Convert BPM to Hz for note or multi-bar LFO cycles. Check an entered plugin rate for timing drift, compare phase and hear a tremolo preview.
8 seconds per cycle · 16 quarter-note beats
Enter the actual rate your plugin accepts, then choose how long it runs. Changing the musical target keeps this entered rate for comparison. A rounded display may hide a more precise internal value; use the known setting when available.
0° accumulated · equal rates
No accumulated drift from these rate values.
Rate drift = (entered Hz − intended Hz) × seconds. Degrees are accumulated, so 450° means 1.25 cycles. Initial phase delay shifts the starting position; equal rates keep that offset constant. This assumes fixed tempo and continuous running without retriggers and calculates from your inputs; it does not measure a plugin.
In this demo, phase 0° starts at a cosine peak. A positive phase delay moves the next peak later. Plugin phase conventions vary. Starting phase does not change the accumulated rate drift above.
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Note-rate reference: one full cycle per note. Copy Hz includes the available calculation precision; enter the precision your plugin supports.
| Note | Straight | Dotted | Triplet |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1/1Whole | |||
| 1/2Half | |||
| 1/4Quarter | |||
| 1/8Eighth | |||
| 1/16Sixteenth | |||
| 1/32Thirty-second | |||
| 1/64Sixty-fourth | |||
| 1/128One hundred twenty-eighth |
Hertz measures cycles per second. For one cycle spanning B quarter-note beats, Hz = BPM ÷ (60 × B). A straight 1/8 note spans 0.5 beats; dotted notes multiply the span by 1.5 and triplets by 2/3. For a multi-bar cycle, B = bars × time-signature numerator × 4 ÷ denominator. The meter changes bar length, while the tempo remains quarter-note BPM.
frequency (Hz) = 1 ÷ note duration in seconds
A quarter-note cycle at 120 BPM equals 2 Hz because it completes twice per second.
Use lower frequencies for slow filter movement and higher subdivisions for rhythmic modulation.
When a plugin supports host sync, select the note division directly; use Hz when it does not.
At 120 BPM, a quarter-note cycle is 2 Hz. An eighth-note cycle is 4 Hz, while a whole-note cycle is 0.5 Hz. Each rate completes one full modulation cycle over the selected note value.
Review BeatTiming's calculation accuracy, precision and release-testing methodology.
For a four-bar sweep at 120 quarter-note BPM in 4/4, one cycle covers 16 beats: 16 × 60 ÷ 120 = 8 seconds. Enter 0.125 Hz in a free-running modulation control. Use the comparison above if the plugin accepts a different value.
| Musical target | Entered Hz | Accumulated drift |
|---|---|---|
| 4 bars · 120 BPM · 4/4 0.125 Hz intended | 0.13 Hz | +0.3 cycles 108° ahead |
| Quarter · 128 BPM 2.133333… Hz intended | 2.13 Hz | −0.2 cycles 72° behind |
| 4 bars · 120 BPM · 4/4 90° initial phase delay | 0.125 Hz | 0 cycles Constant starting offset |
These examples follow directly from Hz = BPM ÷ (60 × quarter-note beats) and drift cycles = rate difference × seconds. They are mathematical checks, not measurements of a particular DAW. A displayed 2.13 Hz can still represent a more precise internal rate.
Convert the marking to quarter-note BPM first. Dotted quarter = 80 means 80 × 1.5 = 120 quarter-note BPM here. Four bars of 6/8 then last 6 seconds. If your DAW already displays quarter-note BPM, use its number directly.
A Hertz value describes complete cycles per second. At 120 BPM, a quarter-note cycle is 2 Hz, an eighth-note cycle is 4 Hz and a whole-note cycle is 0.5 Hz. These rates align cycle length to the selected musical division; phase reset still depends on the plugin.
| BPM | Whole note | Quarter note | Eighth note | Sixteenth note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 60 | 0.25 Hz | 1 Hz | 2 Hz | 4 Hz |
| 90 | 0.375 Hz | 1.5 Hz | 3 Hz | 6 Hz |
| 120 | 0.5 Hz | 2 Hz | 4 Hz | 8 Hz |
| 128 | 0.533333 Hz | 2.133333 Hz | 4.266667 Hz | 8.533333 Hz |
| 140 | 0.583333 Hz | 2.333333 Hz | 4.666667 Hz | 9.333333 Hz |
| 174 | 0.725 Hz | 2.9 Hz | 5.8 Hz | 11.6 Hz |
Both describe frequency, but BPM counts cycles per minute and Hz counts cycles per second. Divide BPM by 60 for quarter-note cycles per second.
The quarter-note pulse at 120 BPM is 2 Hz. Other note divisions have proportionally faster or slower frequencies.
Yes. Any modulation control measured in Hz can be aligned approximately to tempo using these values.
Choose Bars, enter 4 and select the session time signature. At 120 quarter-note BPM in 4/4, four bars last 8 seconds, so the LFO rate is 0.125 Hz. In 6/8 at the same quarter-note BPM, four bars last 6 seconds, giving about 0.166667 Hz.
When the entered rate differs from the intended rate, the cycle difference grows by (entered Hz − intended Hz) × elapsed seconds. At 128 BPM, a quarter-note target is 2.133333… Hz. If the actual setting is 2.13 Hz, it falls behind by 0.2 cycles, or 72 degrees, after 60 seconds.
No. Phase delay changes the starting position of the waveform. If two continuously running LFOs have equal rates, that difference stays constant. Unequal rates accumulate additional drift; resetting phase alone does not correct a rate mismatch between resets.
A steady tone changes in volume while clicks mark quarter-note beats. Each play starts again at the selected phase. Slow cycles may take longer than this preview to finish.
Ideal cosine volume modulation, calculated in your browser. Slow rates create tremolo; fast rates can change the tone. Plugin waveforms and phase conventions may differ.