Continuing in my Midi Series I went and picked up the Nektar Impact LX+! I had the previous generation of this board for a couple of years until my wife sadly ran it over with our minivan!(Long Story) So, I wanted to check out the newest version to see what has changed!
@@Johnmike Hey John, thank you so much for the videos you make, they're very helpful! How familiar are you with the Presets function on the LX+? I read the manual and see what the (5-7) presets are supposed to be, but I'm still confused about it a bit. Is it possible you could do a short video demonstrating the Preset button and how it works with the mixer and VST? Maybe even a little about the Default vs User pages? If you have time, it would be much appreciated. Thank you very much for all you do!
LOVE your review! You nailed it - talking about how you're not sure about the keys, but you're also a piano player - you really captured the pros and cons for the perfect audience man. Thank you. Thank you TONS for this.
John, I'm an old guy trying to get into this digital music stuff after years of acoustic playing. Your reviews are easily the best. I love your honesty. I trust what you say. Thank you.
Awesome video! I use the LX61+ through Mainstage 3 live at church, and it works great for that! I primarily lead worship from guitar, and I run pads and automation through this, and play keys as well on some songs. I agree the keys are a little noisy, but since I only really ever use this live on a loud stage, that's totally okay for me. Because it's not super bulky, I can play on it without my guitar getting in the way at all. It's an excellent option for someone who wants to travel lightly and still get a lot of functionality. In this price range, I think the Impact LX+ series is the most feature-rich controller out there!
Hey i have a question are you able to play the LX61+ without a computer because i dont have a computer and im trying to figure out if i can use it without one and im very confused
Thanks for your reviews! It convinced me to order an LX49+, especially once I saw your other video on its integration with Logic. I also have a Yamaha Digital Grand DGX-660 so I didn't care about the playability. My main goal was to buy a controller with knobs and faders for mixing and music production, that works out of the box, fully integrated with Logic Pro X, so I can control the expression of SWAM and Audio Modelling Brass libraries. I compared it with the Komplete Kontrol A49 and the Novation Launchkey 49 as well as the M-Audio Oxygen, and after weighing up the pros and cons, I think for my needs, the Nektar fits perfectly.
Please I need opinions, I need a new midi keyboard controller with a good keybed. (I used to have a nektar impact gx61 which I sold to my friend cos I was relocating, prior to that, I used to have an arturia keylab essential 61: which I returned due to the uncontrollable velocity of 3 of the keys, I still have my licence to the analog lab, my question is which one should I go for arturia keylab 61 Mk2, nektar panorama T6, or roland a800. Please which one should I get and which on will have the best keybed? . Thanks in advance!
Thanks for the review! I was considering the LX61+ and the older LX61. The older one is listed a bit cheaper. It really helped getting your insight as you had used the older model, especially because couldn't find anywhere the differences between the two generations listed clearly.
I've got the lx61+ the pads don't light up..the octave and transpose buttons don't work can anyone help me please...I've tried factory resetting the keyboard many times
I'm buying one this weekend for my birthday. As a guitar player, I am buying it for the top 80% lol. The keyboard will be for light synth / organ / piano. It will also free up a lot of desk space and let me get rid of a pile of usb cables. Great review as always, John!
the best is what you make of it. i have this keyboard and I simply enjoy the entire experience and I been making music since 2002, and this keyboard exceeded everything I was expecting. more functionality and heavy integration into your daw. at least for me, i use Studio One.
@@ampstudios Hi, I'm beginner, i want to produce music and learn to play piano too is Lx49+ or 61+ a good choice? i use cubase 10 but everyone says it is noisy🙁 idk, my budget is around 150$
@@Vlad-bo8py Im in exactly the same predicament as you bruh. Im put off by the noisy keys which owners mention but this controller works good with Logic which is what I have and to be honest im more interested in the pads to make beats than I am the keyboard side so it could work for me. I feel your pain tho, its difficult finding something which is right for you!
hey man great video. i was wondering about build quality, especially about knobs, faders and pads since many people had issues. like phsycal issues. how do you feel about this after all those months? any malfunctions?
that's the beauty of choices, everybody has them. you spent a lot of time ragging on the keyboard, and I bet you there are a lot of people that like it too.
