BPM to delay time.

Worked example

At 120 BPM one beat is 60,000 ÷ 120 = 500 ms. A 1/8 note is 250 ms, a dotted 1/8 is 250 × 1.5 = 375 ms and a 1/8 triplet is 250 × 2/3 = 166.7 ms. Set a delay to 375 ms for the classic dotted-eighth bounce.

How it works

One quarter-note beat lasts 60,000 ÷ BPM milliseconds. Other note values scale from it: a half note is 2 beats, an eighth is 0.5 beat. A dotted note is 1.5 times the straight value and a triplet note is 2/3 of it. A note’s frequency in Hz is 1000 ÷ its time in ms, which is useful for tempo-synced LFOs.

For reverb, matching the pre-delay to a short note value (1/32, 1/64) or the decay to a note value or bar keeps the tail in rhythm with the track. That is a mixing habit rather than a standard, so treat the numbers as starting points. The tool counts beats as quarter notes; in compound meters such as 6/8 the felt beat may be a dotted quarter.

Sources and basis (checked 2026-10-05): Wikipedia: Dotted note (a dot adds half the note’s value, so 1.5×) and Wikipedia: Tuplet (a triplet note lasts 2/3 of the straight note). Beat length = 60,000 ms ÷ BPM is arithmetic.

FAQ

How do I convert BPM to milliseconds?

Divide 60,000 by the BPM to get the length of one quarter note in ms. At 100 BPM that is 600 ms.

What is a dotted eighth delay?

A delay set to 1.5 times an eighth note, or three sixteenths. At 120 BPM it is 375 ms.

How do I set reverb pre-delay and decay to tempo?

Use a short note value such as 1/32 or 1/64 for pre-delay and a note value or bar length for the decay, then adjust by ear.

What is a triplet delay time?

Two thirds of the straight note length, so three triplets fit where two normal notes would. A 1/4 triplet at 120 BPM is 333.3 ms.

How does tap tempo work?

It averages the time between your taps and converts that to BPM. More taps give a steadier result.