Delay Time Calculator: Tempo-Synced Delay in MS
At 120 BPM a quarter-note delay is 500 ms and a dotted-eighth delay is 375 ms. Enter or tap the song tempo and the delay time calculator lists 18 delay times, whole note to thirty-second note in straight, dotted and triplet form. Select any value to copy it, then paste it into a delay plug-in or type it into a pedal.
How are delay times calculated from BPM?
A quarter-note delay equals 60,000 ÷ BPM milliseconds; every other delay is a multiple of it. When the delay time matches a note value, each repeat lands on the rhythmic grid of the song instead of between beats.
quarter-note delay (ms) = 60,000 ÷ BPM · dotted = ×1.5 · triplet = ×⅔
- Straight delays repeat on the note value itself: whole, half, quarter, eighth, sixteenth or thirty-second.
- Dotted delays are 1.5 times longer and fall between the beats, creating a syncopated cascade.
- Triplet delays are ⅔ as long and place three repeats in the space of two notes, giving a swung, rolling feel.
The sentence above the table always states the two most requested values, the quarter note and the dotted eighth, for the current tempo.
How to set a delay with the calculator
Enter the song tempo
Type the BPM, move the slider or steppers, or use Tap tempo while the track plays.
Choose a note value
Pick the row and column you want: the eighth-note row is highlighted, since eighth and dotted-eighth delays are the most common starting points.
Copy the time
Select any number in the table. It is copied to the clipboard and a confirmation appears under the table.
Paste it into the delay
Paste the value into the plug-in's time field, or dial it into a pedal that shows milliseconds.
The full walk-through, including feedback and mix settings, is in the guide on setting delay time to tempo.
Worked examples: popular delay settings at four tempos
The dotted eighth is always three-quarters of a quarter-note delay. These rows use the calculator's formula.
| Tempo | Quarter | Dotted eighth | Eighth | Eighth triplet |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 90 BPM | 666.67 | 500 | 333.33 | 222.22 |
| 100 BPM | 600 | 450 | 300 | 200 |
| 128 BPM | 468.75 | 351.56 | 234.38 | 156.25 |
| 140 BPM | 428.57 | 321.43 | 214.29 | 142.86 |
Which note value suits which sound
Short delays thicken a sound; long delays create audible echoes. Typical choices:
- Slapback on vocals and guitar uses a thirty-second or sixteenth note, 62.5–125 ms at 120 BPM.
- Dotted eighth with the dry note on the beat produces the rolling sixteenth-note pattern common in rock guitar.
- Quarter and half notes give spacious echoes for vocal throws at the end of a phrase.
- Triplet delays add swing under straight playing, and suit shuffles and 12/8 grooves.
- Ping-pong setups pair two values, such as an eighth on the left and a quarter on the right.
For the tail after the echoes, the reverb pre-delay calculator uses the same tempo. Modulated delays that need an LFO rate take it from the BPM to hertz converter.
What the calculator leaves to you
It sets time only: feedback, mix and filtering stay on the delay unit. Values are rounded to two decimals; most hardware accepts whole milliseconds, and a 0.5 ms rounding error is inaudible for echoes. Delays longer than a unit's maximum, such as a 3,000 ms dotted whole note at 120 BPM, will not fit many pedals. For live playing with tempo drift, use the unit's own tap button, and set it from a steady count found with the BPM tapper.
Questions
What is a dotted-eighth delay at 128 BPM?
351.56 ms. The eighth note is 234.38 ms, and 1.5 times that is 351.56 ms.
Should I use milliseconds or the plug-in's sync mode?
Use sync when it exists. Sync follows tempo changes automatically. Milliseconds are for pedals, hardware and plug-ins without sync, or for fine offsets.
Why does a delay sound late even at the right time?
The dry note itself is often behind the beat. Pull the delay a few milliseconds shorter, or nudge the part, until the repeats sit on the grid.