Timing & Sync
LFO Rate Converter
When an LFO won't sync to your DAW, you set it in Hz. Enter your tempo and a note division to get the exact frequency, so free-running tremolo, auto-pan, and filter wobble still lock to the groove.
| Division | Straight (Hz) | Dotted (Hz) | Triplet (Hz) |
|---|
Turning note values into Hz
Hz = BPM ÷ (60 × note length in beats)
Frequency is cycles per second. A 1/4-note LFO completes one cycle per beat, so at 128 BPM that's 128 ÷ 60 = 2.13 Hz. A 1/8-note LFO cycles twice as fast (4.27 Hz), a 1/2-note half as fast (1.07 Hz). Slower divisions like 1/1 or 2 bars give the sub-1 Hz rates you want for long, evolving filter sweeps.
Where you actually need this
Plenty of classic synths and effects have LFOs that only run free in Hz, with no tempo sync. Dialing in the calculated value gets you the musical movement of a synced LFO without the sync. It's essential for tremolo that pulses on the beat, auto-pan that swings in time, and filter wobbles that sit in the pocket instead of drifting against it.
For dubstep-style bass wobbles, the useful range runs from 1/4 (slow) down through 1/16 (fast). Automate the LFO rate across that range and you get the rhythmic gear-shifts the genre is built on. For subtle movement on pads, go the other way: a 1- or 2-bar LFO at well under 1 Hz breathes without ever calling attention to itself.