BPM Delay and Reverb Calculator

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ms to hz converter

ms to Hz converter (and Hz to ms)

Open the ms and Hz tab, type the time in milliseconds or the frequency in Hz, and the other field fills itself in. Below you see the equivalent BPM and the samples.

Frequency and period are inverses

Frequency in Hz counts cycles per second, and the period is the time of one cycle. Since 1 s has 1,000 ms, f (Hz) = 1,000 ÷ t (ms) and t (ms) = 1,000 ÷ f (Hz). A 500 ms cycle is 2 Hz, 250 ms is 4 Hz, 100 ms is 10 Hz and 20 ms is 50 Hz. In reverse, 1 Hz has a period of 1,000 ms, 50 Hz has 20 ms and the A note at 440 Hz has a period of 2.2727 ms. The conversion holds for anything that repeats: an LFO, a tremolo, a sine wave or a metronome.
In music, a time in ms often comes from a tempo. If 468.75 ms is the length of a quarter note, the equivalent BPM is 60,000 ÷ 468.75 = 128, and 500 ms equals 120 BPM. The converter shows that number next to the frequency. It also shows samples: 10 ms is 441 samples at 44.1 kHz and 480 at 48 kHz, because samples = ms × rate ÷ 1,000.
One caution: delays of just a few milliseconds stop being heard as a repeat and start coloring the sound like a filter. In that case the characteristic frequency of a comb filter follows the same 1,000 ÷ ms relation, which is why the conversion is also handy beyond musical rhythm.

Checked ms and Hz conversions

A half-second cycle

Input: 500 ms
Expected output: 2 Hz

1,000 ÷ 500; equals 120 BPM.

A quarter of a second

Input: 250 ms
Expected output: 4 Hz

1,000 ÷ 250.

Ten milliseconds

Input: 10 ms
Expected output: 100 Hz

441 samples at 44.1 kHz.

Hz to ms

Input: 50 Hz
Expected output: 20 ms

1,000 ÷ 50.

Period of the A note

Input: 440 Hz
Expected output: 2.2727 ms

1,000 ÷ 440.

Equivalent BPM

Input: 468.75 ms
Expected output: 128 BPM

60,000 ÷ 468.75.

Full tool FAQ

How do I convert BPM to milliseconds?

Divide 60,000 by the BPM to get the length of a quarter note in ms. For other note values, multiply by 4 and divide by the denominator: at 120 BPM, 60,000 ÷ 120 = 500 ms for 1/4, 250 ms for 1/8 and 125 ms for 1/16.

What is the delay time at 120 BPM for 1/4, 1/8 and 1/16?

What are dotted and triplet notes in a delay?

How do I find the delay time for 128 BPM?

How do I convert ms to Hz?

What reverb pre-delay should I use?

How do I sync the reverb decay to the tempo?

How does tap tempo work?

Why would I need samples?

What BPM range does the tool accept?

Frequently asked questions

How do I convert ms to Hz in my head?

Divide 1,000 by the time. For 20 ms, 1,000 ÷ 20 = 50 Hz. The shorter the time, the higher the frequency.

Are Hz and BPM the same thing?

They are the same idea at different scales: BPM counts beats per minute and Hz counts cycles per second. Dividing BPM by 60 gives Hz: 120 BPM is 2 Hz.

Why does one field change when I type in the other?

The two fields represent the same number in inverse units. The one you edited takes the lead and the other is recalculated to up to 6 decimal places.

Next steps

Note

Straight

Dotted

Triplet

1/1

1/2

1/4

1/8

1/16

1/32

1/64

Frequency and period are inverses

Frequency in Hz counts cycles per second, and the period is the time of one cycle. Since 1 s has 1,000 ms, f (Hz) = 1,000 ÷ t (ms) and t (ms) = 1,000 ÷ f (Hz). A 500 ms cycle is 2 Hz, 250 ms is 4 Hz, 100 ms is 10 Hz and 20 ms is 50 Hz. In reverse, 1 Hz has a period of 1,000 ms, 50 Hz has 20 ms and the A note at 440 Hz has a period of 2.2727 ms. The conversion holds for anything that repeats: an LFO, a tremolo, a sine wave or a metronome.

In music, a time in ms often comes from a tempo. If 468.75 ms is the length of a quarter note, the equivalent BPM is 60,000 ÷ 468.75 = 128, and 500 ms equals 120 BPM. The converter shows that number next to the frequency. It also shows samples: 10 ms is 441 samples at 44.1 kHz and 480 at 48 kHz, because samples = ms × rate ÷ 1,000.

One caution: delays of just a few milliseconds stop being heard as a repeat and start coloring the sound like a filter. In that case the characteristic frequency of a comb filter follows the same 1,000 ÷ ms relation, which is why the conversion is also handy beyond musical rhythm.

Checked ms and Hz conversions

A half-second cycle

Input: 500 ms
Expected output: 2 Hz

1,000 ÷ 500; equals 120 BPM.

A quarter of a second

Input: 250 ms
Expected output: 4 Hz

1,000 ÷ 250.

Ten milliseconds

Input: 10 ms
Expected output: 100 Hz

441 samples at 44.1 kHz.

Hz to ms

Input: 50 Hz
Expected output: 20 ms

1,000 ÷ 50.

Period of the A note

Input: 440 Hz
Expected output: 2.2727 ms

1,000 ÷ 440.

Equivalent BPM

Input: 468.75 ms
Expected output: 128 BPM

60,000 ÷ 468.75.

Full tool FAQ

How do I convert BPM to milliseconds?

What is the delay time at 120 BPM for 1/4, 1/8 and 1/16?

What are dotted and triplet notes in a delay?

How do I find the delay time for 128 BPM?

How do I convert ms to Hz?

What reverb pre-delay should I use?

How do I sync the reverb decay to the tempo?

How does tap tempo work?

Why would I need samples?

What BPM range does the tool accept?

Frequently asked questions

How do I convert ms to Hz in my head?

Divide 1,000 by the time. For 20 ms, 1,000 ÷ 20 = 50 Hz. The shorter the time, the higher the frequency.

Are Hz and BPM the same thing?

They are the same idea at different scales: BPM counts beats per minute and Hz counts cycles per second. Dividing BPM by 60 gives Hz: 120 BPM is 2 Hz.

Why does one field change when I type in the other?

The two fields represent the same number in inverse units. The one you edited takes the lead and the other is recalculated to up to 6 decimal places.