Audio delay calculator

Give the tempo and the time signature

Express the length of the delay as fractions of a bar

Musical tempo

Beats per minute
169BPM
Beats per bar
3 beats
Delay fraction
6/16 bar

Converted to seconds

Length of 1 beat
0.355 sec
2.817 Hz
Length of 1 bar
1.065 sec
0.939 Hz
Delay length
0.399 sec
2.504 Hz

Repeated delays

A repeated delay syncs with the beat after 8 delays = 3 bars

1 reps
3/8
399.4 ms
2 reps
3/4
798.8 ms
3 reps
9/8
1198.2 ms
4 reps
3/2
1597.7 ms
5 reps
15/8
1997.1 ms
6 reps
9/4
2.397 sec
7 reps
21/8
2.796 sec
8 reps
3
3.195 sec

Visualized

1 bar2 bars3 bars4 bar
♩♩♩♩
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

How to use this page

If you have a 135 BPM song, and you want a phase modulation of 4 beats (1 bar): that is 1777.6 ms
If you have a 128 BPM song, and you want an audio delay of 2/3 of a beat: this is 312.5 ms
Beats-per-minuteConvert BPM to Hz, bar length, fractions Audio delayCalculate audio delay length in msec Music FrequencyConvert pitch to musical note and wavelength Song lengthCalculate song length from BPM Music ScaleGenerate scales with frequencies Tap your tempoTap to find the BPM of a song or a heartbeat

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I calculate delay time from BPM?

For quarter note delay: 60000 ÷ BPM = ms. At 120 BPM: 60000÷120 = 500ms. For other note values: multiply by the fraction. Eighth note = 250ms, dotted eighth (3/16) = 375ms, sixteenth = 125ms.

What is a dotted delay and why use it?

A dotted note is 1.5× the original length. Dotted eighth = 3/16 bar. At 120 BPM: dotted eighth = 375ms (vs 250ms for eighth). Dotted delays create a "bouncing" feel popular in rock and pop music - the delay hits between beats.

How do I sync delay to my DAW tempo?

Most DAW delays have "sync" mode that locks to tempo. For hardware or manual setup: calculate ms using this tool and enter the value. Common musical delays: 1/4, 1/8, 1/16, dotted 1/8, or triplet variations.

What delay time for reverb pre-delay?

Pre-delay separates dry sound from reverb tail. For tempo-sync: use 1/32 or 1/64 note (15-30ms at 120 BPM). For natural sound: small rooms 1-10ms, medium rooms 10-30ms, halls 30-50ms. Too long = echo effect, too short = muddy sound.