Introducing the Yamaha PSR-SX920: The ‘Mini Genos 2’ Arranger Keyboard

In 2019, Yamaha unveiled the PSR-SX900, affectionately dubbed the ‘Mini Genos’ by enthusiasts. This keyboard captured much of the magic of the original Genos workstation but in a more compact and portable form—and at a significantly reduced price point.

Fast forward to 2023, and Yamaha has once again raised the bar with the release of the eagerly anticipated Genos 2, a flagship arranger keyboard that has set new standards with its cutting-edge technology and user-friendly operating system.

Now, the PSR-SX series joins the Genos 2 era with the launch of the PSR-SX920.

Think of it as the ‘Mini Genos 2’—bringing the revolutionary features of Genos 2 into a more accessible package.

In this blog, we’ll delve into how the Yamaha PSR-SX920 has been significantly upgraded from its predecessor, the SX900, to join the Genos 2 keyboard revolution.

If you’re keen to see the PSR-SX920 in action, I highly recommend watching our detailed review and demo video below.

Featured in this article

Yamaha PSR-SX920 Keyboard Arranger Workstation

£1,699 – £1,999Price range: £1,699 through £1,999

A Quantum Leap in Sound Quality

One of the most striking enhancements in the PSR-SX920 is the substantial upgrade in its voices. Following in the footsteps of the Genos 2, the PSR-SX920 comes preloaded with professional-quality Super Articulation 2 voices.

These are highly realistic instruments imbued with nuance and dynamic articulations, making them sound more authentic than ever before.

The PSR-SX920 boasts an additional 250 voices compared to the SX900. But it’s not just about quantity—it’s about quality. With the Genos 2-inspired Super Articulation 2 voices, you’ll feel like you’re playing a keyboard that stands among the best.

Introducing Super Articulation+ PLUS

Building upon the innovations of the SX900, which itself expanded on features the original Genos didn’t initially have, the PSR-SX920 introduces a brand-new type of voice called Super Articulation+ PLUS.

With Super Articulation+, Yamaha has upgraded a selection of voices to professional quality with two articulation controls, which you can conveniently manage using the articulation buttons or a pedal.

This overhaul elevates the PSR-SX920 into the upper echelons of flagship arranger keyboards like the Genos 2.

Enhanced Styles and Realism

Many of these new voices are integrated into the makeup of the new styles on the PSR-SX920, of which there are over 100 more than on the SX900. As you’d expect, there’s a significant influx from the Genos 2.

Even your existing favourite styles, if you’re familiar with the SX900 or Genos, will sound refreshed and more lifelike as the PSR-SX920 utilises its new voice technologies in the styles.

Style Dynamics: Control Your Band

Another ingenious feature from the Genos 2 making its way to the PSR-SX920 is Style Dynamics. But what does Style Dynamics mean?

Essentially, it allows you to conduct your accompanying band more effectively.

Imagine performing with a group and being able to signal, “Right, let’s take it down,” and all the band members respond by playing a little more softly—or ramping it up for a grand finale.

You can control your band’s dynamics with one of the assignable knobs, making it easy to lower the volume mid-performance to address your audience or crank it up for that extra chorus to get the crowd singing along.

Style Insertion Effects: Personalise Your Sound

The PSR-SX920 goes to great lengths to provide tools that make your performance—and your keyboard—sound unique. One way to differentiate your accompaniment styles from others is by using Style Insertion Effects.

Style Insertion Effects allow you to alter the character of your accompaniment styles to sound exactly how you want them to.

With the new Style Creator Insertion Effect Bypass, you can delve into each element of your style—the drums, guitar, keyboards, etc.—and add effects to each individual instrument.

When used thoughtfully (and perhaps after some enjoyable hours of tweaking), these effects can really make your styles pop and come to life.

The SX-920 offers double the amount of insertion effects compared to its predecessor, the SX900, providing even more flexibility to be creative with your sounds.

Hardware Upgrades and User Interface Improvements

Significant hardware upgrades accompany these software enhancements.

The PSR-SX920 comes with approximately double the expansion memory onboard. If you’re saving lots of content to your keyboard, it’s reassuring to know there’s plenty of room for downloading and storing your favourite expansion packs.

There are now two additional assignable buttons located on the left near the joystick control. Furthermore, the entire physical user interface, particularly in the style control sections, has been updated.

The buttons have been lightened to a pleasing grey, based on user feedback, making them easier to see in darker environments.

Crossfade Portamento: Customise Your Sounds

Another sophisticated feature for customising your keyboard’s sounds is Crossfade Portamento.

In layman’s terms, this allows you to tweak instruments that have a glide or curve up to the note they’re playing—think of Acker Bilk’s clarinet in Stranger on the Shore or electronic synth lead sounds.

You can adjust the curve to make it faster or slower, creating a real, lazy New Orleans-style clarinet or saxophone.

It’s yet another way to put more creative options at your fingertips and develop your own signature sounds.

Additional Features for Enhanced Flexibility

Yamaha consistently pays attention to the needs of its community of keyboard players, and the PSR-SX920 includes several user-requested improvements:

• Mid-Song Time Signature Changes: You can now change time signatures mid-song using a style, adding flexibility to your performances.
• Instant Style Variation Changes: Switch between A, B, C, D variations instantly without waiting until the end of the bar.
• Enhanced Touchscreen Interface: The user interface on the touchscreen has been adjusted for better visibility in darker environments, with the Voice Edit screen now predominantly blue and black for improved contrast.
• Alphabetical Song Sorting in Playlists: In the Playlist section, you now have the ability to sort your song titles alphabetically—a feature long requested by PSR-SX keyboard players.
• MIDI Settings Saved in Registrations: Organists who use MIDI bass pedals will appreciate the ability to save MIDI settings into a Registration, eliminating the need to reassign bass sounds each time you power on.
• Smart Chord Feature: This feature assists less experienced players by allowing you to use a single finger to control the backing bands in your chosen style. It uses AI to play appropriate chords for you, so you can enjoy authentic-sounding accompaniments without needing advanced chord knowledge.
• Emergency Reset to Normal Button: A handy ‘Reset to Normal’ button is available on the Direct Access tab, effectively resetting your keyboard to factory settings without deleting important data.
• Interactive Demo Mode: When you press the Demo button, you can now pause the demo to see what voices or styles are being used. The loaded voice will be live, so you can even play along if you’re adept at playing by ear.

Conclusion

The launch of the Yamaha PSR-SX920 heralds an exciting new era for the superb PSR-SX series of keyboards.

With its array of new features, enhanced voices, and user-friendly improvements, it brings the revolutionary capabilities of the Genos 2 into a more accessible and portable format.

There’s so much more to explore on the new Yamaha PSR-SX920.

We’ll be sharing numerous demonstration videos, reviews, tips, and tricks in the coming weeks.

Be sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel and visit ePianosTV for exclusive videos on the latest digital pianos and keyboards, as well as some classic models.

Happy playing!

Sign up to our Newsletter

Enter your email address below to receive our free weekly newsletter containing the latest piano, keyboard and organ demonstration videos, breaking news, special offers, invitations to our live video events, technical support articles and much more.

Leave this field empty if you're human:

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.

sales@epianos.co.uk chrisonpiano