Hi. I bought a nektar impact lx 25 plus and i have a MacBook Pro 13 with the thunderbolt 3 (usb c) ports . I want to know if a need an external powered usb c hub or with a non powered hub it will be fine. Sorry for my bad inglish. I am from Argentina! Thanks !
I am completely New to this would you recommend me to buy the nektar lx61+ or the launchkey 61 mk2 the price difference here its that the launchkey cost like 50 dollars more and it used would it be worth it
Velocity sensitivity on these is pretty touchy and takes some getting used to. Definitely not a natural feel, but for me it gets the job done. I have a handful of these budget-tier controllers (Nektar, M-Audio, and Alesis) and the one I get the most consistency out of is the Alesis V series. There's trade-offs for everything though, because the other features on the Alesis boards are lackluster
Do you think it would be a ideal situation for live church performances?? My thought process was to use the LX88 for main keys and connect it with Prime for tracks and AUM or Mainstage for patches.
@@Johnmike Cool! That is my purpose for looking into this particular keyboard. I am new to RUclips and will be starting a channel with content on playing drums to help beginners to intermediate players. I would also like to get into doing reviews on products related to drums and recording drums.
Hello! What is the purpose of 49 keys on midi? As I understand one needs at least 5 octaves to cover most songs. 4 octaves is exactly 1octave too short. Like mine m-audio 49MKii.. Any advice on to how to utilize it to the maximum potential? The shop gave me a deal for 55 bucks, could not resist! xD
Yea the 49 keys are geared towards a sunset of the market...if you are a real piano player then 4 octaves aren’t enough...but I just use the octave buttons when playing...
Dam I'm trying to decide between this and the Komplete Kontrol Mk32. I was gonna grab the M32 but for around the same price the integration on this thing is insane. The Mk32 tho is almost worth the price with the Maschine and NI plugins that come with it.
Jorge Lucas I like that and also check out the M-audio oxygen 49...it’s $129 and has a great feeling keybed probably my next favorite in that price range
Hey John. Your videos are really top notch. Thanks a million, and keep them coming. Short note - I'm a piano player too. But I tried many keybeds on these controllers in the music store. And this one did it for me more than others. I took my iphone whith cables, my favorite App, Airpods, etc. and jammed out. I agree - it's not the best keybed. But I personally felt it was the one I liked most - so I took it home with me :-) I just need an extra set of keys for our practice room for the times where I can't get my Yamaha CP transported. The Nektar sits there and does the job with Korg Module or Sampletank in a pinch... Oh yeah, and... hollah!
Hey man. Back from the shop... After using the Nektar for a full day, the springiness started to become tiring. You were right ;-) I opted for the Arturia Keylab Essential 61 instead. The keys on that are a bit stiffer and "bouncier" than the Novation, but the velocity curve is great. Also, the Keylab lets you store more than one Mapping, you can name the mappings, name the faders, pads, and knobs - all visible in the display. Awesome. Thanks again for all your videos - they really helped me!
hey man. Do you recommend the M audio 61 key, the alesis v61, or the nektar lx61 for a singer songwriter who looks to produce his music and also play some piano? If you reply Ima sub to you for sure your reviews are helpful
Just trying to get this straight: Is the keybed feel of this version actually worse than the cheaper LX and GX versions? I'd rather go with this one if the keybed is no worse than the cheaper ones.
Hello sir! Would you suggest me better keyboard for playing and working with Cubase for film scoring, ??? I don't need any DAW integrated controller . So,suggest a better between these 1. M-audio keystation 61 II 2. M-audio keystation 49 II 3. Nektar GX 61 4. Any other about your choices? My budget is under $150 Please help me , previously i used this Nektar LX61+ sold it for the keys action ???
