{
  "slug": "bpm-delay-reverb-time",
  "title": "BPM to Delay/Reverb Time Calculator",
  "heading": "BPM to Delay & Reverb Time Calculator",
  "category": "other",
  "url": "https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/bpm-delay-reverb-time",
  "summary": "Convert song tempo into millisecond delay and reverb times for any note value.",
  "description": "Tempo-synced delays and reverbs sound musical because they land on rhythmic subdivisions instead of arbitrary milliseconds — a dotted-eighth delay is the classic U2/Edge sound, while a quarter-note delay is the standard slapback rhythm. This calculator converts BPM into millisecond values for straight, dotted, and triplet subdivisions from whole notes down to sixteenth notes, so you can dial in a delay pedal or plugin without doing the math by hand mid-session.",
  "formula": "Quarter note ms = 60000 ÷ BPM; other subdivisions = quarter note ms × subdivision fraction × (1.5 for dotted, 2/3 for triplet).",
  "dateModified": "2026-09-30",
  "run_url": "https://www.revenuelab.fyi/api/public/calc?tool=bpm-delay-reverb-time",
  "inputs": [
    {
      "id": "bpm",
      "label": "Tempo",
      "kind": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "default": 120,
      "unit": "BPM",
      "min": 20,
      "max": 300
    }
  ],
  "outputs": [
    {
      "id": "quarter",
      "label": "Quarter note (ms)",
      "format": "decimal",
      "hint": null,
      "primary": true
    },
    {
      "id": "dottedEighth",
      "label": "Dotted eighth (ms)",
      "format": "decimal",
      "hint": null,
      "primary": false
    },
    {
      "id": "eighth",
      "label": "Eighth note (ms)",
      "format": "decimal",
      "hint": null,
      "primary": false
    },
    {
      "id": "eighthTriplet",
      "label": "Eighth triplet (ms)",
      "format": "decimal",
      "hint": null,
      "primary": false
    },
    {
      "id": "half",
      "label": "Half note (ms)",
      "format": "decimal",
      "hint": null,
      "primary": false
    },
    {
      "id": "whole",
      "label": "Whole note (ms)",
      "format": "decimal",
      "hint": null,
      "primary": false
    }
  ],
  "worked_example": {
    "inputs": [
      "Tempo: 120 BPM"
    ],
    "outputs": [
      "Quarter note (ms): 500",
      "Dotted eighth (ms): 375",
      "Eighth note (ms): 250",
      "Eighth triplet (ms): 166.7",
      "Half note (ms): 1,000",
      "Whole note (ms): 2,000"
    ]
  },
  "how_to": {
    "title": "How to use this",
    "steps": [
      "Enter tempo (BPM).",
      "Read your quarter note (ms) on the right — it updates as you type.",
      "Hit Share to keep the scenario or send it to someone."
    ]
  },
  "scenarios": [
    {
      "name": "Conservative",
      "description": "Lower-end numbers — what if things land soft?",
      "values": {
        "bpm": 72
      }
    },
    {
      "name": "Typical",
      "description": "Defaults — the most common real-world setup.",
      "values": {
        "bpm": 120
      }
    },
    {
      "name": "Ambitious",
      "description": "Higher-end numbers — what if things really pop?",
      "values": {
        "bpm": 192
      }
    }
  ],
  "limitations": [
    "Estimates assume standard, average conditions — local rules, pricing, and materials vary.",
    "Results are rounded for readability; add a buffer before ordering, booking, or committing.",
    "Double-check anything with a real cost attached against a local quote."
  ],
  "faq": [
    {
      "q": "Why is the dotted eighth note so popular for delay?",
      "a": "A dotted-eighth delay repeats slightly off the main rhythmic grid, creating a syncopated, cascading pattern that feels musical rather than robotic — it's the signature sound behind The Edge's guitar tone in U2 and countless ambient and pop productions since. It sits at 1.5x the straight eighth-note value."
    },
    {
      "q": "How do I use this for reverb pre-delay or decay time?",
      "a": "Pre-delay is commonly set to a 16th or 32nd note value so the reverb doesn't muddy the transient of the source; decay/tail length is more genre and taste dependent but often targets an eighth or quarter note duration to stay rhythmically coherent with the track rather than washing out."
    },
    {
      "q": "Does this work for tape echo and analog delay units too?",
      "a": "Yes, the millisecond math is universal — set your analog or tape delay's time knob to match the ms value for the subdivision you want, though some analog units drift slightly with temperature, so treat the calculated value as a very close starting point."
    }
  ],
  "related": [
    "https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/tempo-bar-duration",
    "https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/sample-rate-file-size"
  ],
  "license": "CC-BY-4.0",
  "citation": "RevenueLab — BPM to Delay/Reverb Time Calculator (https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/bpm-delay-reverb-time)"
}