Audio delay calculator

Musical tempo

Beats per minute

175BPM

Beats per bar

4 beats

Delay fraction

15/16 bar

Converted to seconds

Length of 1 beat

0.343 sec
2.916 Hz

Length of 1 bar

1.371 sec
0.729 Hz

Delay length

1.286 sec
0.778 Hz

Repeated delays

A repeated delay syncs with the beat after 16 delays = 15 bars

1 reps
15/16

1285.7 ms

2 reps
15/8

2.571 sec

3 reps
45/16

3.857 sec

4 reps
15/4

5.143 sec

5 reps
75/16

6.428 sec

6 reps
45/8

7.714 sec

7 reps
105/16

9 sec

8 reps
15/2

10.286 sec

9 reps
135/16

11.571 sec

10 reps
75/8

12.857 sec

11 reps
165/16

14.143 sec

12 reps
45/4

15.428 sec

13 reps
195/16

16.714 sec

14 reps
105/8

18 sec

15 reps
225/16

19.285 sec

16 reps
15

20.571 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.