Loopduur

Loopduur is the duration of a loop, the amount of time it takes for a repeating sequence to complete one full cycle. The term is used in several domains, including music, computing, animation, and manufacturing. Loopduur is usually expressed in seconds, but can also be described in musical terms (beats or measures) or as a frequency of repetition.

Measuring loopduur involves simple relations. If a loop contains B beats at a tempo of T BPM, the duration is D = (B / T) × 60 seconds. If a loop repeats f times per second, the duration is D = 1 / f seconds. In programming or control systems, loopduur is the time for one iteration of a loop, often referred to as a cycle time. In animation or gaming, a fixed loopduur helps maintain consistent timing and smooth motion.

Applications vary by field. In music and audio production, loopduur determines how long a sample or phrase plays before looping, influencing groove and layering. In computing and real-time systems, a predictable loopduur is crucial for stability and determinism; variability (jitter) can degrade performance. In animation and games, a fixed loopduur aligned with the frame rate (for example, about 16.67 ms for 60 Hz) supports smooth visuals.

Factors affecting loopduur include processing load, input/output delays, memory management, and scheduling on multi-core systems. If the loopduur becomes too long, lag or stuttering can occur; if it is too short, useful work may be omitted or CPU time wasted. Loopduur is a fundamental concept for timing and synchronization across repetitive processes.