Audio delay calculator

Musical tempo

Beats per minute

81BPM

Beats per bar

4 beats

Delay fraction

3/16 bar

Converted to seconds

Length of 1 beat

0.741 sec
1.35 Hz

Length of 1 bar

2.963 sec
0.337 Hz

Delay length

0.556 sec
1.8 Hz

Repeated delays

A repeated delay syncs with the beat after 16 delays = 3 bars

1 reps
3/16

555.6 ms

2 reps
3/8

1111.1 ms

3 reps
9/16

1666.7 ms

4 reps
3/4

2.222 sec

5 reps
15/16

2.778 sec

6 reps
9/8

3.333 sec

7 reps
21/16

3.889 sec

8 reps
3/2

4.445 sec

9 reps
27/16

5 sec

10 reps
15/8

5.556 sec

11 reps
33/16

6.111 sec

12 reps
9/4

6.667 sec

13 reps
39/16

7.222 sec

14 reps
21/8

7.778 sec

15 reps
45/16

8.333 sec

16 reps
3

8.889 sec

Visualized

1 bar	2 bars	3 bars	4 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.