Delay & Reverb Time Calculator
Enter your track's BPM and get every delay time in milliseconds — straight, dotted and triplet note values — plus tempo-synced reverb pre-delay and decay starting points.
| Note value | Straight (ms) | Dotted (ms) | Triplet (ms) | Hz (LFO) |
|---|
| Reverb starting points (tempo-synced) | |
|---|---|
| Tight room — pre-delay / decay | — |
| Medium room/plate — pre-delay / decay | — |
| Large hall — pre-delay / decay | — |
Reverb rule of thumb: pre-delay = 1/64 note; total decay lands on a bar boundary so the tail breathes with the groove. Trust your ears over the math.
How to use it
- Type the BPM of your session (or tap it from your DAW's tempo display).
- Read the millisecond value for the note division you want to hear — 1/4 for classic slap-back dub echoes, 1/8 dotted for the U2/Edge feel, 1/16 for tight vocal thickening.
- Enter the value into any delay plugin that isn't tempo-synced, or use the Hz column to set LFO rates on chorus, tremolo and auto-pan.
The formula
One beat (a quarter note) lasts 60,000 ÷ BPM milliseconds. Every other value is derived from that: halve it for an eighth, multiply by 1.5 for dotted, by 2/3 for triplet. The Hz column is simply 1000 ÷ ms — handy for rate-based modulation effects.
FAQ
Why sync delay to tempo at all?
Tempo-synced repeats sit inside the groove instead of smearing across it — the echoes reinforce the rhythm rather than fighting it. Unsynced delays are a deliberate creative choice, not a default.
What pre-delay should a vocal reverb have?
Start at the 1/64-note value for the song's tempo. It keeps the dry consonants intact (clarity) while the tail still locks to the track.