Best Budget MIDI Keyboard 2015: Nektar Impact LX Series

[@eafortson]

This is easily the best review of the Nektar LX61 and honestly, one of the most comprehensive reviews I've seen from someone who is not a representative of the company. Great job, and thanks for the info.

[@ceounicom]

Its funny that there are so few reviews that actually use all the features and show their utility versus the others. most of the time people read off a spec sheet. you actually seem like you learned its value though use. Good job. I actually ended up buying a Nektar LX+ controller because of this.

[@iamyourfuture808]

these guys do the most thorough and easy to understand reviews on youtube !

[@maxrivera9825]

By far, the best review. I needed to know about the volume when moving the faders and It was here. Thanks a lot.

[@ceounicom]

also: just my .02 on the controller... ...the things that i think sell it well are the quality of the keys and pads, the *useability* of the mapped controls/menu/transport options, which is huge, and the just solid build quality and very intuitive layout of all the features. Other controllers have all these same things in different places and different levels of quality, but you never really grasp where the quality *matters* until you use these things for a while. Ultimately, what you will use the most are the keys, the pads, and the transport. Most controllers don't get all 3 of those things balanced well; they might be strong in 2 areas, but weak (or missing) on the third. Nektar nails it on their layout and the quality. The only complaint is the lack of formal Ableton integration. BUT! they do offer their own unoffical map, and it works fine, all you need to do is a little extra customization to make it perfectly fluid in your workflow. It isn't hard at all, but it is annoying that Ableton doesn't give them the sort of access that all the other DAW people have.

[@Thmusic7]

Can't wait! I ordered mine on eBay and its on the way. I purchased the 88 key. Thanks for this vid. Very simple without a lot of rambling, and fumbling. You obviously did your homework. Some people don't and take up a lot of air time. Thanks for completely understanding and making it simple for us to understand. Cheers

[@notsogood9449]

+David Grant So... how do you like the Nektar Impact LX?

[@Thmusic7]

Its very nice. Still trying to get used to it. So much to learn. I haven't figured why the knobs and faders work for some their party plugins and not others. I follow the instructions and press command L to activate the learn feature, and it work flawlessly on Native instruments. But not on any of Spectrasonics products. Next it tells me to set my Keyboard to 000 on the set up page, but i have to set it to 001. Finally, the other issue is that when I go back to rework some of the parameters I have set, they don't work right away, or I'll have to reset it all over again. Other than that, this is a nice Keyboard. Any Advice?

[@MrSlimfinger]

+David Grant Hey David. I've looked at various 88-key keyboards and I'm very intrigued by this one. Two things I'm wondering about though, maybe you could help me out? How does the keys feel, is the action good etc, and do you miss having aftertouch? Thanks!

[@Thmusic7]

The keys are absolutely wonderful. They have a real glossy feel to them, almost like a piano. You can tell that they aren’t cheap plastic keys. I love that they aren’t too springy. And no I don’t really miss having after touch. But that’s because i use a lot of Key-switching as well as the mod wheel.

[@exionem]

+David Grant Hey David, I'm thinking about biting the bullet on the 61 key version. How has it been working ? I read online that the major weakness of this keyboard are the keys , which seem flimsy. Would love some feedback. Thanks

[@TheAardvarkguy]

Thank you👍😎 That was genuinely the most useful review I have seen in a very long time. Keep going. Your work is appreciated. All I have to do now is order one👍

[@AlbertoDelacruz92]

Guys as long as your midi keyboard has knobs and and pads you can use logic to controll all of these things! A specific midi keyboard is not needed

[@jamisbillson4872]

Brilliant video. Thank you. It's only simple if you know how and I don't know how. But I'm a little less simple now!!

[@gustykincaid9701]

Excellent review, very clearly explained, helping steer me to purchasing this keyboard. One negative: PLEASE erase the annoying noise track (burbling gyrations), as it obfuscates intelligibility of your voice. That idiotic drivel adds nothing to the review, and is apparently disconnected from the controls you are demonstrating.

[@nikomedia]

Thank you very much for this helpful review. I've just ordered the LX88.

[@BLMeredith87]

Very informative review, I'm now convinced I need this controller!! :)

[@osanan]

Awesome! The best review I've seen so far!

[@johnnymorell4974]

As others have said, great review. It's helpful to see the unit in action and I'm impressed with it, so far. Thank you for your video and I'll be back to check your other content. Subscribed!

[@ronnieduignan]

Greetings from Ireland! Great video, very helpful, thanks a million

[@DopamineOverload]

Absolutely agree. Killer controller!

[@KenNickels]

Thanks for the review! I'll check it out. (could have done without that "music" you were trying to talk over ... ) Why?

[@ravenshadevox]

straight forward and to the point! cheers!

[@ayonsgupta]

please review the key quality and playability of the LX and LX+ series

[@franciso6018]

Is this still a good keyboard in 2020 compared to newer ones?

