Turn any tempo into delay times in milliseconds for your delay pedal or DAW — quarter, dotted-eighth, triplet and more. Tap the tempo or type the BPM; every value updates instantly.
| Note value | Delay (ms) | Rate (Hz) |
|---|
Set your song's tempo — either type the BPM, drag the slider, or tap Tap tempo along with the track four or more times. Then read the delay time in milliseconds next to the note value you want and dial that number into your delay pedal or plugin. If your delay has no ms readout, use the Rate (Hz) column for tempo-synced modulation instead.
Quarter note (1/4) is one repeat per beat — the classic slapback-to-rhythmic delay. Eighth note (1/8) gives two repeats per beat, tight and driving. Dotted eighth (1/8·) is the famous "The Edge / U2" sound — it falls between the eighth and the quarter and locks into syncopated patterns. Triplet eighth gives a rolling, galloping feel. Longer values (half, quarter) suit ambient washes; shorter ones (1/16) suit fast, percussive rhythms.
A quarter-note delay in milliseconds is simply 60000 ÷ BPM (there are 60,000 ms in a minute). Every other note value is that quarter-note time multiplied by its fraction of a beat: an eighth is ×0.5, a dotted eighth is ×0.75, a triplet eighth is ×⅓, and so on. The Hz column is just 1000 ÷ ms — handy for setting a tremolo or an LFO to the beat. It's pure arithmetic, so the results here are exact for any tempo.
What delay time should I use?
For a rhythmic, in-time delay pick the note value that matches the feel you want — dotted eighth for that syncopated Edge-style pattern, eighth for a tight driving repeat, quarter for a spacious one repeat-per-beat sound. Set your pedal to that many milliseconds.
What is a dotted eighth delay?
A dotted eighth note lasts three sixteenths — 0.75 of a beat — so a dotted-eighth delay repeats slightly slower than a straight eighth. Combined with a quarter-note delay it creates the interlocking, cascading rhythm heard on countless U2 and modern rock parts.
How do I find the BPM of a song?
Use the Tap tempo button above — tap along with the track for four or more beats and the BPM (and every delay time) updates automatically.
Milliseconds or Hz?
Most modern delay pedals and plugins take a delay time in milliseconds, so use the ms column. The Hz column is for tempo-syncing a modulation effect — tremolo, phaser or an LFO — to the same beat.
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