Delay Time Calculator
Calculate delay times in milliseconds for any BPM.
Get quarter, eighth, sixteenth, dotted, and triplet note values for syncing effects to your song tempo.
Delay time in music production and effects processing synchronizes echo and repeat effects to the tempo of a song. When delay time matches the song’s BPM, the echoes feel musical and rhythmic rather than sloppy or arbitrary.
Core BPM to milliseconds formula: Quarter Note Delay (ms) = 60,000 / BPM
This gives the duration of one beat in milliseconds. All other note values derive from this:
Note value delay times:
| Note Value | Formula | Example at 120 BPM |
|---|---|---|
| Whole note | (60,000 / BPM) × 4 | 2,000 ms |
| Half note | (60,000 / BPM) × 2 | 1,000 ms |
| Quarter note | 60,000 / BPM | 500 ms |
| 8th note | (60,000 / BPM) / 2 | 250 ms |
| 16th note | (60,000 / BPM) / 4 | 125 ms |
| Dotted quarter | (60,000 / BPM) × 1.5 | 750 ms |
| Dotted 8th | (60,000 / BPM) × 0.75 | 375 ms |
| Quarter note triplet | (60,000 / BPM) × (2/3) | 333 ms |
The dotted 8th note delay (375 ms at 120 BPM) is one of the most famous delay settings in rock and pop music. It creates the rhythmic “galloping” effect heard on U2’s “Where The Streets Have No Name” and countless others.
Reverb pre-delay is usually set to a very short subdivision: Pre-delay (ms) = 32nd note = (60,000 / BPM) / 8
Worked example: A synthwave track at 100 BPM: Quarter note = 60,000 / 100 = 600 ms 8th note = 300 ms Dotted 8th = 450 ms ← Try this for rhythmic slapback texture 16th note = 150 ms ← Good for tight doubling effect 16th triplet = 150 × (2/3) = 100 ms ← Creates a triplet feel against a straight groove
Feedback and mix settings:
- Feedback 20–35%: 2–4 echoes, subtle depth
- Feedback 50–70%: Longer trails, noticeable spaciousness
- Feedback 80–95%: Builds into self-oscillation — use carefully
- Mix (Wet/Dry): Guitar slapback: 15–25%. Ambient vocals: 25–40%. Rhythmic effect: 30–50%.