Anyone have experience with Nektar impact GX and LX series keyboard?

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musichoo
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2016/08/21 10:20:49 (permalink)

Anyone have experience with Nektar impact GX and LX series keyboard?

http://www.nektartech.com/n/index.html
I am considering getting one of this. They have mapping for sonar and other major DAWs.

Sonar Platinum. Win7 64bit. i7 CPU 4770. 14 Gig RAM. Roland A500Pro controller keyboard. Korg Krome 88. M-audio Audiophile 2496 soundcard, Focusrite 18i8, Roland UA25EX. Ivory II, True Piano, Addictive Keys, Synthmaster, Harmor, Zeta +2, Lounge Lizard 4, Geist, Miroslav 2, Sample Tank 3. Kaiser grand piano. Shure KSM137 x2. Wave's Renaissance and Gold. Breeze. ST3. Pianoteq 5. AD2.Aether Reverb, Dune2 , Reason 10 and Komplete 10 Ultimate, Syntronik, O8N2 adv, Studio one 3.5 Pro.
 
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    Rimshot
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    Re: Anyone have experience with Nektar impact GX and LX series keyboard? 2016/08/21 12:44:35 (permalink)
    I have the Nektar Impact LX49.
    Works fine for me. Small footprint, preset integration, and cheap.
    Maybe too cheap. 
    My biggest issues is that there is no after-touch (I was will to give that up after 20 years not really using it) and the keys are noisy (they rattle around a bit).
    When switching between Sonar and S1, I have to reload drivers for each so the keyboard knows what DAW I am using. 
     
    The 88 version has better keys I have read.
     

    Rimshot 

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    #2
    musichoo
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    Re: Anyone have experience with Nektar impact GX and LX series keyboard? 2016/08/22 03:55:20 (permalink)
    Thanks for sharing. Rimshot. I have Splat and Reason 8. So this looks interesting to me.

    Sonar Platinum. Win7 64bit. i7 CPU 4770. 14 Gig RAM. Roland A500Pro controller keyboard. Korg Krome 88. M-audio Audiophile 2496 soundcard, Focusrite 18i8, Roland UA25EX. Ivory II, True Piano, Addictive Keys, Synthmaster, Harmor, Zeta +2, Lounge Lizard 4, Geist, Miroslav 2, Sample Tank 3. Kaiser grand piano. Shure KSM137 x2. Wave's Renaissance and Gold. Breeze. ST3. Pianoteq 5. AD2.Aether Reverb, Dune2 , Reason 10 and Komplete 10 Ultimate, Syntronik, O8N2 adv, Studio one 3.5 Pro.
     
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    #3
    musichoo
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    Re: Anyone have experience with Nektar impact GX and LX series keyboard? 2016/08/25 08:50:02 (permalink)
    Hi Rimshot? How long have you own the LX49? I heard there are older and newer version. Do you know of any difference between them?

    Sonar Platinum. Win7 64bit. i7 CPU 4770. 14 Gig RAM. Roland A500Pro controller keyboard. Korg Krome 88. M-audio Audiophile 2496 soundcard, Focusrite 18i8, Roland UA25EX. Ivory II, True Piano, Addictive Keys, Synthmaster, Harmor, Zeta +2, Lounge Lizard 4, Geist, Miroslav 2, Sample Tank 3. Kaiser grand piano. Shure KSM137 x2. Wave's Renaissance and Gold. Breeze. ST3. Pianoteq 5. AD2.Aether Reverb, Dune2 , Reason 10 and Komplete 10 Ultimate, Syntronik, O8N2 adv, Studio one 3.5 Pro.
     
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    Paul P
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    Re: Anyone have experience with Nektar impact GX and LX series keyboard? 2016/08/25 13:25:23 (permalink)
     
    If it matters, the LX 88 has a midi out connection whereas the other two don't.
    Might be a safeguard against future obsolescence.
     
    (Currently planning on acquiring the LX88 as a Christmas gift to myself come December)
     

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    #5
    Vastman
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    Re: Anyone have experience with Nektar impact GX and LX series keyboard? 2016/08/27 22:12:39 (permalink)
    Get the LX-88... for everything you do it is superior to a smaller keyboard.... keyswitching, layering, splitting (like Omnisphere can do) orchestrals, and yea.... piano.
     
    It is a KILLER deal... best deal on the market!... I don't notice the noise or any problem on my LX... course if u bang on um.... my weighted 88 is way f'n noisier.  amazingly well constructed for the price... go sweetwater...
     
    google vids... a forum member who does awesome orchestrals posted a great vid on the 88

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    #6
    Rimshot
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    Re: Anyone have experience with Nektar impact GX and LX series keyboard? 2016/08/28 00:34:54 (permalink)
    musichoo
    Hi Rimshot? How long have you own the LX49? I heard there are older and newer version. Do you know of any difference between them?



    I have had mine since last December. I don't know if it is the newer or older. 
    http://www.nektartech.com/Impact-LX49

    Rimshot 

    Sonar Platinum 64 (Lifer), Studio One V3.5, Notion 6, Steinberg UR44, Zoom R24, Purrrfect Audio Pro Studio DAW (Case: Silent Mid Tower, Power Supply: 600w quiet, Haswell CPU: i7 4790k @ 4.4GHz (8 threads), RAM: 16GB DDR3/1600 
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    musichoo
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    Re: Anyone have experience with Nektar impact GX and LX series keyboard? 2016/08/30 10:43:05 (permalink)
    I bought the Nektar Impact LX61 older version just a few days ago. The newer version start shipping in July but the features difference are very little. Most important factor is still the drivers. The Impact keyboards are perfect for people who uses multiple daws. I have been able to test it with Splat, Reason 8, Studio One artist and FL10d demo. I am glad I bought it. Thanks for your sharing.

