BPM to Milliseconds

Convert any tempo to note lengths in milliseconds — for delay times, LFO rates, pre-delay, and sample editing. One beat at a given BPM is 60,000 ÷ BPM milliseconds.

Note lengths in milliseconds at 120 BPM
Note value Milliseconds
Whole note2000 ms
Half note1000 ms
Quarter note500 ms
Dotted eighth375 ms
Eighth note250 ms
Eighth triplet166.7 ms
Sixteenth note125 ms

Delay time chart, 40–240 BPM

The dotted eighth is the classic rhythmic delay (think pulsing synth and guitar lines); eighth and quarter delays sit inside the groove; triplets swing against it. The same numbers work for tempo-synced LFO rates and reverb pre-delay.

Delay times in milliseconds for tempos from 40 to 240 BPM
BPM 1/41/8 dotted1/81/8 triplet1/16
4015001125750500375
451333.31000666.7444.4333.3
501200900600400300
551090.9818.2545.5363.6272.7
601000750500333.3250
65923.1692.3461.5307.7230.8
70857.1642.9428.6285.7214.3
75800600400266.7200
80750562.5375250187.5
85705.9529.4352.9235.3176.5
90666.7500333.3222.2166.7
95631.6473.7315.8210.5157.9
100600450300200150
105571.4428.6285.7190.5142.9
110545.5409.1272.7181.8136.4
115521.7391.3260.9173.9130.4
120500375250166.7125
125480360240160120
130461.5346.2230.8153.8115.4
135444.4333.3222.2148.1111.1
140428.6321.4214.3142.9107.1
145413.8310.3206.9137.9103.4
150400300200133.3100
155387.1290.3193.512996.8
160375281.3187.512593.8
165363.6272.7181.8121.290.9
170352.9264.7176.5117.688.2
175342.9257.1171.4114.385.7
180333.3250166.7111.183.3
185324.3243.2162.2108.181.1
190315.8236.8157.9105.378.9
195307.7230.8153.8102.676.9
20030022515010075
205292.7219.5146.397.673.2
210285.7214.3142.995.271.4
215279.1209.3139.59369.8
220272.7204.5136.490.968.2
225266.7200133.388.966.7
230260.9195.7130.48765.2
235255.3191.5127.785.163.8
240250187.512583.362.5

The formula

One quarter-note beat is 60,000 ÷ BPM milliseconds. From there: halve it for eighths, quarter it for sixteenths, multiply by 0.75 for a dotted eighth, and divide by 3 for eighth-note triplets. A full 4/4 bar is four beats — 240,000 ÷ BPM.

Don't know the song's tempo yet? Find it with the tap tempo tool first. And if you need to hear a tempo instead of calculate it, every linked BPM in the chart plays a click track — or build your own with the free click track generator — sections, time signatures, subdivisions, and a WAV download.

Frequently asked questions

How do I convert BPM to milliseconds?

Divide 60,000 by the BPM. At 120 BPM one beat is 60,000 ÷ 120 = 500 ms. For an eighth note halve it (250 ms), for a sixteenth quarter it (125 ms), and for a dotted eighth multiply the beat by 0.75 (375 ms).

What delay time should I use for my song?

Start with a dotted-eighth delay — the classic rhythmic setting — or an eighth note for tighter slapback-style echoes. Match the table row to your song's BPM, or type the exact tempo into the calculator above.

Do these numbers work for LFO rates and pre-delay too?

Yes. Any time-based effect can be tempo-synced with the same values: set an LFO cycle to a bar or beat length, or sync reverb pre-delay to a short note value — a thirty-second or sixty-fourth note keeps it in the typical 10–120 ms range at most tempos.

What if my tempo isn't in the chart?

Use the calculator at the top — it takes any tempo from 10 to 400 BPM and updates all note values instantly. The chart lists 5-BPM steps for quick reference.