Note Duration Milliseconds Calculator
Producers set delay times, LFO rates, and gate lengths in milliseconds, but musical timing is set in tempo. This calculator converts a tempo in beats per minute into the duration of common note values in milliseconds, including straight, dotted (1.5 times), and triplet (2/3) variants. A quarter note is simply 60,000 divided by the tempo. Use it to dial in tempo-synced echoes, set release times, or program a sequencer when your gear only accepts millisecond values.
Note duration formula
quarter note ms = 60000 / BPM
straight note ms = quarter ms * (4 / note value)
dotted note ms = straight ms * 1.5
triplet note ms = straight ms * (2 / 3)
note rate Hz = 1000 / straight note ms
There are 60,000 milliseconds in a minute, so a quarter note lasts 60000 / BPM. A note value scales relative to the quarter: an eighth (value 8) is half a quarter, a half note (value 2) is double.
Timing reference at 120 BPM
- Whole note: 2,000 ms; half note: 1,000 ms; quarter note: 500 ms.
- Eighth note: 250 ms; sixteenth note: 125 ms.
- Dotted eighth: 375 ms, a classic rhythmic delay setting.
- Eighth triplet: 166.67 ms.
- Halving the tempo doubles every millisecond value.
Note duration: frequently asked questions
How do you convert BPM to milliseconds?
A quarter note lasts 60,000 divided by the tempo in BPM, because there are 60,000 milliseconds in a minute. At 120 BPM a quarter note is 60000 / 120 = 500 milliseconds. Other note values scale from the quarter: an eighth is half, a half note is double.
What is a dotted note duration in milliseconds?
A dot adds half of the note value, so a dotted note lasts 1.5 times the plain note. A dotted eighth at 120 BPM is 250 times 1.5 = 375 milliseconds. Dotted delays are common for rhythmic echo effects.
What is a triplet note duration?
A triplet fits three notes in the space of two, so each triplet note lasts two-thirds of the plain note value. An eighth-note triplet at 120 BPM is 250 times 2/3 = 166.67 milliseconds.
How do I set a delay time from this?
Pick the rhythmic value you want the echo to land on, read its millisecond figure, and enter that as the delay time. Quarter and dotted eighth delays are the most common in popular music for tempo-synced echoes.
Does the calculator depend on the time signature?
No. Note durations depend only on the tempo and the note value relative to a quarter note. The time signature affects how notes group into bars but not how long an individual note of a given value lasts.
Official sources
- National Institute of Standards and Technology: SI units and the second.
- Library of Congress: music notation references.
Reviewed by the CalculatorHub team, edited by James Graham, 16 June 2026. See our methodology.