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Russolo's machines were fully acoustic mechanical synthesizers. Inside wooden boxes, tensioned strings and drum membranes rubbed against rotating discs (similar to a hurdy-gurdy), amplified by cardboard horns. Russolo developed the first classification of noises, identifying 6 families from roars to whispers.

Unfortunately, the original instruments were destroyed during the war, but blueprints allowed enthusiasts to recreate their harsh sound. The 1914 premiere at the Dal Verme theater turned into a legendary brawl: the audience threw vegetables at the orchestra, and the Futurists, including Russolo and Marinetti, engaged in a physical fight with critics right in the hall — a punk rock riot sixty years before the genre existed.