BPM to Note Duration Calculator
Convert a tempo in BPM into the length of every note value in milliseconds, with dotted and triplet timings for delays.
How it works
Quarter note (ms) = 60000 ÷ BPM · Note length = quarter × (note ÷ quarter ratio) · Dotted = ×1.5 · Triplet = ×2/3
A beat is one quarter note, and there are 60,000 milliseconds in a minute, so the quarter-note length is simply 60000 ÷ BPM. Every other note value is a fraction or multiple of that beat — an eighth is half, a whole note is four beats. Producers use these figures to set delay and reverb times in milliseconds so effects lock to the tempo; dotted (×1.5) and triplet (×2/3) values give the classic rhythmic echoes.
Worked example
At 120 BPM the quarter note is 60000 ÷ 120 = 500 ms. An eighth note is 250 ms, a dotted eighth is 375 ms, and a sixteenth is 125 ms — set a delay to 375 ms for a dotted-eighth "The Edge" style echo at that tempo.
Frequently asked questions
How do I set a delay time from BPM?
Compute the quarter-note length (60000 ÷ BPM) and pick the note value you want the echo to fall on. A dotted-eighth delay is that value × 0.75; a quarter-note delay is the full beat.
What is the difference from BPM to milliseconds?
This calculator adds the full table of note values plus dotted and triplet timings, so you can read off any subdivision at once rather than a single conversion.
Why do triplets use ×2/3?
A triplet fits three notes into the space of two, so each triplet note is two-thirds the length of the straight note of the same value.
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This calculator is for educational purposes. Double-check important results before acting on them.