Moog kept the keyboard for accessibility while Buchla rejected it for new interface controls

Robert Moog (East Coast) and Don Buchla (West Coast) both built new electronic instruments in the 1960s, and although there were differences under the hood, the main distinction was the user interface. Buchla believed new sounds demanded new interface controls and avoided the traditional piano keyboard; Moog adhered to the existing keyboard paradigm, which made his instruments immediately accessible to keyboard players who already had a playable skill-set and helps explain their commercial success. This choice seeded the lasting West Coast / East Coast split between keyboard-driven subtractive synths and controller-driven experimental systems.

Examples

A Moog with a piano keyboard adopted broadly by trained keyboardists; a Buchla with touch plates and no keyboard staying in experimental circles.

Assessment

Describe the core interface difference between Moog and Buchla and how it shaped each instrument’s adoption.