BPM to Milliseconds
Tempo-synced delay, reverb and modulation timings for any BPM. Enter a tempo and read off the millisecond value for every common note division — from whole notes down to triplet sixteenths.
Note values at 124 BPM
For delay, reverb & FX timing| Note value | Time |
|---|---|
| Whole note (1/1) | 1.935 s |
| Half note (1/2) | 967.7 ms |
| Dotted quarter (3/8) | 725.8 ms |
| Quarter note (1/4) | 483.9 ms |
| Quarter triplet | 322.6 ms |
| Dotted eighth (3/16) | 362.9 ms |
| Eighth note (1/8) | 241.9 ms |
| Eighth triplet | 161.3 ms |
| Sixteenth note (1/16) | 121.0 ms |
| Thirty-second (1/32) | 60.48 ms |
When to reach for this
Almost every modern delay, reverb and modulation plugin has a tempo-sync mode that handles this automatically — set the rate to 1/8 and the plugin reads the host tempo. The reason this calculator still matters: hardware FX, vintage outboard delays, modulation pedals, mastering reverb tails, and any free-running effect that doesn’t see a host clock all work in milliseconds. If your reverb plugin only accepts seconds, this is how you find the value.
The same math applies in DJ booth contexts. Pioneer’s on-board Beat FX normally syncs to the master tempo, but the Sound Color FX (Echo, Filter, Noise) on most DJM mixers expose a free-running delay time you set with the FREQUENCY knob. If you want the echo to land on the dotted-eighth at 128 BPM, the table above tells you to dial in 352 ms.
Producers tempo-sync because echoes that land on subdivisions of the beat reinforce the groove. Echoes that don’t feel like clutter. The dotted-eighth delay in particular — three-quarters of a beat — creates a wide, off-kilter feel without slowing the track down, which is why it became the default for stadium EDM and most trance leads.
Common reverb & delay starting points
- Slap delay on vocals or snares: sixteenth note. Adds density, doesn’t pull focus.
- Wide stadium delay on a lead: dotted eighth. Pairs well with a small amount of feedback (15–25%).
- Ambient pad delay: dotted quarter or half note. Creates space without competing with the rhythm section.
- Reverb tail: aim for a decay that falls silent right around a bar boundary. At 124 BPM, that’s about 1.94 s for one bar of 4/4 — most plate and hall reverbs sound natural in the 1.5–2.5 s range here.
- Filter LFO rate: use the “beat frequency” reading at the top to set one full cycle per beat, then halve it for half-bar sweeps and quarter it for full-bar sweeps.
FAQ
How do I work out a delay time from BPM?
One beat at a given BPM is 60,000 divided by the BPM, in milliseconds. So at 120 BPM one beat is 500 ms, at 124 BPM it's about 484 ms. Every other note value is a multiple or division of that — half note is double, eighth note is half, dotted-eighth is three-quarters, and so on.
Why do producers tempo-sync delay and reverb to BPM?
Echoes that fall on rhythmic subdivisions of the beat reinforce the groove instead of fighting it. A delay at a random 380 ms feels arbitrary; the same delay at the dotted-eighth value for 124 BPM (363 ms) locks into the kick and hat pattern and disappears into the track. Reverb tails that decay into a bar boundary feel intentional; tails that bleed across the next downbeat sound like a mistake.
What note value should I set my delay to?
It depends on the energy you want. Eighth-note delays add density without slowing the track. Dotted-eighth delays give the wide, off-grid stadium-EDM feel made famous by U2 and adopted by half the trance and progressive house catalog. Quarter-note delays slow things down and feel ambient. Triplet delays inject swing into a straight four-on-the-floor track. There's no single right answer — the table on this page shows every common option for any BPM you enter.
Does this also work for LFO and modulation rates?
Yes. The "beat frequency" value at the top is the LFO rate that hits one cycle per beat — useful for setting filter sweeps, gate sequencers, tremolo, or any modulation source you want locked to the tempo. Halve or double it for slower or faster cycles.
Why does a tempo-synced delay sometimes sound off?
Two common reasons. First, the source tempo might not match the tempo you set the delay to — a track at 124.3 BPM with delay synced to 124 will drift over a long phrase. Second, your DAW or pedal might be rounding the millisecond value internally. Use the precise ms value from this calculator if your unit accepts decimals; round to the nearest integer if not.
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