Delay time from BPM calculator
At 120 BPM a quarter-note echo lasts 500 ms, its dotted version 750 ms and a whole note 2000 ms. Enter the tempo once and read straight, dotted and triplet times from whole notes down to thirty-seconds. Free in your browser.
- Free
- Runs in your browser
- No sign-up
- Your data stays on your device
Run — free
Worked example
- Bpm
- 120
- Quarter note ms
- 500
Turn a song tempo into practical echo settings without reaching for a chart or doing repeated arithmetic. Enter the BPM and this calculator returns milliseconds for six common note divisions, from whole notes through thirty-second notes, with straight, dotted, and triplet timing beside each one. The results are ready to copy into a delay plugin, guitar pedal, mixing console, synthesizer, or automation script.
How tempo becomes an echo time
BPM states how many quarter-note beats occur during one minute. Because one minute contains sixty thousand milliseconds, dividing 60000 by the BPM gives the duration of a quarter note. At 120 BPM, for example, a quarter note lasts 500 milliseconds.
The other straight values follow from simple proportions: a half note is twice the quarter, an eighth is half of it, and a sixteenth is one quarter of it. This calculator applies those ratios to whole, half, quarter, eighth, sixteenth, and thirty-second notes. It then derives a dotted value by multiplying each straight duration by 1.5.
A triplet value uses two thirds of the corresponding straight duration, reflecting three notes played in the space normally occupied by two. The returned table keeps all three rhythmic feels on the same row, which makes comparisons easy when auditioning a delay. The calculation assumes the standard studio convention that the displayed BPM represents quarter-note pulses; unusual meters can still use the table, but you should first confirm which note value your tempo marking treats as the beat.
Choosing straight, dotted, or triplet delay
Straight delays reinforce the regular subdivision of the grid and are usually the easiest starting point. A quarter-note echo repeats once per beat, while eighth- and sixteenth-note settings create progressively denser patterns. Dotted delays are fifty percent longer than their straight counterparts.
A dotted eighth is especially popular because its repeats interlock with straight eighth-note playing, producing a rolling rhythmic figure from a relatively simple performance. Triplet delays are two thirds as long as the matching straight value and divide the same musical span into three equal parts rather than two. They can support shuffle, swing, blues, or compound-feel material, although the calculator reports exact triplet geometry rather than interpreting a performance's human swing amount.
Use the note label that matches the control on your device, then copy the millisecond value from the desired feel column. If a pedal offers tempo subdivisions directly, the table is still useful for checking its display or configuring another processor that only accepts milliseconds. When experimenting, begin with the quarter or eighth row, listen against the click, and move among straight, dotted, and triplet values without changing feedback or wet level.
That isolates rhythmic timing from tone and repeat density, making the musical difference much easier to hear.
What you can do with it
Set a delay plugin by milliseconds
Convert the session tempo into straight, dotted, or triplet millisecond values when a plugin has no BPM sync mode.
Program a guitar delay pedal
Look up an exact rhythmic echo time before a rehearsal or show and enter it into a pedal that accepts numeric delay settings.
Build tempo-aware music software
Generate a deterministic table for a sequencer, preset editor, educational app, or automated production workflow.
FAQ
What is the formula for delay time from BPM?
Divide 60000 by BPM to get a quarter note in milliseconds, then multiply by the selected note ratio.
How is a dotted delay calculated?
A dotted delay lasts one and a half times the matching straight note value.
How is a triplet delay calculated?
A triplet delay lasts two thirds of the matching straight note value.
Which delay value should I choose?
Straight values reinforce the grid, dotted values create interlocking syncopation, and triplets suit three-part or shuffle-like subdivisions.
Does the calculator detect BPM from audio?
No. It converts a BPM you already know into delay times; it does not analyze or upload audio.
Related tools
For developers — API access
Everything on this page is available programmatically. This section is for teams who want to wire it into their own systems; everyone else can just use the tool above.
API endpoint
Prefer to automate it? One authenticated POST creates the task; the result comes back by webhook or a signed link. The same capability also runs here on the web, by email and from Telegram — and soon from our app too.
Call it from your stack
curl -X POST https://api.kit.forhosting.com/hobby/music-delay-time \
-H "Authorization: Bearer $KIT_KEY" \
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-d '{"bpm":120}'const res = await fetch("https://api.kit.forhosting.com/hobby/music-delay-time", {
method: "POST",
headers: {
"Authorization": `Bearer ${process.env.KIT_KEY}`,
"Content-Type": "application/json"
},
body: JSON.stringify({
"bpm": 120
})
});
const { task_id } = await res.json();import os, requests
res = requests.post(
"https://api.kit.forhosting.com/hobby/music-delay-time",
headers={"Authorization": f"Bearer {os.environ['KIT_KEY']}"},
json={
"bpm": 120
},
)
task_id = res.json()["task_id"]<?php
$res = file_get_contents("https://api.kit.forhosting.com/hobby/music-delay-time", false, stream_context_create([
"http" => [
"method" => "POST",
"header" => "Authorization: Bearer " . getenv("KIT_KEY") . "\r\nContent-Type: application/json",
"content" => '{"bpm":120}',
],
]));
$task = json_decode($res, true);body := bytes.NewBufferString(`{"bpm":120}`)
req, _ := http.NewRequest("POST", "https://api.kit.forhosting.com/hobby/music-delay-time", body)
req.Header.Set("Authorization", "Bearer "+os.Getenv("KIT_KEY"))
req.Header.Set("Content-Type", "application/json")
res, _ := http.DefaultClient.Do(req)Example request
{
"bpm": 120
}Example response
{
"task_id": "tsk_a1b2c3d4e5f6a1b2c3d4e5f6",
"type": "hobby.music_delay_time",
"status": "queued",
"_links": {
"result": "/tasks/tsk_…/result"
}
}The API is asynchronous: the call returns a task_id immediately and the result arrives by webhook. Polling is capped at 1 req/s per task.
Pricing
Published price — no tokens, no invented credits. A failed task is never charged.
Errors
| HTTP | Code | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
401 | unauthorized | Missing or invalid API key. |
402 | insufficient_balance | Your balance doesn't cover the task price. |
404 | unknown_type | That task type doesn't exist. |
429 | rate_limited | Too many requests. Use the webhook instead of polling. |
Technical notes
Every value comes from fixed musical ratios, so the calculation is deterministic and gives the same answer in the browser and through the API.
How tempo becomes an echo time
Values are rounded to six decimal places so repeating fractions remain accurate but the JSON stays readable and stable across calls.
Using the result reliably in a production workflow
For a real mix, remember that mathematical synchronization is only the starting point. Predelay, plugin latency, groove templates, and deliberately late or early repeats can all affect the perceived pocket. Use the calculated number as the exact grid reference, then offset it by ear if the arrangement calls for a looser feel. Also check whether hardware rounds millisecond entries to whole numbers; small rounding differences are normally inaudible, but documenting the exact output helps sessions remain reproducible. The algorithm performs no network requests and uses no clock, random source, or stored state, so the same BPM always yields the same ordered rows and rounded values. Supply bpm as a number between 1 and 1000, or use the tempo alias when integrating an existing form. Successful output echoes the validated tempo, provides quarter_note_ms as a convenient reference, states the formulas, and returns a delays array. Every array row includes a plain-English name, a fractional note label, and straight_ms, dotted_ms, and triplet_ms values. This record format works well for web tables and is also straightforward to iterate over in JavaScript, Python, or a no-code automation. The API price is $0.002 per successful request. Missing, non-numeric, non-finite, zero, negative, or out-of-range tempo values return an invalid_input error instead of producing misleading timing.