β±οΈ Delay Time Calculator
BPM in, exact millisecond delay times out, for every subdivision.
Quarter note delay time
How to Use This Delay Calculator
Set your song\'s tempo with the slider or type the exact BPM, and every standard delay subdivision appears as milliseconds instantly. Dial these numbers into your delay pedal, plugin, or reverb pre-delay to lock your effects to the groove instead of guessing.
Set the BPM of your song using the slider for quick moves or the exact field for odd tempos like 97.5. The quarter note time updates live as you drag.
Find your subdivision in the table: dotted eighth for the classic rhythmic delay, eighth and quarter for standard echoes, sixteenths for tight slapback-style repeats.
Enter the millisecond value into your delay unit\'s time control. If your pedal only does tap tempo, tap quarter notes and select the subdivision on the pedal instead; the ms values here tell you what the pedal is actually doing.
Use the Hz column when a plugin (like some modulated delays or Haas-effect wideners) asks for rate in hertz instead of time in milliseconds.
The BPM to Milliseconds Formula
There are 60,000 milliseconds in a minute, so dividing by beats per minute gives the duration of one beat. Every other subdivision is a fixed fraction or multiple of that beat: an eighth note is half a beat, a dotted eighth is three quarters of a beat, and an eighth-note triplet squeezes three notes into the space of one beat, so each is one third of a beat. Multiply the quarter-note time by the fraction and you have the delay time.
Dotted values deserve special attention because they create syncopation. A dotted eighth delay at 120 BPM is 375 ms: the repeats fall exactly between your eighth notes, producing the galloping rhythm guitarists call the "Edge" effect. Triplet subdivisions (333 ms for eighth triplets at 120 BPM) fit shuffle and swing grooves where straight subdivisions would clash with the swung feel.
Worked Example
Your song is at 100 BPM and you want the classic dotted-eighth delay. Quarter note = 60,000 / 100 = 600 ms. Dotted eighth = 600 x 0.75 = 450 ms. Set your delay to 450 ms with 3 to 4 repeats and a 20 to 25 percent mix, and every note you play sprouts a perfectly timed rhythmic echo a dotted eighth later.
Now add a reverb pre-delay to the vocal in the same song. A 64th-note pre-delay keeps the vocal upfront: quarter (600 ms) divided by 16 = 37.5 ms. Set the reverb pre-delay to about 38 ms and the dry vocal stays clear for a split second before the room blooms behind it, a standard trick on modern pop vocals at any tempo once you scale the math.
Practical Tips
Round to whole milliseconds; nobody hears the difference between 374.6 and 375 ms, and most hardware only accepts integers anyway. When a song has tempo changes, use the average tempo for the section the delay matters most in, or automate the delay time if your DAW supports tempo-synced plugins, which follow changes automatically.
For stereo width, offset the left and right delay times slightly: try the dotted eighth on one side and a plain eighth on the other, or nudge one side by 10 to 15 ms for a Haas-style spread. And remember that delay throws off tuners and loopers placed after it in the chain, so put time-based effects last when dialing in exact millisecond values.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you calculate delay time from BPM?
Divide 60,000 by the BPM to get the length of one quarter note in milliseconds, then multiply by the subdivision factor. At 120 BPM a quarter note is 500 ms, an eighth note is 250 ms, and a dotted eighth is 375 ms. This calculator runs the math for every common subdivision at once.
What is the dotted eighth delay trick?
Setting a delay to the dotted eighth note value creates the classic rhythmic ping-pong effect heard on countless rock and worship guitar records. Because the repeats land between the beats you play, the delay sounds like extra notes you never picked. At 120 BPM that magic number is 375 ms.
Should delay be synced to tempo or set free?
Synced delays lock repeats to the beat grid, which keeps mixes clean and rhythmic parts tight. Free (unsynced) delays are better for ambient washes, slapback, and creative effects where you want the repeats to drift against the tempo. Most modern delay pedals and plugins offer both modes.
What is pre-delay on a reverb?
Pre-delay is the gap in milliseconds between the dry sound and the start of the reverb tail. Short pre-delays (under 20 ms) glue the reverb to the source; longer ones (40 to 100 ms, often tempo-synced to a 32nd or 64th note) keep vocals and drums clear while the space blooms behind them.
Why do my delay repeats sound muddy?
Mud usually comes from too many repeats, too high a mix level, or a delay time that fights the groove. Start with 3 to 4 repeats and the mix under 25 percent, roll low end off the repeats with the delay's tone or filter control, and make sure the time is a clean subdivision of your BPM rather than a random millisecond value.
What is the difference between ms and Hz on a delay?
Milliseconds measure the time between repeats; Hz measures how many repeats happen per second. They are inverses: Hz = 1000 / ms. A 500 ms delay repeats at 2 Hz. Milliseconds are the practical unit for dialing in musical subdivisions, which is why this calculator leads with ms.