sync delays, reverb pre-delay and LFOs to the tempo so effects sit in the groove instead of fighting it. This tool converts any BPM into millisecond times for every note value, including straight, dotted and triplet feels, plus the equivalent frequency in Hz.
How it works
Everything is derived from the length of one quarter-note beat:
beat (ms) = 60000 ÷ BPMEach note value scales from that beat by a multiplier (whole = ×4, half = ×2, quarter = ×1, eighth = ×0.5, sixteenth = ×0.25, thirty-second = ×0.125). Dotted times are ×1.5 the straight value, triplets are ×2/3, and the Hz column is 1000 ÷ the straight milliseconds.
Complete reference table at 120 BPM
At 120 BPM, beat = 60000 ÷ 120 = 500 ms:
| Note value | Straight | Dotted | Triplet | Hz |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Whole | 2000 ms | 3000 ms | 1333.33 ms | 0.5 Hz |
| Half | 1000 ms | 1500 ms | 666.67 ms | 1.0 Hz |
| Quarter | 500 ms | 750 ms | 333.33 ms | 2.0 Hz |
| Eighth | 250 ms | 375 ms | 166.67 ms | 4.0 Hz |
| Sixteenth | 125 ms | 187.5 ms | 83.33 ms | 8.0 Hz |
| Thirty-second | 62.5 ms | 93.75 ms | 41.67 ms | 16.0 Hz |
Enter any tempo above to recalculate every value instantly.
The most useful delay times in practice
Not all note values are equally useful as delay times. These are the ones producers reach for most:
Dotted eighth (375 ms at 120 BPM) — the “U2 Edge” delay. Creates a syncopated, sixteenth-note feel that pushes the rhythm without cluttering the beat. Works beautifully on clean guitar and piano at any tempo.
Eighth note (250 ms at 120 BPM) — the tightest rhythmic delay that still feels musical. Doubles the energy of any sustained note. Common in modern pop and electronic music.
Quarter note (500 ms at 120 BPM) — aligns perfectly with the beat. Each echo lands on the next beat. Great for verse delays that clear out before the chorus.
Triplet eighth (166.67 ms at 120 BPM) — creates a three-against-two feel. Adds rhythmic tension without being as choppy as a plain sixteenth.
Why reverb pre-delay is different
Reverb pre-delay is not the reverb time — it is the gap between the dry signal and the start of the reverb tail. Setting it to a short note value (typically 20–40 ms, or a thirty-second note at slower tempos) keeps the dry signal clear while the room bloom starts subtly behind it. Too short and the reverb smears the attack; too long and it sounds like an echo rather than space.
At 120 BPM, a thirty-second note is 62.5 ms — reasonable as a maximum pre-delay for most reverb types. At slower tempos (60–80 BPM) a sixteenth note (125–187 ms) can work as a slapback-style pre-delay on vocals.
Using the Hz column for LFO sync
LFOs and tremolo effects often accept a frequency input in Hz rather than a time in ms. The Hz column shows the rate equivalent of each note value:
- A tremolo synced to eighth notes at 120 BPM runs at 4 Hz
- A filter LFO synced to a bar (whole note) at 120 BPM runs at 0.5 Hz
- A sixteenth-note gate runs at 8 Hz
Not all hardware accepts fractional Hz values, so check what resolution your unit supports. All calculations run in your browser — nothing is uploaded.