How did Morton Subotnik use the Buchla synthesizer in Silver Apples of the Moon?

Morton Subotnik used the Buchla synthesizer to create his landmark electronic composition Silver Apples of the Moon (1967).12

Unlike synthesizers that utilized traditional piano-style keyboards, the Buchla instrument featured touch-sensitive metal plates. This interface allowed Subotnik to move beyond the constraints of conventional musical performance, enabling him to configure and "patch" the instrument's electronic components—such as oscillators, filters, and amplifiers—to design entirely original timbres and sound patterns.32

By utilizing this analog technology, Subotnik was able to produce a series of extended electronic works that demonstrated the unique sonic possibilities of the Buchla system in a relatively unmodified form. His work with the instrument is widely recognized for its role in establishing the synthesizer as a tool for original composition rather than merely a device for imitating acoustic instruments.13