BPM to delay & reverb time calculator
Set your delay, reverb pre-delay and sidechain release in time with the track. Type a BPM and read off the milliseconds for each note value — straight, dotted and triplet.
Updated 2026-07-06| Note | Straight | Dotted | Triplet | Hz |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1/1 · Whole | 1935 | 2903 | 1290 | 0.52 |
| 1/2 · Half | 968 | 1452 | 645 | 1.03 |
| 1/4 · Quarter | 484 | 726 | 323 | 2.07 |
| 1/8 · Eighth | 242 | 363 | 161 | 4.13 |
| 1/16 · Sixteenth | 121 | 181 | 80.6 | 8.27 |
| 1/32 · Thirty-second | 60.5 | 90.7 | 40.3 | 16.5 |
ms shown to the nearest tenth. Straight = the note value · Dotted = ×1.5 · Triplet = ×2⁄3 · Hz = 1000 ÷ ms.
How the math works
A quarter note lasts 60000 ÷ BPM milliseconds. Halve it for an eighth, again for a sixteenth. Dotted values are ×1.5 (a note and a half); triplets are ×2⁄3. The Hz column is just 1000 ÷ ms — useful for setting an LFO rate or a tremolo in sync with the tempo.
What to use it for
Time a delay so its repeats fall on the grid, set reverb pre-delay to an eighth or sixteenth so it breathes with the groove, and dial a sidechain/ducker release to a musical note value instead of guessing.
Time your pump with 4x4
Once you know the note value, 4x4 lets you draw a tempo-synced duck to match it exactly — grid-locked, click-free, with real analog character.
How do I convert BPM to milliseconds?
A quarter note = 60000 ÷ BPM ms. For example, at 120 BPM a quarter note is 500 ms, an eighth is 250 ms, and a sixteenth is 125 ms. Dotted values are ×1.5 and triplets are ×2⁄3.
What delay time should I use for house at 124 BPM?
A quarter note at 124 BPM is about 484 ms; an eighth is ~242 ms and a sixteenth ~121 ms. Dotted-eighth delays (~363 ms) are a classic wide, rhythmic setting.