Audio delay calculator

Musical tempo

Beats per minute

172BPM

Beats per bar

4 beats

Delay fraction

13/16 bar

Converted to seconds

Length of 1 beat

0.349 sec
2.867 Hz

Length of 1 bar

1.395 sec
0.717 Hz

Delay length

1.134 sec
0.882 Hz

Repeated delays

A repeated delay syncs with the beat after 16 delays = 13 bars

1 reps
13/16

1133.7 ms

2 reps
13/8

2.267 sec

3 reps
39/16

3.401 sec

4 reps
13/4

4.535 sec

5 reps
65/16

5.668 sec

6 reps
39/8

6.802 sec

7 reps
91/16

7.936 sec

8 reps
13/2

9.07 sec

9 reps
117/16

10.203 sec

10 reps
65/8

11.337 sec

11 reps
143/16

12.471 sec

12 reps
39/4

13.604 sec

13 reps
169/16

14.738 sec

14 reps
91/8

15.872 sec

15 reps
195/16

17.005 sec

16 reps
13

18.139 sec

Visualized

1 bar	2 bars	3 bars	4 bars	5 bar	6 bars	7 bars	8 bars
♩	♩	♩	♩	♩	♩	♩	♩

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.