@@Johnmike Thank you very much sir !!! And If i have to choose for 61 key then for which one i should go for ??? Under $150-$200 budget sir . Though I already make myself decided to buy keystation 49 !! But , i am thinking for a 61 midi , much more helpful in my work. So, please tell me !!!!
Heh John, i use mksensation and basscilious from jamal for ipad. does this controller have zones? So that i can assign basscilious on lower octaves and mksensation on the right?
I just got the 88+. Feels like the velocity curve is set a little too lite. I’m too lazy to read the manual, I would rather use RUclips. Any idea how to adjust the velocity curve?
@@swapnilchand338 I’ve never used Fl. In logic, in the midi editor ( piano roll ) you can select the notes then hit functions, and choose midi transform, then choose velocity, then choose the velocity. I’m sure they have a similar function
@@Johnmike i’d be careful with that keyboard. Keys are way harder to press than a regular piano, it’s not a great keyboard. I get wanting a regular piano feel, but you’re just not gonna get it for anything that isnt expensive
@@Johnmike Thanks a bunch. And keylab vs launchkey 37 just realized they have it on sweet water at 179 bucks. My intention is to connect it to my modal craft synth I am getting and record from the daw using my synth to modulate sounds for house and trance music production.
I had it and still prefer my roland a49 for the key feel. Roland simple keyboards have better feel than even 500 bucks midi controller and its just 149 usd. Now it doesnt have many functions
Continuing in my Midi Series I went and picked up the Nektar Impact LX+! I had the previous generation of this board for a couple of years until my wife sadly ran it over with our minivan!(Long Story) So, I wanted to check out the newest version to see what has changed!
Aaliyoh Von Kex nice!!!! Thanks for watching!
Just a great excuse to buy some gear lol
Brandon Forte' lol 😂
@@Johnmike Hey John, thank you so much for the videos you make, they're very helpful!
How familiar are you with the Presets function on the LX+? I read the manual and see what the (5-7) presets are supposed to be, but I'm still confused about it a bit. Is it possible you could do a short video demonstrating the Preset button and how it works with the mixer and VST? Maybe even a little about the Default vs User pages? If you have time, it would be much appreciated. Thank you very much for all you do!
You don't mean to say you are still married....
LOVE your review! You nailed it - talking about how you're not sure about the keys, but you're also a piano player - you really captured the pros and cons for the perfect audience man. Thank you. Thank you TONS for this.
John, I'm an old guy trying to get into this digital music stuff after years of acoustic playing. Your reviews are easily the best. I love your honesty. I trust what you say. Thank you.
Awesome video! I use the LX61+ through Mainstage 3 live at church, and it works great for that! I primarily lead worship from guitar, and I run pads and automation through this, and play keys as well on some songs. I agree the keys are a little noisy, but since I only really ever use this live on a loud stage, that's totally okay for me. Because it's not super bulky, I can play on it without my guitar getting in the way at all. It's an excellent option for someone who wants to travel lightly and still get a lot of functionality. In this price range, I think the Impact LX+ series is the most feature-rich controller out there!
Agreed!
Hey i have a question are you able to play the LX61+ without a computer because i dont have a computer and im trying to figure out if i can use it without one and im very confused
this keyboard is an 8 out of 9 !
lol
Thanks for your reviews! It convinced me to order an LX49+, especially once I saw your other video on its integration with Logic. I also have a Yamaha Digital Grand DGX-660 so I didn't care about the playability. My main goal was to buy a controller with knobs and faders for mixing and music production, that works out of the box, fully integrated with Logic Pro X, so I can control the expression of SWAM and Audio Modelling Brass libraries. I compared it with the Komplete Kontrol A49 and the Novation Launchkey 49 as well as the M-Audio Oxygen, and after weighing up the pros and cons, I think for my needs, the Nektar fits perfectly.
