BPM Delay & Reverb Calculator

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between a dotted eighth and an eighth-note triplet?

A dotted eighth is 375 ms at 120 BPM; an eighth-note triplet is about 167 ms. They create very different rhythmic feels - the dotted eighth sits between beats while the triplet divides each beat into three equal parts.

Does doubling the tempo halve every delay time?

Yes - every delay time scales inversely with BPM. Double the tempo and every value is exactly half as long.

Does this apply to reverb pre-delay and decay settings?

Yes - many engineers set reverb pre-delay to an eighth or sixteenth note and decay so the tail dies just before the next downbeat. Use the same millisecond figures.

What is the delay frequency used for?

When a delay's feedback is very short (under about 30 ms), the repeating echo creates a comb-filter or pitched-oscillator effect. The Hz figure tells you what pitch or resonance that corresponds to.

Which note value should I start with for a clean mix?

Start with a dotted eighth for lead guitar or vocals, a quarter note for big ambient effects, and an eighth or sixteenth for subtle thickening. Always trust your ears for the final tweak.

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How It Works

Tempo-synced delay and reverb effects sound musical only when their time matches the song's grid. This tool converts a tempo in beats per minute (BPM) into the delay time, in milliseconds, of every common note value. The anchor is the quarter note: at any tempo, one quarter note lasts 60000 / BPM milliseconds, because there are 60000 ms in a minute and BPM quarter notes per minute.

A whole note is four quarter notes, a half note is two, an eighth note is half a quarter, and so on - each step halves or doubles the time. For every base note value the calculator also reports the dotted length (x1.5, used for that classic galloping or wide stereo slap) and the triplet length (x2/3, a tighter swung feel). It also gives the delay frequency in hertz, which matters when a delay's feedback is short enough to act like an oscillator or comb filter.

Generalised to any note value expressed as a fraction of a whole note: ms = (60000 / BPM) x 4 x fraction. Dotted notes multiply by 1.5; triplets multiply by 2/3.

Use Cases

BPM-to-delay conversion is used constantly in mixing and production:

Setting a delay plugin to a dotted-eighth note for the classic rhythmic slapback effect popularised by U2

Dialling in reverb pre-delay to an eighth or sixteenth note so the tail doesn't smear the transients

Syncing tremolo, auto-pan, or LFO modulation rate to the song's tempo

Setting a sidechain compressor's attack and release to rhythmically pump with the kick

Programming a ping-pong delay where echoes land precisely on the grid

Tips

Quarter and dotted-eighth notes give big, obvious rhythmic echoes; sixteenths and thirty-seconds blur into a thickening texture; triplets add bounce.

The dotted-eighth trick works because it lands echoes between the played notes, weaving a continuous sixteenth-feel groove from a simple part.

Tremolo, auto-pan, and LFO rates can be set in note values - the same Hz conversion (Hz = 1000 / ms) tells you the modulation frequency.

Some plugins round to whole milliseconds, so a calculated 62.5 ms may snap to 62 or 63 ms - trust your ears for the final tweak.

Using the host BPM only works when the section has a straight feel; if the vibe is half-time or double-time, use that perceived grid instead.

FAQ

What is the difference between a dotted eighth and an eighth-note triplet?

A dotted eighth is 375 ms at 120 BPM; an eighth-note triplet is about 167 ms. They are very different rhythmic feels - the dotted eighth sits between the beats while the triplet divides each beat into three equal parts.

Does doubling the tempo halve every delay time?

Yes - every delay time scales inversely with BPM. Double the tempo and every value is exactly half as long.

Does this apply to reverb too?

Yes - many engineers set reverb pre-delay to an eighth or sixteenth note and decay so the tail dies just before the next downbeat. Use the same millisecond figures.

What is the delay frequency used for?

When a delay's feedback is very short (under about 30 ms), the repeating echo creates a comb-filter or pitched-oscillator effect. The Hz figure tells you what pitch or resonance that corresponds to.

Which note value should I choose for a clean mix?

Longer values (quarter, half) create space but can clutter a busy arrangement. Sixteenths add shimmer without hogging space. Start with a dotted eighth for lead guitar or vocals and adjust by ear.

BPM Delay & Reverb Calculator

Frequently Asked Questions

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