THE WORKBENCH / FREE TO USE

Delay Time Calculator with Tap Tempo

Enter a tempo or tap the quarter-note pulse. Use the table to set a delay pedal or a tempo-synced effect in your recording software.

Delay times at 120.0 BPM

Milliseconds for each subdivision of the quarter-note pulse
NoteStraight (ms)Dotted (ms)Triplet (ms)Straight period (Hz)
Whole2000.003000.001333.330.500
Half1000.001500.00666.671.000
Quarter500.00750.00333.332.000
Eighth250.00375.00166.674.000
Sixteenth125.00187.5083.338.000
Thirty-second62.5093.7541.6716.000

Quarter-note milliseconds = 60,000 ÷ BPM. Dotted values multiply the straight value by 1.5; triplets multiply by 2/3. Hz is the reciprocal period, useful for tempo-synced modulation. It is not a measurement of your pedal or audio.

How to use this tool

  1. Enter a BPM from 20 to 400, or tap steadily to estimate it.
  2. Choose the straight, dotted, or triplet value for your note subdivision.
  3. Enter the milliseconds on your effect and listen to the timing in context.

Worked example

At 120 BPM, a quarter note is 500 ms, a dotted eighth is 375 ms, and an eighth-note triplet is about 166.67 ms.

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Put the result to use

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