BPM to Hertz
For LFOs, tremolo and any modulation set in hertz rather than note values.
Beats per minute, 20 to 400.
Four beats of 4/4, pulsing at the tempo shown.
- Per beat
- ms
- Per bar (4/4)
- ms
- Frequency
- Hz
- 1/8 delay
- ms
To convert BPM to hertz, divide the tempo by 60. At 120 BPM the beat rate is 2 Hz, so an eighth-note LFO runs at 4 Hz and a whole-note LFO at 0.5 Hz. Use the table below when your modulation source is set in hertz instead of note divisions.
Frequency by note division
The frequency an LFO needs to complete one cycle per note division at 120 BPM. Shorter divisions mean higher frequencies.
| Note | Straight | Dotted | Triplet |
|---|---|---|---|
| Whole note 1/1 | |||
| Half note 1/2 | |||
| Quarter note 1/4 | |||
| Eighth note 1/8 | |||
| Sixteenth 1/16 | |||
| Thirty-second 1/32 | |||
| Sixty-fourth 1/64 |
All values in hertz, meaning cycles per second.
The formula
Hz = BPM ÷ 60
Hertz counts cycles per second; BPM counts beats per minute. A minute has 60 seconds, so dividing converts one to the other. At 120 BPM the beat rate is 2 Hz.
For any other division, take the reciprocal of its length in seconds. An eighth note is half a beat, so it runs at twice the beat frequency.
Where this comes up
- Hardware synths with a free-running LFO and no tempo sync.
- Older plugins that expose rate in hertz only.
- Modular, where an LFO is a voltage source with a frequency knob.
- Tremolo and auto-pan units that predate DAW sync entirely.
Very slow rates. A whole-note LFO at 120 BPM runs at 0.5 Hz. Plenty of hardware will not go that low, in which case use a shorter division and accept a faster cycle.
Need every value at once?
The main BPM calculator shows milliseconds, delay times, reverb ranges, hertz and bar length together, updating from a single tempo.
Common questions
How do I convert BPM to Hz?
Divide the tempo by 60. At 120 BPM the beat rate is 2 Hz, because two beats pass every second.
What Hz should my LFO be for an eighth-note rate?
Double the beat frequency. At 120 BPM the beat is 2 Hz, so an eighth-note LFO runs at 4 Hz and a sixteenth at 8 Hz.
Related tools and guides
- BPM to Milliseconds Converter Convert any tempo to milliseconds per beat and back again. Covers every note division from whole notes to 1/64, straight, dotted and triplet. Converter
- Delay Time Calculator Tempo-synced delay times in milliseconds for every note division, including dotted and triplet values, with notes on what each one does. Tool
- BPM Calculator Tap a tempo and get every value it drives: milliseconds per beat, delay and reverb times, hertz, frames and bar length. Free, instant, no sign-up.
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