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Chris’s Simple 3-Step Way to Enjoy the MODX M Keyboards (Especially for Genos & PSR-SX Players)

Apr 01, 2026
4 min read

There’s a moment I see quite often in the showroom.

Someone sits down at a Yamaha MODX M for the first time… and you can almost feel the hesitation. Not because they don’t like it, but because there’s clearly a lot going on. Buttons, options, depth. It doesn’t immediately invite you in the same way something like a Yamaha Genos might.

Over time, I’ve found myself coming back to a really simple 3-step way of getting people into it. No manuals, no deep diving, just a straightforward way to start enjoying what the keyboard can do almosst straight away.

You can see exactly what I mean in the video below.


Step 1: Start with a Live Set

Think of a Live Set as a starting point rather than something you need to build.

It’s not just a single sound. It’s more like a musical idea ready to go. Almost like a buffet of what the keyboard can do, all laid out in front of you.

You don’t need to understand how it’s been put together. You just pick one and start playing.


Step 2: Use the Super Knob

This is where things really start to open up.

Right there on the front panel is the Super Knob. Big, obvious, and inviting you to try it.

As you turn it, the sound begins to evolve. Filters open up, textures shift, and suddenly what you’re playing feels more alive.

And the interesting part is that it behaves differently depending on the Live Set you’ve chosen.

So you’re not just controlling the sound. You’re discovering it.

This is usually the moment where people smile.


Step 3: Press the Scene Buttons

Then we take it one step further.

The Scene buttons give you instant variations of what you’re already playing. Different layers, different moods, different directions.

You press one and the sound shifts. Press another and it takes you somewhere else entirely.

No effort, no setup. Just exploration.


Where It All Comes Together

I remember one customer in particular.

He’d been looking at arranger keyboards, but felt like they might box him in a bit. Too structured. Too polished. He didn’t want introductions and endings. He just wanted to sit down, play a few notes, and see where it took him.

So I showed him this exact approach.

We kept the playing really simple. Just a few notes, maybe a held chord. Nothing clever.

Then we added the Super Knob. Then the Scenes.

And you could see it straight away.

That slightly cautious look turned into a smile. Then a bit of laughter. That moment of “I didn’t expect that… but I love it.”

Because what the MODX M does so well is meet you halfway.

Even if your playing is very simple, it responds. It fills the room. It can sound cinematic without you really trying. And more than that, it nudges you into ideas you might not have gone looking for yourself.

He ended up ordering a Yamaha MODX M7 there and then.

Featured in this article


You Don’t Need to Know Everything

There’s a lot more inside these keyboards. Sequencing, sound design, deeper editing.

But you don’t need any of that to get started.

If you stick to:

You can sit down from scratch and just play.

And not just play, but enjoy it.


Thinking About an Upgrade?

If this has sparked something and you’re wondering what it would cost to move over to a MODX M, we can help.

We offer part exchange across the UK mainland, and we handle both delivery and collection with our own team.

Just enter your details in the form below and our team will be in touch with a personalised upgrade quotation.

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Chris Hammond
Chris Hammond
Manager at ePianos
Chris handles all of our ePianos marketing, and is responsible for the creation and production of the majority of our product videos. Chris is also one of our top blog writers, having extensive knowledge of keyboard instruments, years of experience in musical instrument retail, and a background in live performance and composition.
chrisonpiano
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