Delay and Reverb Calculator
The Delay and Reverb Calculator is used by audio engineers and musicians to compute the precise timing of effects in their productions.
This Delay calculator helps users set delay times and reverb parameters to match the tempo of their music, ensuring a cohesive and rhythmic sound.
While working on a track with a tempo of 120 BPM (beats per minute). You want to add a delay effect that repeats every quarter note. Using Delay Calculator, you’d find that the delay time should be set to 500 milliseconds (ms).
Delay and Reverb Calculation
| Tempo (BPM) | Quarter Note (ms) | Eighth Note (ms) | Sixteenth Note (ms) | Dotted Eighth (ms) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 60 | 1000 | 500 | 250 | 750 |
| 90 | 667 | 333 | 167 | 500 |
| 120 | 500 | 250 | 125 | 375 |
| 140 | 429 | 214 | 107 | 321 |
| 160 | 375 | 188 | 94 | 281 |
| 180 | 333 | 167 | 83 | 250 |
Delay and Reverb Formula
The basic formula for calculating delay time is:
Delay Time (ms) = (60,000 / BPM) * (Note Value)Where:
- 60,000 is the number of milliseconds in a minute
- BPM is the tempo in beats per minute
- Note Value is a fraction representing the rhythmic division (1 for quarter notes, 0.5 for eighth notes, etc.)
Let’s calculate the delay time for an eighth note at 100 BPM:
Delay Time = (60,000 / 100) * 0.5 = 300 msThis means that to sync an eighth note delay with a song at 100 BPM, you should set your delay time to 300 milliseconds.
How to Calculate Delay and Reverb Time?
Calculating delay and reverb times involves considering the tempo of your music and the rhythmic division you want to emphasize. Here’s a step-by-step example:
Determine the song’s tempo (e.g., 130 BPM)
Choose the rhythmic division (e.g., dotted eighth note)
Apply the formula: (60,000 / BPM) * (Note Value)
For a dotted eighth note, the Note Value is 0.75 (1.5 times an eighth note)Calculate: (60,000 / 130) 0.75 = *346.15 ms
In this case, you’d set your delay time to 346 ms (rounded) to achieve a dotted eighth note delay at 130 BPM.
For reverb, the calculation is less precise but often related to tempo. A common practice is to set the reverb decay time to match a bar length:
Reverb Decay Time = (60 / BPM) * 4 = 1.85 seconds (for one bar at 130 BPM)This creates a reverb tail that naturally fades with the music’s phrasing.
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