THE NUMBERS, EXPLAINED
How to use this calculator.
One long-short pair occupies exactly one BPM beat; the long:short ratio need not be normalized (2:1 is triplet swing, 3:1 is a heavier swing).
Start with your inputs
Enter beat tempo (bpm), long part (ratio numerator), short part (ratio denominator). Keep amounts in the units shown on each field. The example is a starting point, not a recommended value.
| Input | Example value |
|---|---|
| Beat tempo (BPM) | 120 |
| Long part (ratio numerator) | 2 |
| Short part (ratio denominator) | 1 |
A worked example
With the example inputs above, long duration (ms) is 333.333333. Change the inputs to explore your own scenario.
| Result | Example answer |
|---|---|
| Long duration (ms) | 333.333333 |
| Short duration (ms) | 166.666667 |
| Second event offset (ms) | 333.333333 |
How this is calculated
Long duration (ms)
long_ms (milliseconds): (60000/bpm) * long_parts/(long_parts+short_parts), the first event duration.
Short duration (ms)
short_ms (milliseconds): (60000/bpm) * short_parts/(long_parts+short_parts), the second event duration.
Second event offset (ms)
second_event_ms (milliseconds): onset time of the short event, equal to long_ms after the pair start at 0.
Symbols and units
- bpm
- Beat tempo (BPM)
- long_parts
- Long part (ratio numerator)
- short_parts
- Short part (ratio denominator)
Use the units shown. A list keeps the order in which you enter its values. The symbol ^ means “raised to the power of”.
Assumptions and limits
One long-short pair occupies exactly one BPM beat; the long:short ratio need not be normalized (2:1 is triplet swing, 3:1 is a heavier swing).
Calculations use the values you enter. Blank or invalid inputs show an error instead of silently substituting zero. Results are displayed to useful precision; calculations retain the underlying numeric precision.
Questions about this tool
What does the result tell me?
Long duration (ms); Short duration (ms); Second event offset (ms). The result applies to the method and inputs described above. Check the units and assumptions before using it in a decision.
Why might another calculator differ?
Differences in units, rounding, timing or model definitions can produce different answers. Compare the input definitions and the method, rather than only the final number. For this tool: One long-short pair occupies exactly one BPM beat; the long:short ratio need not be normalized (2:1 is triplet swing, 3:1 is a heavier swing).
Are my inputs stored or sent to AI?
Calculations on this page happen in your browser. The separate AI question finder sends its submitted conversation to OpenAI; these calculator fields are not sent. Favourites and recent tool names are stored locally. A shared link contains the inputs you choose to include.
Further reading
Ableton Learning Music: beat and tempo ↗
Background reading; this does not imply endorsement or independent review of SumFizz.
Review status
Software example and browser checks are recorded in our quality report. No external expert review is claimed. Created with coding assistance; calculations run as ordinary browser code.
Read the quality report →