My Most Controversial Keyboard Review Ever? MODX M7 Follow-up

When I first picked up the Yamaha MODX M7, my goal was simple:
Find a lightweight, gig-ready board that didn’t require me to haul 50+ pounds across parking lots.

But after posting my first video about it, the response from musicians was overwhelming and extremely helpful. Players chimed in with real concerns about key action, headphone output, workflow, sound, and what a gigging keyboard actually needs to do well.

So I took the MODX M7 out to several shows  and put it through its paces. What follows are my honest findings after multiple hours of real-world use.

🎹 What the MODX M7 Does Really Well

• The Weight and Portability are Game-Changing
  At 17 lbs, this thing is a dream. You don’t appreciate it until you’re loading out at midnight.
• The Sounds Are Fantastic, Versatile, and Gave Me A Lot of What I Loved in the Motif XF.
  The CFX and S700 pianos hold up extremely well in a mix. The pads and synth textures are lush. FM sounds are classic Yamaha — glassy and playable.
• Performance Controls Matter More Than Expected
  After using the M7 in real gigs, I can say this:
  Layering, splits, and effects hold up without stealing voices, even in busy arrangements. I only had one issue to address with polyphony.
• Scenes = Massive Workflow Wins
  Switching sections instantly while playing live is incredibly helpful. No glitching, no dropouts. Easy.

😐 What’s “Just Okay” (Not Amazing, Not Bad)

• The Semi-Weighted Keybed
  This was the one of the most controversial topic in the comments from the last video.
  
  Here’s the truth after gig use:
  It’s playable,
  It’s consistent,
  But it’s not luxurious.
  
  If you’re used to Yamaha’s graded hammer boards or higher-end controllers, this will feel lighter and a bit more like plastic.
  
  For organ/synth players, it’s should serve you well.
  For piano-heavy players, it’s… fine. Not great, not terrible.
• The Workflow Takes Some Getting Used To
  The board is powerful, but you need time to set it up your way.
  Once you’re past the learning curve, it becomes much smoother.
  If you have history working with the Motif, Montage, or any of the other variations of these boards, the structure will be different, but familiar, and you can probably get up and running fairly quickly.

👎 What I Still Don’t Love (and Why)

• The Audio Output Is Quieter than I Want
  Multiple commenters mentioned this, and after playing some gigs... I think they’re right.
  
  If you rely heavily on headphone monitoring or in-ears, you may want to consider
  • a headphone amp, or
  • to run it through a mixer instead of directly monitoring.
• The Power Supply
  Yamaha still chooses to use a power adapter for this kind of keyboard (brick).
  At home, this is not a problem, but for musicians playing gigs, this can eventually become a problem.
  • Brick placement on stage so that the wires do not get damaged.
  • Replacements are somewhat expensive.

📝 An additional note about last week's video:

While many comments we received from last weeks video were inspired, helpful, or thankful in nature, many talking about MODX M features and previous experiences with heavy equipment at gigs, some individuals chose to degrade and attack either Yamaha, other commenters, or me personally.

While we feel that these commenters had the right to say what they chose to say, but at the same time, we choose to keep this group, Danny Robertson Music, as a place of support and encouragement... and those comments have been removed.

Please treat each other kindly.

🎤 Final Verdict After Two Weeks of Real Use of the MODX M7

The MODX M7 isn’t trying to be a premium studio monster.
It’s built for gigging musicians who want light weight, great sounds, good workflow, and strong performance features ... without spending a fortune.

And for that purpose?

It’s absolutely worth it.

Not perfect.
But extremely capable.
And very gig-friendly.

If you're a working musician looking for a reliable board that can actually survive the real world, this one should be on your radar. 

Best of Luck!