BPM to ms: delay time calculator
Enter or tap the tempo and get every delay time in milliseconds, straight, dotted and triplet, plus the frequency in Hz. Click a value to copy it.
| Note value | Straight | Dotted | Triplet |
|---|
Click a value to copy it
How to convert BPM to milliseconds
The formula is simple: 60,000 ÷ BPM = milliseconds per quarter note. At 120 BPM that’s 500 ms. Everything else follows from that:
- Eighth: quarter ÷ 2 (250 ms at 120 BPM)
- Sixteenth: quarter ÷ 4 (125 ms)
- Dotted: value × 1.5 (dotted eighth at 120 BPM = 375 ms)
- Triplet: value × ⅔ (eighth triplet at 120 BPM ≈ 166.67 ms)
Delay times in practice
On the desk the vocal delay is usually set to quarter notes or dotted eighths; for guitar delays, eighths and dotted eighths are the classics. If you don’t know the song’s tempo, tap it in right here or use the big tap tempo tool.
Handy for engineers: tempo and delay requests belong in the tech rider, effect channels in the input list. How to hook up DI boxes for keys and playback is covered in What is a DI box?.
10 mistakes that make sound engineers hate your stage plot
Most stage plots have at least three of them. Check yours in five minutes.
BPM to ms FAQ
How do I convert BPM to milliseconds?
A quarter note lasts 60,000 divided by the BPM in milliseconds. At 120 BPM that’s 500 ms. An eighth note is half of that (250 ms), a dotted note is 1.5 times, a triplet two thirds of the straight value.
Which delay time fits my song?
For most songs an eighth or dotted-eighth delay sounds natural. Quarter notes feel wider and more obvious. Set the song’s tempo and copy the value from the table into your delay pedal, plugin or desk.
What does the Hz value mean?
The Hz value is the same time expressed as a frequency (1000 divided by the milliseconds). You need it for LFOs, tremolo or modulation effects that should move in time with the tempo.
How long is one bar at 120 BPM?
A 4/4 bar has four quarter notes, so at 120 BPM that’s 4 × 500 ms = 2,000 ms, exactly 2 seconds.
More free tools for bands
Tap the tempo or build your stage plot with input list by drag and drop.
Tap Tempo