BPM to MS Calculator - Delay & Reverb Time Chart
Convert any tempo to milliseconds for every note value — straight, dotted, and triplet.
Enter a tempo in beats per minute and read off the exact millisecond timing of whole notes down to sixty-fourths, plus the matching LFO rate in hertz.
BPM to MS Calculator - Delay & Reverb Time Chart
Convert any tempo to milliseconds for every note value — straight, dotted, and triplet.
One beat (quarter note)
500.00 ms
All values below are derived from this beat length.
| Note value | Straight | Dotted | Triplet | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Whole note (1/1) | 2,000.00 ms | 3,000.00 ms | 1,333.33 ms | 0.500 Hz |
| Half note (1/2) | 1,000.00 ms | 1,500.00 ms | 666.67 ms | 1.000 Hz |
| Quarter note (1/4) | 500.00 ms | 750.00 ms | 333.33 ms | 2.000 Hz |
| Eighth note (1/8) | 250.00 ms | 375.00 ms | 166.67 ms | 4.000 Hz |
| Sixteenth (1/16) | 125.00 ms | 187.50 ms | 83.33 ms | 8.000 Hz |
| Thirty-second (1/32) | 62.50 ms | 93.75 ms | 41.67 ms | 16.000 Hz |
| Sixty-fourth (1/64) | 31.25 ms | 46.88 ms | 20.83 ms | 32.000 Hz |
ms per beat = 60,000 ÷ BPM. Dotted = straight × 1.5, triplet = straight × 2⁄3, rate in Hz = 1000 ÷ ms.
Why sync delay and reverb to your tempo
Time-based effects sound musical when their timing lines up with the pulse of the track. A delay set to exactly one eighth note repeats in the pockets between your notes instead of smearing across them; a reverb pre-delay of a sixteenth note lets a vocal transient breathe before the tail blooms. This calculator does the arithmetic instantly: type your project tempo and every useful subdivision appears in milliseconds, ready to paste into any plugin that lacks a tempo-sync switch.
The math starts from a single relationship: at any tempo, one beat (a quarter note in 4/4) lasts 60,000 milliseconds divided by the BPM. At 120 BPM that is 500 ms. Every other value is a simple multiple — a half note is twice the beat, an eighth is half of it, a sixteenth a quarter of it. Dotted notes are one and a half times their straight value, which is why a dotted-eighth delay (375 ms at 120 BPM) creates the classic driving echo heard on countless guitar and synth lines. Triplets are two thirds of the straight value and give delays a rolling, swung character.
Producers use these numbers well beyond delays. Reverb pre-delay is commonly set between a 1/64 and a 1/16 so the dry transient stays articulate. Compressor release times close to an eighth or quarter note make the gain reduction pump in time with the groove. Gates, tremolos, auto-pan, and LFO-driven filters all benefit from note-length timing, which is why the table also shows the equivalent rate in hertz — handy when a plugin asks for a frequency instead of a time.
The hertz column is simply 1000 divided by the millisecond value: a quarter note at 120 BPM equals 2 Hz, meaning it cycles twice per second. Set an LFO to that rate and its wobble lands exactly on the beat; use the eighth-note rate for double-time movement.
Because the values are pure arithmetic, they are exact for any DAW, hardware unit, or pedal. If your track uses tempo changes, calculate each section separately, or automate the delay time between the values shown here. For half-time feels, treat the tempo as half the project BPM and read the same table.
BPM to milliseconds examples
Common tempos and the delay times producers reach for most.
| Tempo / note value | Time | Typical use |
|---|---|---|
| 120 BPM, quarter note | 500.00 ms (2.000 Hz) | Classic quarter-note delay; LFO at 2 Hz pulses on every beat. |
| 120 BPM, dotted eighth | 375.00 ms | The driving dotted-eighth echo used on guitars and synth arps. |
| 140 BPM, sixteenth note | 107.14 ms | Tight slapback or reverb pre-delay that keeps vocals upfront. |
| 174 BPM, eighth-note triplet | 114.94 ms | Rolling triplet delay for drum & bass fills and shuffles. |
How to use the BPM to ms calculator
- Enter your song's tempo in BPM, or click one of the preset tempo buttons (90, 120, 128, 140, 174).
- Read the highlighted value for one beat — that is your quarter-note time in milliseconds.
- Find the note value you want in the table and pick the straight, dotted, or triplet column.
- Type that millisecond value into your delay, pre-delay, gate, or compressor release setting.
- For LFO-based effects, use the rate column in hertz instead of the millisecond value.
BPM to ms FAQ
What is the formula for converting BPM to milliseconds?
Divide 60,000 by the tempo to get the length of one beat in milliseconds: 60,000 ÷ 120 BPM = 500 ms. Multiply or divide that beat length to reach other note values — a half note is ×2, an eighth note ÷2, a sixteenth ÷4, and so on.
How do dotted and triplet values differ from straight notes?
A dotted note lasts 1.5× its straight value, so a dotted eighth at 120 BPM is 250 × 1.5 = 375 ms. A triplet fits three notes in the space of two, so it lasts 2⁄3 of the straight value — an eighth-note triplet at 120 BPM is 250 × 2⁄3 ≈ 166.67 ms.
What delay time should I use for vocals?
Slapback around a sixteenth note (100–130 ms at typical tempos) adds thickness without obvious repeats, while a quarter-note delay with feedback creates an audible echo that fills gaps between phrases. Many mixers also set reverb pre-delay to a 1/32 or 1/16 so the dry consonants stay clear.
Why does the table show a rate in hertz?
Some plugins express modulation speed as a frequency rather than a time. Hertz is cycles per second, so rate = 1000 ÷ milliseconds. A quarter note at 120 BPM (500 ms) equals 2 Hz; set a tremolo or auto-filter LFO to that rate and it moves exactly in time.
Does this work for any time signature?
Yes. BPM defines the beat length regardless of meter; the table's note values are fractions of a whole note. In 6/8 or other compound meters, just decide which note value carries the pulse (often the dotted quarter) and read that row.
My DAW has tempo sync — do I still need this?
Tempo sync covers plugins that support it, but hardware units, guitar pedals, and older plugins often accept only milliseconds. The chart is also useful for creative offsets, like nudging a delay a few ms off-grid for width, starting from an exact musical value.