Tempo-Synced Delay Tap Calculator
Which tap times and sample positions correspond to a chosen number of quarter-note beats?
Method, formula and assumptions
Quarter-note duration is 60,000 / BPM ms. Multiply by beats per tap, then by tap count for the last tap. A dotted eighth is 0.75 quarter-note beats; a quarter-note triplet is 2/3.
Input definitions and supported units
- Tempo (quarter-note beats/min): Measured or assumed numerical value, from 1 to 1000; must be positive.
- Quarter-note beats per tap: Measured or assumed numerical value, from 0.03125 to 16; must be positive.
- Number of taps: Whole-number count, from 1 to 64; must be positive.
- Sample rate (Hz): Whole-number count, from 8000 to 384000; must be positive.
Worked example with answer
At 120 BPM, 0.75 beats per tap yields 375 ms spacing. Four taps end at 1,500 ms. At 48 kHz each spacing is exactly 18,000 samples, with 0 ms final-tap error.
How to use the results
Use the final-tap time to check the required delay-line length. Error is the accumulated difference when each spacing is rounded independently to a whole sample.
Results retain full precision internally and display up to four decimal places. Very small nonzero results use scientific notation rather than appearing as zero. Check the labels before comparing values across units.
Limitations and references
Assumes fixed quarter-note BPM without swing, tempo ramps or feedback decay. Tap count does not imply that all echoes have equal audibility.
The method is a self-contained arithmetic, geometric or explicitly stated mathematical model. There are no imported tariffs, empirical presets or equipment specifications; measured values and allowances must come from your own process.
Related planning tools
Creator & reviewers
Creator persona
- Casey RowanUnits, conversions & measurement
Reviewer personas
- Devon ShawFormula & assumptions review
- Sage MitchellClarity & usability review