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How to Calculate BPM & Delay

The beats per minute, or BPM, of a song is the number of rhythmic emphases in a 60-second length of time. A delay effect delays a certain portion of an audio source for a specified time. Using a delay effect when you're producing music adds richness and fullness to the sound. Whether you're using a virtual delay effect in a digital audio editor or playing a guitar with a delay pedal attached, coordinating the delay time setting with the song's BPM will prevent sonic conflicts. Calculate the ideal delay time based on the lengths of the notes and the song's BPM.

Instructions

  1. BPM

    • 1

      Click the clock in the lower-right corner of the Windows desktop to open the expanded clock display.

    • 2

      Play the song for which you want to calculate the BPM. When the second hand on the clock reaches "12," start tapping your finger on every beat of the song.

    • 3

      Count the number of times you tap your finger in a 60-second period. This number is the BPM of the song.

    Delay

    • 4

      Click the "Start" menu button. Click "All Programs," "Accessories," and "Calculator."

    • 5

      Type "60000" into the calculator. Press the "/" key.

    • 6

      Type the BPM of the song into the calculator. Press "Enter." This gives you the delay time for a quarter-note in milliseconds. For a song at 100 BPM, for example, the quarter-note delay time is 600 ms.

    • 7

      Multiply or divide the quarter-note delay time to find the delay times for different notes. If the quarter-note delay time is 600 ms, for example, the eighth-note delay time is 300 ms, while the half-note delay time is 1200 ms.

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