Delay time·120 BPM · half note
120 BPM · half note
1000
ms
Frequency 1 Hz

120 BPM half note — 1000 ms

At 120 BPM a half note lasts 1000 ms. One beat is 500 ms and a bar is 2000 ms.

Tempo
120 BPM
Note
half note
Length
1000 ms
Frequency
1 Hz
One beat
500 ms
One bar
2000 ms
Per bar
2

Reverb and LFO use the same number

Set a reverb’s pre-delay and decay to these figures and the tail lands on the beat. LFOs are often dialled in hertz rather than milliseconds, so the table also gives 1,000 divided by the length — that is the rate to use for a tremolo or auto-pan locked to eighth notes.

Nearby cells

Same tempo, other notes

Same note, other tempos

Worth knowing

  • One beat is 60,000 divided by the tempo; every other note is a multiple of it.
  • A dot adds half the value back; a triplet is two thirds.
  • LFOs are often set in hertz rather than milliseconds, so that figure is here too.
  • The bar figures assume a 4/4 time signature.

Common questions

Q. How many milliseconds is a half note at 120 BPM?

1000 ms. One beat is 500 ms, and this length is a multiple of it.

Q. What rate do I give an LFO?

1 Hz — that is 1,000 divided by 1000, the rate for a tremolo or auto-pan locked to this note.

Q. How many fit in a bar?

2, because a bar runs 2000 ms in 4/4.

Q. What is one step shorter?

A dotted quarter, which tightens the pattern.