Pre Delay Calculator

Free predelay calculator from The Producers Hangout for producers, artists, engineers, vocal mixing, reverb predelay, BPM calculator, milliseconds calculator, delay calculator, tempo sync, vocal reverb timing, plate reverb predelay, hall reverb predelay, slap delay, quarter note delay, eighth note delay, sixteenth note delay, DAW mixing, FL Studio, Studio One, Pro Tools, Logic Pro, Ableton, Waves StudioRack, music production tools, and mixing resources.

FREE PRODUCER TOOL · PREDELAY CALCULATOR

Time Your Reverb.
Clean Up The Mix.

Enter your song BPM and calculate musical predelay times in milliseconds so your reverb sits behind the vocal instead of washing over the performance.

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CALCULATOR INPUT

Enter Tempo.
Get Predelay.

Use this tool to find tempo-based predelay values for reverbs, delays, vocal throws, rooms, plates, halls, and creative space effects.

Song BPM

Example: 90 for slow R&B, 100 for West Coast bounce, 140 for trap, 160 for double-time rap.

Primary Feel Very Tight — 1/64 Note Tight Vocal — 1/32 Note Common Vocal — 1/16 Note Wide Space — 1/8 Note Long Effect — 1/4 Note

Most lead vocals start around 1/64, 1/32, or 1/16 depending on tempo and reverb size.

Formula: Quarter note in milliseconds = 60,000 ÷ BPM. Smaller note values are fractions of the quarter note.

CALCULATED RESULTS

Reverb Timing
In Milliseconds.

Recommended Starting Point 31 ms

A balanced 1/16 note predelay starting point for vocals, plates, rooms, and general reverb timing.

Tempo 120 BPM

Quarter Note 500 ms

Eighth Note 250 ms

Sixteenth Note 125 ms

Note Value

Milliseconds

Best Use

1/64 Note

31 ms

Tight vocal separation

1/32 Note

63 ms

Lead vocal clarity

1/16 Note

125 ms

Common reverb timing

1/8 Note

250 ms

Wide space or throws

1/4 Note

500 ms

Long creative effects

Use the result as a starting point. If the vocal feels too dry, shorten the predelay. If the reverb is covering the vocal, lengthen the predelay.

HOW PRODUCERS USE PREDELAY

Space Without
Washing Out The Vocal.

Predelay gives the dry vocal a small amount of time before the reverb starts. That space can make the vocal feel closer, clearer, and more professional.

01

Lead Vocals

Use short predelay to keep the lead vocal upfront while still adding depth, width, and ambience.

02

Adlibs

Use longer predelay and bigger reverbs to push adlibs behind the lead without completely losing clarity.

03

Reverb Throws

Time creative reverb moments to the beat so words bloom in rhythm instead of randomly filling the mix.

04

Beat Elements

Use musical timing on snares, pads, keys, guitars, and FX so reverbs support the groove.

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