BPM to Milliseconds — Delay Time Calculator
Convert BPM to milliseconds per beat, bar and note value — normal, dotted and triplet delay times — and convert ms back to BPM. Instant, in-browser.
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Why the table matters
Tempo-synchronized effects are set in milliseconds. When a plugin asks for a delay time in ms and your track runs at 97 BPM, guessing produces echoes that drift against the beat — and “close enough” audibly isn’t. The table above computes every common note value at your tempo: straight, dotted (×1.5, the offbeat stagger) and triplet (×⅔, the swing value), plus the per-beat and per-bar figures producers jot on the mix sheet.
The math, once
ms per quarter note = 60000 ÷ BPM. Everything else is that number scaled: eighth = quarter ÷ 2, dotted eighth = eighth × 1.5, quarter triplet = quarter × ⅔. Going the other way, BPM = 60000 ÷ ms — so a measured 375 ms interval is a dotted eighth at 120 BPM, or a quarter note at 160 BPM (a straight eighth at 80).
Common tempos at a glance
| BPM | Beat (ms) | 8th (ms) | Dotted 8th (ms) | Triplet 8th (ms) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 80 | 750.0 | 375.0 | 562.5 | 250.0 |
| 90 | 666.7 | 333.3 | 500.0 | 222.2 |
| 100 | 600.0 | 300.0 | 450.0 | 200.0 |
| 120 | 500.0 | 250.0 | 375.0 | 166.7 |
| 128 | 468.8 | 234.4 | 351.6 | 156.3 |
| 140 | 428.6 | 214.3 | 321.4 | 142.9 |
| 174 | 344.8 | 172.4 | 258.6 | 114.9 |
Want the click behind the numbers? The metronome plays any tempo in this range, and tap tempo measures one you’ve only heard.
Frequently asked questions
What's the formula for BPM to milliseconds?
ms = 60000 ÷ BPM gives the quarter-note value at that tempo — at 120 BPM a beat lasts exactly 500 ms. Every other row derives from it: multiply by the note's length in beats (a half note is ×2, a sixteenth is ×0.25), then ×1.5 for dotted values or ×⅔ for triplets.
Why do producers care about ms at all?
Because delay effects, LFO rates and compressor envelopes are set in milliseconds, not note names. A delay line at exactly one eighth note (30000÷BPM) locks echoes to the groove; a dotted-eighth delay (45000÷BPM) produces the rolling offbeat pattern heard in countless guitar parts. Off-grid times smear the rhythm.
What is a triplet delay time?
A note in triplet time lasts two-thirds of its straight value — three triplet quarters fill the space of two normal quarters. So a quarter-note triplet at a given BPM is 60000 ÷ BPM × ⅔ ms (333 ms at 120 BPM). Triplet delays swing against the grid instead of sitting on it.
How do I convert milliseconds back to BPM?
Flip the formula: BPM = 60000 ÷ ms. A 500 ms interval is 120 BPM; a 428 ms loop is about 140 BPM. The reverse calculator below does this and also shows which BPM your ms value equals as an eighth note and a dotted eighth — handy when you measured a delay by ear.
Does this apply to pre-delay, attack and release too?
Yes — any tempo-relative timing. Reverb pre-delay of a 32nd or 64th note keeps the dry signal clear without detaching it from the groove; compressor release of a quarter or eighth makes gain pumping breathe in time. Compute the note value you want, then dial the ms into the plugin.