How do I use the tap tempo?

Tap along with the beat of a track at least 8 times for a stable reading. The first two taps establish a starting interval; subsequent taps average the intervals and progressively reduce variance. Fewer than 4 taps produces an unreliable estimate. Tap on the downbeat of each bar for best consistency. If you are tapping to a song with a clear kick drum, tap with your heel rather than a fingertip to reduce the reaction time jitter that throws off the average.

What are delay times used for?

Delay times synchronized to tempo create rhythmic echoes that sit in the groove of a track rather than fighting it. Common choices are quarter-note delay (one beat), dotted eighth-note delay (three-quarters of a beat, common in classic U2-style guitar), and eighth-note delay for a tighter doubling effect. At 120 BPM, a quarter-note delay is 500 ms; a dotted eighth is 375 ms. Syncing delays to BPM prevents the echoes from clashing with transients on adjacent beats.

An LFO (low-frequency oscillator) modulates parameters like filter cutoff, pitch, or pan over time. Its speed is measured in Hz (cycles per second). To sync an LFO to tempo, divide BPM by 60 to get beats per second, then divide by the note value. At 120 BPM, one beat = 0.5 seconds = 2 Hz. A half-note LFO runs at 1 Hz; a quarter-note LFO at 2 Hz; an eighth-note LFO at 4 Hz. Syncing LFOs to tempo keeps modulation effects rhythmically coherent.

How does time signature affect BPM and feel?

BPM counts beats per minute, but what counts as a beat depends on the time signature. In 4/4, the beat is a quarter note. In 6/8, the beat is a dotted quarter (grouping of three eighth notes), so a tempo of 60 BPM in 6/8 moves faster than it sounds in 4/4. Waltz (3/4) at 120 BPM feels very different from 4/4 at 120 BPM even though the raw BPM is identical. When communicating tempo for a track, always specify the time signature alongside BPM.

What BPM ranges are typical across different music genres?

Genre tempo conventions provide a starting reference: hip-hop and trap typically sit 70-100 BPM; R&B and soul 60-90 BPM; house music 120-130 BPM; techno 130-150 BPM; drum and bass 160-180 BPM; dubstep 138-142 BPM (often felt as half-time at 69-71 BPM); pop 100-130 BPM; and heavy metal 100-180 BPM depending on style. These are conventions, not rules -- tracks at unusual tempos for their genre often create notable tension or freshness.

How do I sync BPM to my DAW session?

Most DAWs (Ableton, Logic, FL Studio, Pro Tools) have a tap tempo button in the transport bar that works identically to this calculator. Once you know the BPM, enter it in the session tempo field and enable the metronome or click track. If you are working with a recorded track that has no grid, use your DAW's warp or beat detection function to map the audio to the tempo. In Ableton Live, Warp mode lets you anchor downbeats manually so the clip syncs to the session BPM without pitch-shifting.

BPM Tap Tempo Calculator

Tap to find BPM, then copy delay and LFO times synced to the beat.

Tempo

0 taps · Tap at least twice to detect tempo

Manual BPMTime signatureTap averaging

BPM

120

Quarter note: 500 ms

Delay and LFO sync

Click a row to copy the millisecond value.

Note	ms	Hz (LFO)
Whole note		0.5
Half note		1
Quarter note		2
Eighth note		4
Sixteenth note		8
32nd note		16
Dotted half		0.67
Dotted quarter		1.33
Dotted eighth		2.67
Triplet quarter		3
Triplet eighth		6

Tap tempo is an estimate. Use your DAW tap tempo or a metronome when recording if you need sample-accurate sync.

How this tool works

Tap in time with the music or type a BPM. We average the milliseconds between taps, convert to beats per minute, then list delay times for whole notes through triplets. Each row shows milliseconds for plugins and Hz for LFO rates.

Worked example

At 120 BPM, one quarter note lasts 500 ms. An eighth-note delay is 250 ms and a dotted quarter is 750 ms. Tap four or more times on the beat and the average usually locks near the true tempo.

Related tools

Frequently asked questions

How do I use the tap tempo?
Tap along with the beat of a track at least 8 times for a stable reading. The first two taps establish a starting interval; subsequent taps average the intervals and progressively reduce variance. Fewer than 4 taps produces an unreliable estimate. Tap on the downbeat of each bar for best consistency. If you are tapping to a song with a clear kick drum, tap with your heel rather than a fingertip to reduce the reaction time jitter that throws off the average.
What are delay times used for?
Delay times synchronized to tempo create rhythmic echoes that sit in the groove of a track rather than fighting it. Common choices are quarter-note delay (one beat), dotted eighth-note delay (three-quarters of a beat, common in classic U2-style guitar), and eighth-note delay for a tighter doubling effect. At 120 BPM, a quarter-note delay is 500 ms; a dotted eighth is 375 ms. Syncing delays to BPM prevents the echoes from clashing with transients on adjacent beats.
What is LFO Hz?
An LFO (low-frequency oscillator) modulates parameters like filter cutoff, pitch, or pan over time. Its speed is measured in Hz (cycles per second). To sync an LFO to tempo, divide BPM by 60 to get beats per second, then divide by the note value. At 120 BPM, one beat = 0.5 seconds = 2 Hz. A half-note LFO runs at 1 Hz; a quarter-note LFO at 2 Hz; an eighth-note LFO at 4 Hz. Syncing LFOs to tempo keeps modulation effects rhythmically coherent.
How does time signature affect BPM and feel?
BPM counts beats per minute, but what counts as a beat depends on the time signature. In 4/4, the beat is a quarter note. In 6/8, the beat is a dotted quarter (grouping of three eighth notes), so a tempo of 60 BPM in 6/8 moves faster than it sounds in 4/4. Waltz (3/4) at 120 BPM feels very different from 4/4 at 120 BPM even though the raw BPM is identical. When communicating tempo for a track, always specify the time signature alongside BPM.
What BPM ranges are typical across different music genres?
Genre tempo conventions provide a starting reference: hip-hop and trap typically sit 70-100 BPM; R&B and soul 60-90 BPM; house music 120-130 BPM; techno 130-150 BPM; drum and bass 160-180 BPM; dubstep 138-142 BPM (often felt as half-time at 69-71 BPM); pop 100-130 BPM; and heavy metal 100-180 BPM depending on style. These are conventions, not rules -- tracks at unusual tempos for their genre often create notable tension or freshness.
How do I sync BPM to my DAW session?
Most DAWs (Ableton, Logic, FL Studio, Pro Tools) have a tap tempo button in the transport bar that works identically to this calculator. Once you know the BPM, enter it in the session tempo field and enable the metronome or click track. If you are working with a recorded track that has no grid, use your DAW's warp or beat detection function to map the audio to the tempo. In Ableton Live, Warp mode lets you anchor downbeats manually so the clip syncs to the session BPM without pitch-shifting.