BOSS HC-2 Hand Clapper

Back in 1984, this little Boss unit nailed one of the crispest analog hand claps ever, sharing the exact BA662 IC chip from the legendary TR-808 and TR-909 for that unmistakable retro snap with extra character.

It's a compact micro pedal at 94 x 136 x 64 mm and 460g, running on internal batteries for easy portability, with a built-in striking pad or 1/4" TRS trigger input to fire off monophonic claps via velocity sensitivity. Three simple knobs let you dial in: Sensitivity for responsive pad or trigger feel, Dry to tune the bright, crispy tone color, and Hall for lush reverb depth. A 1/4" mono out sends your claps straight to a drum machine like the TR-606, which it pairs perfectly with, plus a filter adds analog warmth to the noise-based synthesis.

Owners love its clean, bright sound that cuts through mixes without digital harshness, calling it a cheap, reliable fix for missing claps in vintage setups—though some note it's strictly one-sound focused, no frills beyond that pure '80s vibe.