Please I need opinions, I need a new midi keyboard controller with a good keybed. (I used to have a nektar impact gx61 which I sold to my friend cos I was relocating, prior to that, I used to have an arturia keylab essential 61: which I returned due to the uncontrollable velocity of 3 of the keys, I still have my licence to the analog lab, my question is which one should I go for arturia keylab 61 Mk2, nektar panorama T6, or roland a800. Please which one should I get and which on will have the best keybed? . Thanks in advance!
Thanks for the review! I was considering the LX61+ and the older LX61. The older one is listed a bit cheaper.
It really helped getting your insight as you had used the older model, especially because couldn't find anywhere the differences between the two generations listed clearly.
Hello!!! Which one will be the best choice... arturia keylab essencial 49 or this one?
Would you recomend me buying this (nektar lx49+) or the M-Audio Oxygen 49 MKV? Or is there another keyboard in this price range that is better?
I hope this is up to date with Cubase 10.5.
finally a good review with proper feedback! keep the reviews coming!
I've got the lx61+ the pads don't light up..the octave and transpose buttons don't work can anyone help me please...I've tried factory resetting the keyboard many times
I'm buying one this weekend for my birthday. As a guitar player, I am buying it for the top 80% lol. The keyboard will be for light synth / organ / piano. It will also free up a lot of desk space and let me get rid of a pile of usb cables. Great review as always, John!
best 49 key midi controller for a bedroom producer?
the best is what you make of it. i have this keyboard and I simply enjoy the entire experience and I been making music since 2002, and this keyboard exceeded everything I was expecting. more functionality and heavy integration into your daw. at least for me, i use Studio One.
@@ampstudios Hi, I'm beginner, i want to produce music and learn to play piano too
is Lx49+ or 61+ a good choice?
i use cubase 10
but everyone says it is noisy🙁
idk, my budget is around 150$
@@Vlad-bo8py Im in exactly the same predicament as you bruh. Im put off by the noisy keys which owners mention but this controller works good with Logic which is what I have and to be honest im more interested in the pads to make beats than I am the keyboard side so it could work for me. I feel your pain tho, its difficult finding something which is right for you!
@@thedeevineswebenquiries haha yes thx)
Thank you John, those noisy keys settled itl for me. Good review
If you still want that level of control you can always get the much better panorama T4❤
Thank you for doing this review! This was informative and helped me make my decision!
yooo hyped for this vid. I just purchased this last week.
Would you recommend the Nektar Impact LX61+ or the launchkey 61?
Lauchkey for keybed...lX61 for control and software
hey man great video. i was wondering about build quality, especially about knobs, faders and pads since many people had issues. like phsycal issues. how do you feel about this after all those months? any malfunctions?
They held up pretty good...i haven’t lost any knobs or anything
that's the beauty of choices, everybody has them. you spent a lot of time ragging on the keyboard, and I bet you there are a lot of people that like it too.
Hey John! Do you know if the keybed on this keyboard is the same as the LX61+?? Cause I played one recently and really enjoyed it
It’s pretty much the same...I’ve had both and can’t tell the difference
What about the feel off the 88mk2 I hear it's better than this model still semi weighted you tried 1 at all? Chur bro
Hi. I bought a nektar impact lx 25 plus and i have a MacBook Pro 13 with the thunderbolt 3 (usb c) ports . I want to know if a need an external powered usb c hub or with a non powered hub it will be fine.
Sorry for my bad inglish. I am from Argentina!
Thanks !
Az Azap hi there. Yes you do need a usb hub to use it because the latest MacBooks don’t come with usb b.
I am completely New to this would you recommend me to buy the nektar lx61+ or the launchkey 61 mk2 the price difference here its that the launchkey cost like 50 dollars more and it used would it be worth it
I’d go with the launchkey over this
Finally I review from a Pianist! what about the velocity response of the Keys? Is there any Good Keys in this price range
renaldo melendez terrible Lol! And naaa I’ve played much better in this price range
Velocity sensitivity on these is pretty touchy and takes some getting used to. Definitely not a natural feel, but for me it gets the job done. I have a handful of these budget-tier controllers (Nektar, M-Audio, and Alesis) and the one I get the most consistency out of is the Alesis V series. There's trade-offs for everything though, because the other features on the Alesis boards are lackluster
Hey man! Would you recommend the Nektar Impact LX+ 49 key or the M-Audio Oxygen 49 MKIV?
