Free calculator

Keep the reverb out of the way.

Translate tempo into musically related pre-delay values, then tune by ear around the source.

Start with a timed value, then shorten it until the dry vocal stays clear. Genre and phrasing matter more than mathematical purity.

At 120 BPM

Pre-delay values

1/4500 ms
1/8250 ms
1/16125 ms
1/3262.5 ms
1/6431.3 ms
1/8 triplet166.7 ms
1/16 triplet83.3 ms
1/32 triplet41.7 ms

What pre-delay changes

Pre-delay creates a short gap between the dry signal and the first audible reflections. More separation can preserve intelligibility; less separation can make the source feel embedded in the space.

Use the vocal pre-delay guide to judge the result, or build a full vocal chain.