Despite their name, most sound modules do not produce any audible sound until their output is plugged into a keyboard amplifier or a PA system. Small sound modules are mostly 1U in height, the larger models a multiplication e.g. The height of a sound module is often described in rack units ('U') or unit. Sound modules are often rack-mountable, but might also have a table-top form factor, particularly when the intended user is a DJ or record producer.

Connections between sound modules, controllers, and sequencers are generally made with MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interface), which is a standardized protocol designed for this purpose, which includes special ports (jacks) and cables.

Another common way of controlling a sound module is through a sequencer, which is computer hardware or software designed to record and playback control information for sound-generating hardware (e.g., a DJ may program a bassline and use the sound module to produce the sound). Controllers are devices that provide the human-playable interface and which may or may not produce sounds of their own. Sound modules have to be operated using an externally connected device, which is often a MIDI controller, of which the most common type is the musical keyboard (although wind controllers, guitar controllers and electronic drum pads are also used). A sound module is an electronic musical instrument without a human-playable interface such as a piano-style musical keyboard.

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