BPM2Time

A lightweight Audio Unit / VST3 plugin that converts your DAW's tempo into millisecond values for different note divisions. Perfect for quickly calculating delay times, reverb pre-delay, or any other time-based effect parameter.

Features

• Real-time BPM Sync: Automatically reads tempo from your DAW
• Manual BPM Mode: Override with custom tempo when needed
• 8 Note Divisions: 1/128, 1/64, 1/32, 1/16, 1/8, 1/4, 1/2, and 1/1 (whole note)
• Instant Calculations: See millisecond values update in real-time
• Minimal CPU Usage: Optimised to use virtually no resources
• Clean Interface: Modern, dark-themed UI that's easy to read

Use Cases

• Calculate delay times that sync to your project tempo
• Determine reverb pre-delay values for rhythmic spacing
• Set attack/release times for tempo-synced compression
• Quick reference for any time-based effect parameter
• Useful for both mixing and sound design workflows

Installation

Pre-built Binary

Download the latest release from the Releases page. Each release includes, per platform:

• macOS: a signed & notarized .pkg installer (choose AU, VST3, or both) and a raw .zip of the bundles. AU is Apple Silicon only.
• Windows: a VST3 .exe installer and a raw .zip.
• Linux: a VST3 .deb and a raw .zip.

To install manually from the zip instead of the installer:

• macOS: extract and copy BPM2Time.component to ~/Library/Audio/Plug-Ins/Components/, or BPM2Time.vst3 to ~/Library/Audio/Plug-Ins/VST3/.
• Windows: extract BPM2Time.vst3 to C:\Program Files\Common Files\VST3\.
• Linux: extract BPM2Time.vst3 to ~/.vst3/ or /usr/lib/vst3/.

Restart your DAW after installing.

Building from Source

Requirements

• CMake 3.15+
• A C++17 toolchain (Xcode command line tools on macOS, MSVC on Windows, GCC/Clang on Linux)
• Git (for the JUCE submodule)

Build Instructions

git clone --recurse-submodules https://github.com/tehguitarist/BPM2Time.git
cd BPM2Time
cmake -B build -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=Release
cmake --build build --config Release --target BPM2Time_AU      # macOS AU
cmake --build build --config Release --target BPM2Time_VST3    # VST3, all platforms

If you already cloned without --recurse-submodules, run git submodule update --init --recursive first.

COPY_PLUGIN_AFTER_BUILD is enabled, so a successful build installs directly to your user plugin folders (~/Library/Audio/Plug-Ins/Components and .../VST3 on macOS). Bump the VERSION in CMakeLists.txt if Logic doesn't pick up a rebuilt AU — it caches AU components by version.

Build Configuration

• macOS builds are Apple Silicon (arm64) only, minimum macOS 11.0
• AU format is macOS-only; VST3 builds on macOS, Windows, and Linux
• See .claude/rules/build.md for the full CI/release pipeline (GitHub Actions), signing/notarization, and installer details

Usage

1. Load the plugin in your DAW (it can be loaded on any track as it passes audio through unchanged)

2. Choose sync mode:

   • "Sync to Host" ON: Reads tempo from your DAW (recommended)
   • "Sync to Host" OFF: Use the manual BPM slider

3. Select a note division by clicking one of the buttons (1/128 to 1/1)

4. Read the millisecond value displayed in the centre of the plugin

5. Use the value in your delay, reverb, or other time-based effects. Or get really creative and use it on your mixbus comp to pump in time with the music.

Tips

• The manual BPM slider updates to show the host tempo even when sync is off, giving you a handy reference
• The plugin only checks for tempo changes when your DAW is playing, saving CPU when paused
• Use 1/4 and 1/8 notes for delay times
• Use 1/16 or 1/32 notes for short slapback delays
• Use 1/2 or 1/1 notes for reverb pre-delay

Technical Details

• Formats: Audio Unit (AU, macOS only) and VST3 (macOS, Windows, Linux)
• macOS Architecture: Apple Silicon (ARM64)
• Minimum OS: macOS 11.0
• Audio Processing: Zero-latency passthrough
• BPM Detection: Reads from DAW transport (twice per second when playing)
• Framework: JUCE 8.0.14 (via CMake, see .claude/rules/build.md)

Contributing

Contributions are welcome! Please feel free to submit a Pull Request. For major changes, please open an issue first to discuss what you would like to change.

Development

• Code style: Follow existing JUCE conventions
• Keep the plugin lightweight and focused
• Test on multiple DAWs (Logic Pro, Ableton Live, etc.)
• Ensure backwards compatibility with saved sessions

Licence

This project is licensed under the GPL-3.0 Licence - see the LICENSE file for details.

Acknowledgements

• Built with JUCE Framework
• Inspired by the need for quick tempo calculations during mixing sessions

Support

If you encounter any issues or have feature requests, please open an issue on GitHub.

Changelog

Version 1.1.0

• Fixed font deprecation warnings
• UI Now respects Sync option correctly

Version 1.0.0

• Initial release
• 8 note divisions (1/128 to 1/1)
• Host tempo sync and manual BPM mode
• Optimised for Apple Silicon

---

Made with ❤️ for producers and mix engineers