    Sonar Platinum. Win7 64bit. i7 CPU 4770. 14 Gig RAM. Roland A500Pro controller keyboard. Korg Krome 88. M-audio Audiophile 2496 soundcard, Focusrite 18i8, Roland UA25EX. Ivory II, True Piano, Addictive Keys, Synthmaster, Harmor, Zeta +2, Lounge Lizard 4, Geist, Miroslav 2, Sample Tank 3. Kaiser grand piano. Shure KSM137 x2. Wave's Renaissance and Gold. Breeze. ST3. Pianoteq 5. AD2.Aether Reverb, Dune2 , Reason 10 and Komplete 10 Ultimate, Syntronik, O8N2 adv, Studio one 3.5 Pro.
     
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    #8
    parco
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    Re: Anyone have experience with Nektar impact GX and LX series keyboard? 2016/12/22 11:56:21 (permalink)
    So how can I use the transport buttons (play, stop, record, <<, >>, repeat, click, S1, S2, S3, etc......) inside the latest SONAR platinum? it seems like only support SONAR X2 but not the new one.......... 
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    azslow3
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    Re: Anyone have experience with Nektar impact GX and LX series keyboard? 2016/12/23 03:13:02 (permalink)
    parco
    So how can I use the transport buttons (play, stop, record, <<, >>, repeat, click, S1, S2, S3, etc......) inside the latest SONAR platinum? it seems like only support SONAR X2 but not the new one.......... 

    There is no changes in Sonar for that part, it will work with Platinum the same way as with X2.

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    parco
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    Re: Anyone have experience with Nektar impact GX and LX series keyboard? 2016/12/23 06:07:34 (permalink)
    but my GX61 can't control its playback and recording, does anything I still have to setup by my own?
    #11
    azslow3
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    Re: Anyone have experience with Nektar impact GX and LX series keyboard? 2016/12/23 06:23:41 (permalink)
    Have you went throw setup procedure? I mean installed "DAW Integration", enabled MIDI inputs and put Nektar plug-in into Sonar Control Surfaces?
     
    I do not have the device and they do not provide downloads for unregistered users. So I can not really check. My point was simple: if it works for X2 it should work for Platinum.

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    #12
    MoodyB
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    Re: Anyone have experience with Nektar impact GX and LX series keyboard? 2016/12/28 12:48:44 (permalink)
    parco
    but my GX61 can't control its playback and recording, does anything I still have to setup by my own?



     
    As azslow3 said, you need to register the keyboard on the Nektar website.
     
    Once you log in, there will be a 'my downloads' section at the top of the website.
     
    Then you select the OS & it will show you all of downloads for the controller you've registered that lists all the DAW's it supports.
     
    My LX49+ works very well in SonarPlat although there seems to be a minor issue with the integration, unless its PEBKAC at my end.
     
    Using the 'Inst' button on the keyboard to open a soft synths' window will open it, but it seems to be the synth that's highlighted in the synth rack, not necessarily the one on the currently selected track.
     
    I was only playing around with both when it did this so will need to do some more testing to see if it's user error on my part, or a bug.



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    #13
    azslow3
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    Re: Anyone have experience with Nektar impact GX and LX series keyboard? 2016/12/28 15:09:49 (permalink)
    MoodyB
    Using the 'Inst' button on the keyboard to open a soft synths' window will open it, but it seems to be the synth that's highlighted in the synth rack, not necessarily the one on the currently selected track.

    Sonar does not expose the way to find the Synth associated with selected track to Control Surfaces. I have found a "workaround" using one bug... But I guess Nektar was not looking for "handy Sonar bugs" when they was writing the plug-in

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    Paul P
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    Re: Anyone have experience with Nektar impact GX and LX series keyboard? 2016/12/31 17:06:53 (permalink)
     
    I finally got around to dragging my still in the box LX88+ out from under the couch where Santa left it.
     
    I'm not much of a pianist but, up until last spring, have always kept my childhood 60's era console upright to noodle on every once in a while.  So I'm only used to real wood pianos.  This latest keyboard is to replace the piano and acquire a comprehensive midi controller.
     
    I realize that the LX88+ does not intend to emulate a real piano keyboard, but I find it quite a bit different from what I'm used to.  I find it very difficult to control the volume of my notes.  On a real piano I have no problems, but suddenly some notes are hardly heard and other too loud.  I've played a bit with the velocity curves and have also noticed that response varies between software pianos (DSF Vol.1 Yamaha Grand for DimPro doesn't sound anything like a Grand to me, and is kind of dead, but I haven't explored the different flavours yet).  The included TruePianos is quite a bit better.
     
    Has anyone else experienced this lack of control when going from a real piano to a synthetic semi-weighted keyboard ?  Is it something one gets used to quickly ?
     

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    DrLumen
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    Re: Anyone have experience with Nektar impact GX and LX series keyboard? 2017/01/01 00:25:51 (permalink)
    I can't speak to the differences between a real piano and the LX. I have noticed a great variation between soft synths and velocity action - not only on each key but the balance across the keyboard. So far, I have found the Air MiniGrand and Velvet88 to have the best balance, with some slight gain tweaking, for my playing style. BTW, I've always had synth keys or semi-weighted keyboards here so YMMV.

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    azslow3
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    Re: Anyone have experience with Nektar impact GX and LX series keyboard? 2017/01/01 17:32:02 (permalink)
    Most MIDI keyboards do not attempt to imitate real piano. Some have Hammer mechanic which is such imitation, but normally "lightweight". May be the only exception is Kawai VPC, but the price is the weight (30kg vs 10-12ks for most other MIDI boards with hammers).

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    #17
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