How L.E.P. Organically Built a Boutique Synth Business

L.E.P. began with a synthesizer built inside a wooden wine box.

Called Musichello, that early instrument became the starting point for LepLoop and a boutique operation that has endured for more than a decade. It is a fitting origin for Laboratorio Elettronico Popolare, a Milan-based maker known for analog instruments that encourage exploration, improvisation, and direct interaction.

For this interview, we spoke with Tony, one half of the two-person team behind L.E.P. Tony brings a background in product design to the partnership, while Giovanni provides the technical expertise behind the circuitry. Together, they have turned experimental ideas into distinctive instruments used by musicians around the world.

Their experience offers useful lessons for anyone trying to move from a promising prototype to a product that musicians can actually buy.

Starting with a wooden wine box

Before LepLoop became a finished instrument, it was an idea shared between people from different creative disciplines. That combination of technical knowledge and product design shaped the project from the beginning.

Q: How did LepLoop first begin, and what inspired you to start building your own instruments?

Tony: It all started around 2006 when I met Giovanni through Otolab, an audiovisual artistic collective in Milano, Italy. Giovanni had already developed an early synthesizer prototype housed inside a wooden wine box, which he called "Musichello". Giovanni is the technical mastermind behind the circuitry. On the other hand, I had just graduated from design school in Milan, so this was my very first experience with actual product design. We took his original concept, refined it, and transformed it into the first official LepLoop.

The partnership gave L.E.P. more than two sets of hands. It brought together two different ways of thinking about an instrument. A circuit needs to work reliably, but a product also needs a clear identity and an experience that makes sense to the musician using it.

For small makers, that is an important distinction. Building an exciting prototype and developing a product are related skills, but they are not the same skill.

Turning a prototype into a product

A first prototype proves that an idea can work. Selling that idea introduces a longer list of concerns, including reliability, manufacturing, testing, sourcing, and support.

L.E.P.’s advice begins before any of those details: make sure the central idea is strong.

Q: What advice would you give to someone who has built a few prototypes and is thinking about selling their first instrument?

Tony: The core concept is everything. When we started, we fortunately rode the wave of the massive analog comeback. Beyond having a great idea, my main advice is this: partnering with a highly skilled electronics expert is absolutely essential if you want to turn a rough prototype into a reliable, high-quality commercial product.

This is especially relevant for independent makers, who often have limited time and money for revisions, repairs, and production mistakes.

The answer is not that every founder needs to master every discipline. It is that the business needs access to the right expertise before customers begin relying on the product.

Learning how the market works

The next challenge is less visible. A builder can understand every part of an instrument and still feel unprepared for pricing, inventory, promotion, customer service, and competition.

That transition can be uncomfortable because it asks a maker to protect the creative reason for starting while also making practical business decisions.

Q: What were some of the biggest challenges you faced when you first started making and selling instruments?

Tony: Navigating the market was definitely our steepest learning curve. It is incredibly difficult to transition from a purely DIY, passion-driven mindset into running a sustainable business that can survive and succeed in such a highly competitive industry.

Many small gear companies face the same tension. The work begins with curiosity and experimentation, but sustainability depends on systems that may feel far removed from designing circuits or making music.

That does not mean abandoning the DIY spirit. It means creating enough structure around the work for that spirit to continue.

Making a small operation sustainable

Growth is often treated as the obvious measure of success. L.E.P. chose a different approach: keeping the team small, working from home, and reaching musicians through online communities.

Q: What has made a two-person boutique operation sustainable for more than a decade? What keeps you motivated?

Tony: We intentionally chose to stay small and run the entire business from home. Thanks to the internet and dedicated community hubs like the Matrixsynth blog, we could easily connect with a global audience of gear enthusiasts from anywhere in the world. As for motivation, synths and electronic music still hold that unique magic that can genuinely surprise and inspire people. The only real drawback? We still can’t afford a Ferrari\! ;)

Staying small can be a deliberate operating model, not simply a stage that every company must outgrow. It can keep overhead manageable, shorten the distance between maker and customer, and leave more room for unusual products.

It also makes community especially important. For a boutique manufacturer, the people sharing demos, discussing new instruments, and recommending gear can provide a path to an international audience without the reach of a large distributor or marketing team.

What L.E.P. would do differently

Experience often makes the first year look very different in hindsight. For L.E.P., the biggest opportunities would have been earlier validation, community-backed funding, and better stock planning.

Q: If you were to start all over again today, what would you do during your first year, and what would you deliberately avoid?

Tony: If I started today, I would definitely launch a Kickstarter campaign in the first year to secure funding and validate market demand early on. What I would deliberately avoid is trying to scale up too quickly without a solid, community-backed foundation. Also, having actual stock on hand is crucial. I spent way too much time replying to emails saying, "Sorry, we are out of stock, you'll have to wait a little longer\!"

For a small manufacturer, unavailable stock is more than a logistical problem. It can turn hard-won attention into frustration at the exact moment someone is ready to buy. At the same time, producing too much inventory creates its own risks.

That is why early validation matters. It gives makers a clearer view of demand before they commit limited resources to a larger production run.

For synth makers launching a crowdfunding campaign, using Rackears' product submission form also allows you to link to forthcoming crowdfunding platforms. The campaign tracker can help potential buyers discover prototypes quickly and understand the current production status. That added visibility can turn early interest into a more informed, community-backed audience.

Practical lessons for independent makers

L.E.P.’s experience points to a grounded approach for moving beyond the prototype stage:

1. Protect the core idea. A product needs a clear reason to exist before its features, enclosure, or marketing can do much useful work.
2. Build around complementary skills. Strong electronics and thoughtful product design reinforce each other.
3. Learn the business side early. Pricing, inventory, support, and distribution are part of making the instrument sustainable.
4. Validate demand before scaling. Community feedback and crowdfunding can reduce uncertainty before a larger production commitment.
5. Treat availability as part of the product experience. Interest is valuable only if customers can act on it.
6. Choose the right size for the business. Growth does not have to mean building a large company. A focused operation can be durable when its costs, audience, and ambitions are aligned.

The story of L.E.P. is a reminder that a boutique maker can build a lasting identity without chasing scale for its own sake. Start with a compelling instrument, find collaborators whose skills complement your own, listen closely to the community, and grow at a pace the business can support.

Explore L.E.P.’s instruments and contact the makers through the official Laboratorio Elettronico Popolare website.