2HP Snare (2010s)

A snare driven by a single knob and a volt of control voltage. It cracks, snaps and snarls.

Overview

You patch in a trigger and twist the Snap knob. The 2HP Snare doesn't copy a drum kit. It gives you a short blip, a metallic rattle, a deep 909 thwack or a resonant wash that lingers like smoke. It has two horizontal knobs on a sliver of aluminum, and it does more with less than almost any other drum module in Eurorack. It is just 2HP wide.

The Snare won't be boxed in. It isn't trying to be a sampled acoustic kit, and it doesn't lean on overprocessed digital tricks. It's an analog voice that sounds both familiar and alien. Turn Snap all the way down and you get a tight, almost electronic tick, good for glitchy IDM rhythms. Crank it up and the tone opens into a bright, snappy crack that can cut through any mix. Modulation is where it gets interesting. It has full CV control over both pitch and envelope parameters. You can also sequence it melodically via 1V/Oct tracking, which gives you chromatic rolls or stuttering rhythmic glissandos. It's percussive, but it's also musical in a way few dedicated drum modules manage.

Despite its size, the Snare doesn't feel like a compromise. Nothing was cut from the sound to save panel space. There's no menu diving, no hidden modes and no firmware updates. You get two knobs, three jacks and a sound engine that punches far above its weight.

Specifications

Manufacturer	2HP
Production Years	2010s
Original Price	$139
Width	2HP
Depth	45mm
Power	+12V: 75mA, -12V: 3mA, 5V: 0mA
Inputs	Trigger, 1V/Oct, Snap CV, Decay CV
Outputs	Snare
Control Interface	Rotary knob (Snap), Rotary knob (Decay)
Color Options	Silver, Black
Material	Aluminum panel
Mounting	Standard Eurorack 3U

Key Features

The Snap Knob That Does Everything

The Snap knob does double, maybe triple duty. On the surface it controls the "tightness" or "brightness" of the snare tone, but in practice it shapes the whole sound. Turn it low and the attack is sharp and dry, like a finger snap recorded in a closet. Push it higher and the tone blooms into something more resonant, with a metallic ring like a tightly tuned drum or a distorted noise burst. The module uses analog synthesis to generate the snare, so the knob isn't filtering a sample. It alters the behavior of the sound-generating circuit itself. That means the change isn't linear or predictable. It's organic and slightly unstable. Snap also has a CV input, so you can modulate the change in real time, with an LFO to make the snare "breathe" or with a sequencer to shift its timbre on each hit.

1V/Oct Tracking: A Melodic Percussionist

Most drum modules treat pitch as an afterthought, if they have it at all. The 2HP Snare has proper 1V/Oct tracking, so it can play discrete notes across a range and turn a static hit into a tunable event. That allows a snare roll that ascends chromatically, or a breakbeat where each snare hit lands on a different note of a minor scale. It won't track like a precision oscillator, and there's some wavering at the extremes. Within a usable range it's very musical. Pitch affects the fundamental tone, the resonance and the decay behavior, so every note sounds distinct and not just higher or lower.

Minimalist by Design, Maximalist in Practice

The physical design is efficient: two knobs, three inputs, one output, all on a 2HP panel. There are no buttons, no displays and no hidden functions. Still, it can produce a huge range of sounds, because the simple controls interact. The Decay knob doesn't just lengthen the tail. It changes how the Snap parameter behaves. A long decay with low snap gives you a soft, ambient thud. The same decay with high snap turns into a ringing metallic decay that could pass for a cymbal. Patch random voltages to either CV input and the module starts generating evolving textures that feel more like granular synthesis than percussion.

Historical Context

The 2HP Snare arrived during the early explosion of Eurorack modular synthesis in the 2010s, when the format was shifting from boutique curiosity to mainstream adoption. Most drum modules then were either bulky, sample-based units or overly complex digital engines. 2HP, founded by engineer and designer Tony Rolando, took the opposite approach and made something small, affordable and sonically distinct. The Snare, along with its siblings Kick and Hat, formed a trilogy of ultra-compact drum modules.

It wasn't the first analog drum voice in Eurorack, but it was one of the first to embrace minimalism. Competitors were adding screens, multiple waveforms and onboard sequencers. 2HP stripped everything back to the essentials. The module saved space and it appealed to minimalists, experimentalists and anyone tired of bloated interfaces. In a market increasingly dominated by feature-rich modules, the Snare did less, with more character.

Its closest competitors at the time were modules like the Doepfer A-110-3 Percussion Oscillator or the Make Noise Mimeophon (in spring mode). Neither offered the same combination of tracking, CV control and compactness. The Snare is not a full drum machine and not a sound designer's playground. It's a focused tool.

Collectibility & Value

The 2HP Snare has held its value well, considering its original $139 price and simple construction. New units still sell for around $130-$150, while used ones typically go for $90-$120 depending on condition. It has an all-metal build and no moving parts beyond the potentiometers, so it's durable. Failures are rare, but not unheard of. The most common issue reported by technicians is crackling in the knobs, usually from dust or wear in the potentiometers. The module uses standard Alps-style pots, so replacements are straightforward, but cleaning them with contact cleaner often fixes the problem without disassembly.

There are no known design flaws or systemic failures. No cold solder joints, no failing ICs, no power-related quirks. The module draws minimal current and doesn't generate much heat. It doesn't use the +5V rail, so it also works with older or non-standard power supplies that lack that voltage.

For collectors, the Snare isn't a "holy grail" the way a vintage Roland drum machine might be, but it's considered a modern classic. It proved that small modules could be sonically powerful, and it paved the way for an entire generation of 1HP and 2HP utilities and sound sources. The black and silver panel options are functionally identical, though some users prefer the stealth look of the black version. Neither is significantly rarer than the other.

If you're buying used, check for bent mounting ears and test both CV inputs for smooth response. Patch in a sequencer to verify 1V/Oct tracking across a few octaves. Some units may drift at the extremes, but consistent semitone steps should be clear. Also listen for background noise or hum, which could indicate a grounding issue, though this is uncommon.