Modello Portatile 1

Modular synthesizer exploring spatialization through polyphonic voice allocation

Ever since we started creating our own instruments, it’s been increasingly important for us to create portable setups that not only give us a lot of sonic possibilities, but also allow us to play our music anywhere. Our Modello Portatile 1 is very much in that world.

Part of the inspiration for this creation, was a residency we had at EMS in Stockholm. We had the chance to work with many superstar synths, like a large Serge and Buchla systems. Leaving we thought it was quite sad that these types of instruments have to be stuck in the studio, and so we started slowly working on plans for a kind of portable synthesizer studio. We wanted something that could feel as limitless and characteristic as those instruments at EMS, but would also be reliable and flexible enough for a live performance, and portable enough to travel with.

We’re not sure whether or not we succeeded with that goal, but we’re happy to have a relatively portable set of eleven modules, which we can mix and match to create vast polyphonic sound scapes. The centrepiece of the set up is a digital module which does unusual polyphonic voice allocation, giving the chance for sequences to move throughout space.

The name Modello Portatile 1 (MP1) is a nod to Italian Olivetti tradition.

In detail, the ecosystem consists of five identical synthesizer voices split into ten individual modules. Each voice consists of two oscillators, an envelope, a filter, a voltage controlled amplifier, a mixer, and a delay.

Technical development and construction of the synthesizer was completed during our residency at CYENS Thinker Maker Space in Nicosia, Cyprus.