BPM to Delay Time & Reverb Time Calculator
Enter a song tempo to get the delay and reverb times that lock to it. The table lists straight, dotted and triplet values from whole notes to 64th notes in milliseconds or hertz, and you can click any value to copy it. If you do not know the tempo, find it with "Tap". To hear the pulse, try the Metronome. Everything is calculated on this page and nothing is sent anywhere.
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Tap tempo (BPM counter)
Tap the button at a steady pace along with a song. The BPM is taken from your last 8 taps and applied to the tempo above (a pause of 3 seconds or more starts a new count).
No taps yet
Delay times
Click a value to copy it. A quarter note is treated as one beat.
| Note | Straight | Dotted | Triplet |
|---|---|---|---|
| Whole (1/1) | |||
| Half (1/2) | |||
| Quarter (1/4) | |||
| Eighth (1/8) | |||
| Sixteenth (1/16) | |||
| 32nd (1/32) | |||
| 64th (1/64) |
Reverb pre-delay and decay guide
Start with a short pre-delay (1/64 to 1/8) and a decay of one beat to one bar (4 beats), then fine-tune by ear.
| Setting | Note | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Pre-delay | 64th (1/64) | |
| Pre-delay | 32nd (1/32) | |
| Pre-delay | Sixteenth (1/16) | |
| Pre-delay | Eighth (1/8) | |
| Decay | Quarter (1/4) | |
| Decay | Half (1/2) | |
| Decay | Whole (1/1) |
How to use
- Enter the song BPM in "Tempo (BPM)". If you do not know it, tap along with the song using "Tap".
- Pick milliseconds (ms) or hertz (Hz) in "Display unit". Use ms for delay times and Hz for LFO rates.
- In "Delay times", click the value for the note and type (straight, dotted, triplet) you want to copy it, then paste it into your plugin.
- For reverb, use "Reverb pre-delay and decay guide" as a starting point and adjust by ear.
Notes
- A quarter note is treated as one beat. Dotted notes are 1.5 times as long and triplets are 2/3 as long.
- Values are rounded to two decimal places. If a plugin only accepts whole numbers, enter the nearest one.
- Many plugins have a tempo sync mode where you can pick the note directly. In that case this table is handy for checking.
- Reverb times are only a guide. The right value by ear depends on how dense the mix is and on the sound.
- A tapped BPM is an estimate and cannot follow songs that change tempo.
Glossary
Delay time
The time between the original sound and its repeat in a delay effect. Setting it to a note length at the song tempo makes the echoes sit in the groove.
Dotted note
A note 1.5 times as long as the plain note. A dotted eighth delay repeats at three quarters of a beat, giving a bouncing feel.
Triplet
A note that fits three into the space of two plain notes, so it is 2/3 as long. Used for delay, it gives a shuffle-like feel.
Pre-delay
The gap between the dry sound and the start of the reverb. A longer pre-delay keeps the original sound from being buried in the reverb.
Decay
How long the reverb tail takes to fade out (reverb time). Matching it to the tempo lets the tail clear before the next note.
FAQ
How many ms is an eighth-note delay at 120 BPM?
250 ms. A quarter note is 60000 / 120 = 500 ms, and an eighth note is half of that. A dotted eighth is 375 ms and an eighth-note triplet is about 166.67 ms.
What is the difference between dotted and triplet delays?
A dotted note is 1.5 times as long as the plain note and a triplet is 2/3 as long. A dotted eighth gives a loose, bouncing repeat while eighth triplets sound like a shuffle.
When should I use ms and when Hz?
Most plugins take delay time in ms, while LFO and modulation speed is set in Hz. Hz is 1000 divided by ms, so 500 ms is 2 Hz.
Should reverb pre-delay and decay follow the tempo too?
It is not required, but setting the decay to a beat or a bar lets the tail clear before the next note, so the mix stays clearer. Pre-delay is usually short, around 1/64 to 1/8. Use the table as a starting point and finish by ear.
How many decimals do I need to enter?
Values are shown to two decimal places. Most plugins work in 1 ms or 0.1 ms steps, so entering the nearest value is accurate enough in practice.
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