Tim Techlor BPM → ms & Hz · delay times · LFO rates · sidechain

TIM TECHLOR // REAPER LUA TOOL — WEB EDITION

BPM2MS2HZ

Note values from the project tempo as milliseconds and Hz — for delay times, LFO rates, release and sidechain settings. Dotted values and triplets included. The original reads the tempo from REAPER; here you simply type it in.

Console Output live · 128.000 BPM 
+-------------------------------------------+
|  TIM TECHLOR / BPM2MS2HZ CALCULATOR       |
|  Tempo: 128.000 BPM   1 Beat = 468.75 ms  |
+-------------------------------------------+

  NOTE             MS          HZ
  -------------------------------
  1/1          1875.0       0.533
  …

Delay Times

Read the MS column and type the value into your delay plugin for tempo-synced echoes without host sync. At 128 BPM a 1/4 is 468.8 ms; dotted 1/8. (351.6 ms) is the classic ping-pong spacing.

LFO Rates

The HZ column drives LFO speeds: 1/4 = 2.133 Hz, 1/16 = 8.533 Hz at 128 BPM. Auto-pan, tremolo and filter sweeps lock straight to the grid.

Release & Sidechain

Whole bars come as seconds: 1 bar = 1.875 s at 128 BPM. A compressor release of one bar keeps the pump breathing with the track instead of choking it.

Variants

  • 1/4 — plain, one beat
  • 1/4. — dotted, ×1.5
  • 1/4T — triplet, ×2/3

Bar lengths assume 4/4.

Popup Mode

Pin the calculator next to your DAW: a compact window with input and live table — the console, without the rest of the page.

The REAPER Original

Same table, straight from the project tempo: Master_GetTempo() → REAPER console. Actions → Show action list → Load ReaScript…

⇓  TT_BPM_Converter.lua
ms = 60000 / BPM × beats Hz = 1000 / ms bars assume 4/4 1 beat = 1/4 note
Source — Lua TT_BPM_Converter.lua 
--[[==================================================================
  TIM TECHLOR / BPM2MS2HZ CALCULATOR  (console edition)
  ====================================================================
  Reads the project tempo and prints a table of all note values as
  durations in milliseconds and frequencies in Hz - for delay times,
  LFO rates, release and sidechain settings.

    ms  =  60000 / BPM * beats      (1 beat = 1 quarter note)
    Hz  =  1000 / ms

  Variants:    1/4   plain
               1/4.  dotted (x 1.5)
               1/4T  triplet (x 2/3)
  Bar lengths assume 4/4.
====================================================================]]

--------------------------------------------------------------------
-- Configuration
--------------------------------------------------------------------

local DIVISIONS  = { 1, 2, 4, 8, 16, 32 }   -- note values 1/1 to 1/32
local BAR_COUNTS = { 1, 2, 4, 8, 16, 32 }   -- bar lengths 1 to 32 bars

local VARIANTS = {
  { suffix = "",  factor = 1   },           -- plain
  { suffix = ".", factor = 1.5 },           -- dotted
  { suffix = "T", factor = 2 / 3 },         -- triplet
}

--------------------------------------------------------------------
-- Helpers
--------------------------------------------------------------------

local function out(text)
  reaper.ShowConsoleMsg(text .. "\n")
end

-- Frame around the header lines (width adapts to the longest line)
local function print_box(lines)
  local width = 0
  for _, line in ipairs(lines) do
    width = math.max(width, #line)
  end

  local border = "+" .. string.rep("-", width + 4) .. "+"
  out(border)
  for _, line in ipairs(lines) do
    out(string.format("|  %-" .. width .. "s  |", line))
  end
  out(border)
end

local function print_table_header(col1, col2, col3)
  out("")
  out(string.format("  %-8s %10s  %10s", col1, col2, col3))
  out("  " .. string.rep("-", 31))
end

--------------------------------------------------------------------
-- Tables
--------------------------------------------------------------------

-- All note values: duration in ms, frequency in Hz
local function print_notes(beat_ms)
  print_table_header("NOTE", "MS", "HZ")

  for _, division in ipairs(DIVISIONS) do
    local beats = 4 / division

    for _, variant in ipairs(VARIANTS) do
      local ms    = beat_ms * beats * variant.factor
      local label = "1/" .. division .. variant.suffix

      out(string.format("  %-8s %10.1f  %10.3f", label, ms, 1000 / ms))
    end
  end
end

-- Whole bars (4/4): duration in seconds, frequency in Hz
local function print_bars(beat_sec)
  print_table_header("BARS", "SEC", "HZ")

  for _, count in ipairs(BAR_COUNTS) do
    local sec   = beat_sec * 4 * count
    local label = (count == 1) and "1 bar" or (count .. " bars")

    out(string.format("  %-8s %10.3f  %10.3f", label, sec, 1 / sec))
  end
end

--------------------------------------------------------------------
-- Main
--------------------------------------------------------------------

local function main()
  reaper.ClearConsole()

  local bpm = reaper.Master_GetTempo()
  if not bpm or bpm <= 0 then
    reaper.ShowConsoleMsg("No valid project tempo found.")
    return
  end

  local beat_ms = 60000 / bpm

  print_box({
    "TIM TECHLOR / BPM2MS2HZ CALCULATOR",
    string.format("Tempo: %.3f BPM   1 Beat = %.2f ms", bpm, beat_ms),
  })

  print_notes(beat_ms)
  print_bars(60 / bpm)

  out("")
end

main()