EXAMPLE 1
House tempo
120 BPM · quarter note
500.00 ms
A straight eighth is 250 ms, a dotted eighth is 375 ms and a quarter-note triplet is 333.33 ms.
Tempo calculator
BPM to Milliseconds Calculator
Turn any tempo into precise note lengths, frequencies and sync values for delays, reverbs, compressors, LFOs and other time-based effects.
FreeNo loginWorks offlineWeb and desktop
Core formula
quarter note (ms) = 60,000 / BPM
note A/B (ms) = (60,000 / BPM) × 4 × (A / B)
dotted = straight × 1.5
triplet = straight × 2 / 3
rate (Hz) = 1,000 / note length (ms)
A/B is the displayed musical duration: 1/4 is a quarter note, 1/1 is a whole note and 4/1 lasts four whole notes.
How BPM becomes milliseconds
BPM tells you how many quarter-note beats occur in one minute. Dividing 60,000 milliseconds by the BPM gives the duration of one quarter note; every other subdivision follows from that value.
Amanita calculates straight, dotted and triplet timing together, from long 32/1 cycles down to 1/128 notes, so you can compare rhythmic options without moving between formulas. The same table also shows hertz for tempo-synced modulators and rate controls.
Worked examples
Concrete values you can verify in the calculator and transfer directly to a production session.
EXAMPLE 2
Drum and bass
174 BPM · sixteenth note
86.21 ms
Useful for fast pre-delay, rhythmic gates and short modulation cycles that still lock to the grid.
EXAMPLE 3
Slow pulse
80 BPM · dotted quarter
1,125.00 ms
A spacious delay value for sparse arrangements; the straight quarter at the same tempo is 750 ms.
| Note | Straight | Dotted | Triplet | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4/1 | 8,000.00 ms | 12,000.00 ms | 5,333.33 ms | 0.125 Hz |
| 2/1 | 4,000.00 ms | 6,000.00 ms | 2,666.67 ms | 0.250 Hz |
| 1/1 | 2,000.00 ms | 3,000.00 ms | 1,333.33 ms | 0.500 Hz |
| 1/4 | 500.00 ms | 750.00 ms | 333.33 ms | 2.00 Hz |
| 1/8 | 250.00 ms | 375.00 ms | 166.67 ms | 4.00 Hz |
| 1/16 | 125.00 ms | 187.50 ms | 83.33 ms | 8.00 Hz |
| 1/32 | 62.50 ms | 93.75 ms | 41.67 ms | 16.00 Hz |
Use it in a session
The calculator is deliberately direct: set the musical context, inspect the result and copy it where you need it.
- Enter the project tempoType or tap a BPM value between 20 and 400.
- Choose a subdivisionCompare straight, dotted and triplet rows in the matrix.
- Copy the exact valueClick any result and paste it into the time or rate field in your plugin.
Where it helps
Delay sync
Match plugins that only accept milliseconds to the musical grid.
Reverb timing
Set pre-delay and decay lengths that breathe with the arrangement.
Dynamics
Time compressor release, gates and transient shaping around note values.
Modulation
Convert note lengths to hertz for LFOs, tremolo and rhythmic filters.
Studio note: Start with a mathematically exact value, then move it slightly by ear. A few milliseconds of offset can create groove without losing the tempo relationship.
Calculate it in Amanita
Open the exact tool with your saved tempo and tuning values intact. Nothing to install, no account and no ads.