Delay & Reverb Time Calculator (BPM → ms)
Convert BPM to delay/reverb times in ms for every note value — straight, dotted and triplet.
🔒 Runs entirely in your browser. Your input and output are never sent to a server or stored — fully private.
Delay & reverb times for each note value — set your delay to musical time.
About this tool
The delay time calculator turns a track's tempo into exact delay and reverb times in milliseconds for every note value — quarter, eighth, sixteenth and beyond — including dotted and triplet figures. Enter your BPM and copy the millisecond value straight into your delay pedal, plugin or DAW so echoes lock to the beat. It is all worked out instantly in your browser.
Frequently asked questions
How do I convert BPM to delay time?
A quarter-note delay equals 60,000 divided by the BPM, in milliseconds — so 120 BPM gives 500 ms. Shorter notes are simple fractions of that, and this tool lays out every value at once, including dotted and triplet times.
Which delay time should I use?
Eighth-note and dotted-eighth delays are the classic choices for rhythmic echoes, while a quarter-note delay suits slower songs. For reverb, matching the decay roughly to a note value helps the tail sit musically in the mix.
What is a dotted-eighth delay?
A dot lengthens a note to one and a half times its value, so a dotted-eighth delay is longer than a straight eighth but shorter than a quarter. It creates the syncopated, galloping echo heard on countless guitar and synth parts.
What if I do not know the track's BPM?
Tap it out. Our BPM tapper measures tempo from you tapping along to the track, and the figure it gives you drops straight into this calculator. For a DAW project the tempo is already in the transport; for a recording of a live band, tapping over a few bars and averaging is usually within a BPM or so — close enough that a quarter-note delay still lands in the pocket.
Can I sync reverb pre-delay and decay to the tempo too?
Yes, and it is one of the quickest ways to make a mix feel deliberate. A common approach is to set pre-delay to a 32nd or 16th note so the dry signal is heard before the tail arrives, which keeps vocals intelligible, and to set decay so the tail has faded by the next downbeat — roughly the value shown for a whole or half note at your tempo. Treat these as starting points and trust your ears: a dense arrangement usually wants a shorter tail than the maths suggests.