[@danielv3510]

How is the velocity sensitivity for them? Are they very dynamic?

[@neeratron]

Hey guys..really helpful videoo.. can you tell me which one i should buy amonth these 3 products? 1> Nektar Impact LX 49 2> M AUDIO OXYGEN 49TH 4TH GENERATION 3> Novation Launchkey 49 also, if it goes out of order ..which of these will be the easiest to repair?

[@RashidAslanL]

+neerajan saha which one did you get? I also thinking between nektar and m audio

[@StefanConstantinDumitrache]

+Rashid Aslanlı I suppose you made your purchase by now, but I just want to say that Nektar grants you two programs as bundled software, Studio One Artist 3.2 and Btwig 8-track. And my experience with an M-Audio keyboard I had in the past was not that good on software side, because I could not activate it, so I had to use the keyboard with other programs.

[@siumoiseofficial9889]

Good job

[@richieconwaymusic]

Wow that's awesome!! How does it compare to panorama? Are they pretty close?

[@tomasshannon6537]

Awesome! Thanks for the review. I was wondering. Can the knobs and the pads be re-mappable to anything within Logic? Could I program the knobs to control (for example) specific reverb, distortion, filter parameters, etc. on any specific instrument? Thanks!

[@User-pq2yn]

what is the difference between LX and LX+ models?

[@LeobertJarina]

great review... how about the keys? can you tell me if they're good?

[@AmatullahK]

Does it work with latest Ableton Live?

[@Jaankari]

Hi, what about the keys? Are they noisy? I'm confused between m-audio keystation 88, AKAI MPK61 and this one. I'm beginner, and I need a good keybed. Any suggestion?

[@Jaankari]

***** Thanks a ton! Will order an LX88.

[@juancho661]

Does it come with an integrated arpegiator? Or can one assign a knob to that parameter? Or how would it work? Also can you do an orchestral Tutorial to see how the keys respond? I read in one review that the black keys are slightly more sensitive then the one ones. I dont know if that is true.

[@quantaaudio]

+juancho661 It doesn't come with an integrated arpeggiator. You can, however, assign the knobs/faders to most any parameters in your DAW. You'd need to have an arpeggiator to control, in your DAW or VST instrument though.

[@rahulnarayan0315]

Sir will you suggest Nektar Impact LX25+ 25-key MIDI Controller Keyboard or novation launchkey mini mk2??? can u please do a tutorial of Nektar Impact LX25+ 25-key MIDI Controller Keyboard integration with fl studio???

[@jarjar2112]

Hey! Did you have to have any problems with the knobs controlling the synths? Everything works fine on mine except that.

[@greenisgreener]

Can't decide between Nektar Impact lX61 and Novation Launchkey 61. And suggestions?

[@phalkek]

Can I play fast runs like strings or accordion on this MIDI keyboard? I mean is the keyboard keys soft to play

[@MrSheshanth]

i'm planing to get a midi controller with hyper controller my choices are 1.novation impulse 61 keys 2.nektar impact lx88 wat would u suggest ?

[@chasejohnson3060]

Currently trying to decide between the Nektar LX49 and the Novation mii SL49. I have a chance to get either one for 100. Which is the better deal?

[@bigboyvit]

Does it transpose keys?

[@louispatrick421]

GREAT REVIEW!!! Thanks for this!!

[@camelCased]

Difficult choice between lx25+ and arturia minilab mk2. Minilab seems to have higher quality keys; at least in Amazon reviews nobody has complained about minilab keys while there are some complaints about lx25+ keys being too soft or too hard or loose etc. - the same as Philo Beddoe critics in the comments somewhere below here. Also, some people report that after a few months of use pitch wheel and parameter controllers wear out and so their values start jumping all over the place. I like the idea of lots of controls on lx - I hope to be able to do step recording of midi tracks and listening to the result without touching mouse. I think it should be doable with transport buttons and some buttons mapped to back/forward actions for midi track. But if arturia minilab mk2 has better keys (although mini), then I'd prefer that ... Still not sure.

[@premnath5749]

Thanks for this. A few questions if you don't mind. 1. Will this device and its drivers work well with Yosemite on an older machine (mine is a late 2009 iMac). 2. Worst case can I run it without the Nektar software and do my own assignments. 3. Will it run with the latest logic pro x. Thanks!

[@premnath5749]

Thank you!

[@vishaladhikary]

Which is better-the new Nektar Impact GX49 or M-Audio Keystation 49 and why?

[@vishaladhikary]

thankks a lot sir

[@vishaladhikary]

***** When will the LX+49 be available and what will be the price in India?

[@reubensahae5167]

Hi is it really better than the novation impulse, as that has aftertouch ,transposing of keys, heavier keys i guess and i think more compatibility, in my context, I use pro tools and am seriously debating between novation impulse vs this lx series.Please share your thoughst at the earliest! Humble Regards & Great Job with the review

[@reubensahae5167]

+theinventory Thank you so much for your fast reply, Actually, can you give me your email id, I am actually stuck in a situation in relation to a buying decision,I wouldnt tak emouch of your time, Juts need to know a few things. Sincere Regards!!

