Tempo-synced effects

Delay time calculator

Calculate tempo-synced echo intervals in milliseconds for straight, dotted and triplet notes, with practical delay-plugin guidance.

Delay time: settings and guide

Tempo (quarter-note BPM)

BPM

Quarter-note delay500 ms

Listen and compare

Hear this delay

500 ms

Hear one pluck and three fading echoes at your tempo.

Volume 35%

A rhythm preview; your plugin's tone and feedback will sound different.

Explore reverb timing at 120 BPM ↗

Loading audio preview…

Copy a timing value for your plugin, or choose Convert to samples for its sample-frame equivalent.

Note	Straight	Dotted	Triplet
1/1Whole	Convert to samples	Convert to samples	Convert to samples
1/2Half	Convert to samples	Convert to samples	Convert to samples
1/4Quarter	Convert to samples	Convert to samples	Convert to samples
1/8Eighth	Convert to samples	Convert to samples	Convert to samples
1/16Sixteenth	Convert to samples	Convert to samples	Convert to samples
1/32Thirty-second	Convert to samples	Convert to samples	Convert to samples
1/64Sixty-fourth	Convert to samples	Convert to samples	Convert to samples
1/128One hundred twenty-eighth	Convert to samples	Convert to samples	Convert to samples

Formula

How to calculate tempo-synced delay time

Start with the duration of one beat, then multiply it by the rhythmic subdivision you want the echoes to follow. The number sets the interval between repeats; feedback, filtering and wet/dry mix shape the echoes but do not change that interval.

delay time (ms) = 60,000 ÷ BPM × note multiplier

01
Quarter and eighth-note delays reinforce the main pulse and work well for rhythmic echoes.
02
Dotted-eighth delays repeat every three sixteenth notes, creating a syncopated pattern against the quarter-note pulse.
03
Short sixteenth and triplet values work well for widening, slap and fast rhythmic textures.

Worked example

Example: delay settings at 120 BPM

At 120 BPM, try 500 ms for quarter-note echoes, 250 ms for eighth notes, or 375 ms for a dotted-eighth pattern. Choose the division that leaves space around the vocal, instrument or drum rhythm.

Good to know

Assumptions and limits

The project tempo is constant at the BPM entered.
The plugin accepts milliseconds rather than synchronizing directly to the DAW.
The formula uses the entered BPM; displayed decimals may be rounded, and the best musical setting may still need adjustment by ear.
Displayed values use up to nine significant digits; calculations retain the unrounded value.

Review BeatTiming's calculation accuracy, precision and release-testing methodology.

From calculator to your mix

Set a dotted-eighth delay at 120 BPM

A dotted eighth lasts three sixteenth notes. At 120 BPM, each sixteenth lasts 125 ms, so the repeat interval is 375 ms. Try it on a short guitar, synth or vocal phrase.

Choosing a rhythm for your mix? Compare quarter-note and dotted-eighth delay to choose the repeat pattern that fits your mix.

Match your session. Enter 120 in the tempo field above. Read the Eighth row and Dotted column: 375 ms.
Choose milliseconds in your delay. In Ableton Live 12's Delay device, switch the relevant channel from Sync to Time and enter 375 ms. In Sync mode, select 3: its numbered buttons count sixteenth notes. Keep the channel's Offset and delay-time modulation at zero for a fixed interval.
Shape the repeats. Start with restrained feedback and bring the wet signal up until the rhythm is audible. Feedback changes the repeats' persistence; it does not replace the 375 ms time setting.
Check the full mix. Play the phrase with the drums. Recalculate if you change BPM in millisecond mode; tempo-sync mode follows the session tempo automatically.

120 BPM · dotted eighth375 ms

PLAY1

·2

·3

ECHO4

·5

·6

ECHO7

·8

Each numbered step is one sixteenth note (125 ms). Repeats fall every three steps: 0 → 375 → 750 ms. This is a timing diagram, not a plugin interface.

When do dotted echoes meet the beat again?

Use the audio preview above to compare quarter notes and dotted eighths. With one sound starting on beat 1, a 375 ms delay produces this pattern. Every fourth echo lands on a quarter-note beat again; a continuing melody creates additional, overlapping echo patterns.

Dotted-eighth repeats at 120 BPM, measured from one original sound
Event	Time	Beat position
Original sound	0 ms	Beat 1
Echo 1	375 ms	Last sixteenth of beat 1
Echo 2	750 ms	Halfway through beat 2
Echo 3	1125 ms	Second sixteenth of beat 3
Echo 4	1500 ms	Beat 4

Device controls: Ableton Live 12 Delay reference. Ableton is a third-party product; this guide is independent.

120 BPM reference

Common delay times at 120 BPM

At 120 BPM, a quarter-note delay is 500 ms, an eighth-note delay is 250 ms and a dotted-eighth delay is 375 ms. The chart adds more straight, dotted and triplet starting points.

For a wide stereo delay, try related divisions rather than arbitrary times—for example, a quarter note on one side and a dotted eighth on the other. Feedback changes how long the repeats continue; it does not change the interval shown here.

Note division to delay time

Common note divisions converted to delay time at 120 BPM
Note value	Time at 120 BPM
Whole note	2,000 ms
Half note	1,000 ms
Quarter note	500 ms
Eighth note	250 ms
Dotted eighth	375 ms
Eighth triplet	166.67 ms
Sixteenth note	125 ms

BPM to note-length converter See neutral straight, dotted and triplet note durations without the effect-workflow guidance.
Printable BPM-to-ms chart Keep a downloadable reference for common note and delay times from 60 to 200 BPM.

Quick answers

Frequently asked questions

What is the most common tempo-synced delay?

Quarter-note and dotted-eighth delays are common starting points, but the right value depends on the arrangement and available space.

Should left and right delay times match?

They can, but choosing related subdivisions such as a quarter note on one side and dotted eighth on the other creates stereo movement.

Does feedback change the delay time?

No. Feedback controls how many repeats continue. Delay time controls the interval between repeats.