How do I sync an LFO to my project tempo?

Enter your BPM and pick a note division. The tool converts it to Hertz. A quarter note at 120 BPM equals 2 Hz. Faster divisions multiply that. Slower ones divide it.

What is a polyrhythmic LFO and how do I set one up?

Pick a second note division in the polyrhythm field. The tool shows the ratio between your two speeds so you can dial in modulation that cycles at two different rates at once.

How do I convert an LFO rate back to a note value?

Use the related speeds table. It shows common note divisions and their matching Hertz values at your BPM. You can see at a glance what any rate represents musically.

Studio utility

LFO Rate Calculator

Turn BPM into modulation rates in Hertz and compare related speeds without stopping to do the math by hand.

BPM

Primary note division

Second division

LFO rate

Period

Rate ratio

Related speeds	Value

How the math works

A quarter note at 120 BPM is two beats per second, so it equals two Hertz. Longer note values divide that rate. Shorter ones multiply it. The period is just one thousand divided by the final Hertz value.

When you would use it

Lock a tremolo to quarter notes instead of guessing a knob position.
Find a dotted eighth filter wobble that sits around the groove instead of on top of it.
Compare two LFO divisions when building a polyrhythmic modulation patch.

Embed this calculator

Copy this code to add the free calculator to your site. Please keep the attribution link.

FAQ

Why show period in milliseconds too?

Some synths and plugins describe modulation in time instead of frequency.

What are the related speeds for?

They give you fast access to musically connected half, double, triple, and quadruple rates.

Can this help with polyrhythms?

Yes. The ratio display shows how two synced LFOs relate at the same tempo.