[@reubensahae5167]

If you had to recommend a semi weighted key midi keyboard with aftertouch, like the best budget one which one would you

[@thefirstmillionpodcast]

I own the same keyboard and have connected it with logic pro x. Everything works perfectly except the fact that i am unable to tweak parameters within an instrument. Again the inst button works perfectly fine but the knobs and the faders do nothing after that. Could someone help me out here? i am sure there is some settings i have missed

[@masterprimal]

+Samraat malhotra Don't know about logic as I use FL. But in any DAW you can use MIDI learn feature even within the plugin. Give a few minutes in assigning the controls then save it as template or instrument state. Peace :)

[@TheDJEDS]

nice review.. but do u think it's works better than Korg control 49?

[@1slowstar]

+Ed's lah_rabia , my opinion that almost EVERYTHING is better than Kc 49...

[@TheDJEDS]

1slowstar i actually ended up buying it. but, yeah, i'll take ya word, i guess u've tried both.

[@anonymousak6716]

Hey, I am really looking forward to buying this now after seeing your video. I just have one question. I'm really big on live music, I currently have a midi controller and I am looking to buy something more advanced. Can I rig this midi controller to speakers for live performances?

[@quantaaudio]

+Daniel Amaechi You'd still need to hook your speakers up to a computer as this keyboard only produces MIDI and not audio. Hope this helps...

[@zachs9979]

are these keys weighted like a piano or unweighted like a synth?

[@reznorms81]

+Zach Smith lx49-lx61 Keys models have synth action keys, the lx88 is semi weighted.

[@zachs9979]

Ok thanks!

[@imBQL]

how do I map external audiounits

[@glooring7039]

What about Nektar Impact iX Series?

[@ABINDIA1]

Its work with Native Instruments Complete 9 Ultimate?

[@ABINDIA1]

please Answer

[@Thmusic7]

Can you map the faders beyond the first 8 channels?

[@shanekilleenoreilly3265]

i have a question too if you dont mind, are you able to map the knobs beyond their first 8 parameters? :)

[@challengeme8907]

Which Software do you use?

[@StefanConstantinDumitrache]

+ChallengeMe! Logic 1:28

[@williammangus5526]

I’ve read that this thing isn’t very reliable. It has connectivity issues in other words. That’s my only fear of buying. I have the Akai Mini II WELL just bought it to get back in the groove. Might get this but not sold yet....anyone else have it?

[@PaulGuthikonda]

Does the new lx+ range work with Ableton live ?

[@ceounicom]

Yes, they offer their own map for their controllers here. Check the link for the features: www.nektartech.com/s.nl/ctype.KB/it.I/id.2429/KB.746/.f I've been using LX+ controllers for a few months with ableton and it gets 90% of the needed functionality right out of the gate. its just a few plug-ins and Max4Live aspects that you might find yourself needing to custom map things for.

[@cheli1999]

this is a studio one software or bidwid software

[@williammangus5526]

You have to do a review without the music man

[@Paradroidx]

LOL no love for Ableton LIve huh

[@DanielNistrean]

Why noone cares to do decent 61 key keyboard for piano, why all are crap made for electronic and pop music. As far as I heard, this keyboard have bad weird velocity response and action because of that is not good for more than making beats and chords, but why you will need 61 key keyboard for stuff like that anyway ??? 88 keyboards are too big, I try to find cheap 61 keyboard, I don't care it to be weighted, but I just need to have decent enough for piano practice action to the keys and I FAIL to find one. Anyone help pls ? :)

[@DanielNistrean]

I read on forums that some say, Nektar LX 61 don't act as natural for keyboardists like M-audio Keystation 61 MKII does.. I don't have neither of them in my city to try personally so if you know more than me, you are welcome to share :)

[@DanielNistrean]

Okay. Thanks ! :)

[@TheWelcome7]

The Nord Electro 5 64 keys works great for a variety of classic sounds and can be used with midi and I'm doing research on this and thus so far Nord keyboards are the better

[@StefanConstantinDumitrache]

+The Inventory velocity can be altered on the keyboard itself and probably inside the DAWs too.

[@fingerhorn4]

Sorry to pour rain on the parade, but this is a deeply flawed controller. The ridiculously complicated and very badly explained setups from a woefully appalling manual will leave any person interested in fine control utterly infuriated. Furthermore, nearly all the Impact LX controllers do not have an expression pedal jack, though they constantly imply that it exists in the publicity stuff. It is strictly an on/off sustain pedal jack. I grant that when you eventually get an LX programmed it is reasonably ok. But whoever wrote the pathetic manual should never be let loose on any writing assignment again.