Free tool

Delay Time Calculator (BPM to ms) with Tap Tempo

Tap along with the song or type the BPM to get exact delay times in milliseconds for every note value, straight, dotted and triplet, plus reverb pre-delay that stays in time.

120 BPM

Tap the button (or press T) in time with the song. 4+ taps works best.

NoteStraightDottedTriplet

★ Highlighted: dotted 1/8, the most-used guitar delay setting.

Reverb pre-delay and decay

Free tool by Sandy Music Lab

Embed this tool on your site

Free for teachers, bloggers, churches and forums. Paste one snippet and your readers get the full Delay Time Calculator, no signup, no ads, works on phones.

Includes a credit line: Free Delay Time Calculator by Sandy Music Lab
Quick answer: delay time in ms = 60,000 ÷ BPM for a quarter note. Halve it for an eighth note, multiply the eighth by 1.5 for a dotted eighth, and multiply any value by 2/3 for a triplet. At 120 BPM: 500 ms, 250 ms, 375 ms.

How to use the delay time calculator

  1. Type the song’s tempo, or tap the button (or press T) along with the beat.
  3. Find the note value you want in the table: straight, dotted or triplet.
  4. Set that number in milliseconds on your delay pedal, amp modeler or DAW plugin.

The BPM to ms formula

One beat (a quarter note) lasts 60,000 ÷ BPM milliseconds, because a minute has 60,000 ms. Every other value follows: a half note is ×2, an eighth is ×0.5, a sixteenth is ×0.25. A dotted note is ×1.5 and a triplet is ×2/3.

Worked example: The Edge-style dotted eighth at 128 BPM

60,000 ÷ 128 = 468.75 ms per beat. An eighth note is half that, 234.4 ms. Dotted eighth = 234.4 × 1.5 = 351.6 ms. Set the delay to about 352 ms, feedback 2–3 repeats, mix around 35–45%, then play straight eighth notes. The echoes fill the gaps and you get that cascading, rhythmic sound.

Delay times chart for common BPMs (ms)

BPM 1/4 1/8 Dotted 1/8 1/8 triplet 1/16
60 1000 500 750 333 250
70 857 429 643 286 214
80 750 375 562 250 188
90 667 333 500 222 167
100 600 300 450 200 150
110 545 273 409 182 136
120 500 250 375 167 125
128 469 234 352 156 117
140 429 214 321 143 107
160 375 188 281 125 94

Delay tips for guitar

  • Dotted 1/8 for ambient and worship parts; a straight 1/4 for slap-back-free rhythmic echoes.
  • Slapback is untimed: 80–140 ms, one repeat, for rockabilly and country.
  • Keep the mix low on fast songs so the repeats don’t blur the riff.
  • Program presets ahead with this chart if your pedal lacks tap tempo. See our best delay pedals and ambient worship guitar sound guides.
  • Set reverb pre-delay in time (1/64 or 1/32) so it stays clear of your pick attack.

Delay Times by BPM (free printable)

Milliseconds for straight, dotted and triplet notes from 60 to 160 BPM, with the dotted eighth highlighted.

Delay times by BPM chart in milliseconds from 60 to 160 BPM for quarter, dotted quarter, quarter triplet, eighth, dotted eighth, eighth triplet and sixteenth notes
Download PNG (print) Download WebP Open the Delay Time Calculator

FAQ

How do I convert BPM to ms for delay?

Divide 60,000 by the BPM. That gives one quarter note in milliseconds. At 120 BPM a quarter note is 500 ms, an eighth note is 250 ms and a dotted eighth is 375 ms.

What is a dotted eighth delay?

A delay of 1.5 eighth notes (0.75 of a beat). The repeats land between your picked notes and create the galloping echo made famous by The Edge of U2. At 120 BPM it is 375 ms.

How do I calculate triplet delay time?

Multiply the straight note value by 2/3. A quarter-note triplet at 120 BPM is 333.3 ms and an eighth-note triplet is 166.7 ms.

How does tap tempo work?

Tap in time with the beat. The tool measures the gaps between your last 8 taps, averages them and converts that to BPM (60,000 ÷ average gap in ms). A 2-second pause starts a new count.

What reverb pre-delay should I use?

A 1/64 or 1/32 note keeps the reverb off the attack while staying in time. At 120 BPM that is about 31 ms or 63 ms.

Is the delay time calculator free?

Yes. It is free, needs no signup, works on phones and can be embedded on your own site.

More free tools: Chord Transposer · String Tension Calculator · All free tools