Between those 2...the m-audio would be my choice
@@Johnmike what makes them different? I mean, what's better with the m-audio?
RandelN2 same question here.
aidar1976 software package and Keybed feel
John Mike what about the key balance? (Black/white)
alesis v49 vs nektar Impact LX49+ ?
Between those I’d probably go with the Nektar
Hey Man great review
was just wondering if youd recommend this over the M Audio oxygen 49
thanks
No
How do the keys on the 88 feel compared to the 49? Are they full size piano keys on the 88? Just as springy??
They are a little bit better on the 88 and are full sized but they aren’t weighted keys
Do you think it would be a ideal situation for live church performances?? My thought process was to use the LX88 for main keys and connect it with Prime for tracks and AUM or Mainstage for patches.
demikoo yes
What do you guys prefer in terms of keybed between this nektar and the alesis V61?
do you mean the noise of the keys or the feelings of touch is bad?
Hello John,
Thanks for the video. Does changing the velocity settings make the keys have a better feel?
It responds a little bit better...personally I’m not a total fan of the feel...but this board wins all day for control and DAW integration
@@Johnmike Cool! That is my purpose for looking into this particular keyboard. I am new to RUclips and will be starting a channel with content on playing drums to help beginners to intermediate players. I would also like to get into doing reviews on products related to drums and recording drums.
Hello! What is the purpose of 49 keys on midi? As I understand one needs at least 5 octaves to cover most songs. 4 octaves is exactly 1octave too short. Like mine m-audio 49MKii.. Any advice on to how to utilize it to the maximum potential? The shop gave me a deal for 55 bucks, could not resist! xD
Yea the 49 keys are geared towards a sunset of the market...if you are a real piano player then 4 octaves aren’t enough...but I just use the octave buttons when playing...
Verrrrry nice! I wonder if you could recommend a good way of recording iPad Pro into Ableton with ua Apollo and windows 10? Yikes....big questions...🙃
Is this compatible with ableton ?
I mean knobs , faders and drum map
Yes
Is there any midicontroller which doesn't make noiseness?
Dam I'm trying to decide between this and the Komplete Kontrol Mk32. I was gonna grab the M32 but for around the same price the integration on this thing is insane. The Mk32 tho is almost worth the price with the Maschine and NI plugins that come with it.
I’d choose M32 over this
Have you ever tried the Nektar Impact GX61? I want a keyboard but I read the GX has better key feel than that one, but don't know how true that is.
Yes I picked that one up as well! You will see the review comparison against this one as soon as I can edit it!
@@Johnmike Aww sweet. Can you say right know how much better it is tho?
Jorge Lucas about the same honesty...slightly(ever so slightly) less clicky
@@Johnmike Don't want to bother, but do you have any recomendation of a keyboard at the same price range?
Jorge Lucas I like that and also check out the M-audio oxygen 49...it’s $129 and has a great feeling keybed probably my next favorite in that price range
Hey dude nektar lx or alesis v61 ? which one should i buy
I prefer the nektar over the V-series...if had to choose between those two
Hey John. Your videos are really top notch. Thanks a million, and keep them coming. Short note - I'm a piano player too. But I tried many keybeds on these controllers in the music store. And this one did it for me more than others. I took my iphone whith cables, my favorite App, Airpods, etc. and jammed out. I agree - it's not the best keybed. But I personally felt it was the one I liked most - so I took it home with me :-) I just need an extra set of keys for our practice room for the times where I can't get my Yamaha CP transported. The Nektar sits there and does the job with Korg Module or Sampletank in a pinch... Oh yeah, and... hollah!
Hey man. Back from the shop... After using the Nektar for a full day, the springiness started to become tiring. You were right ;-) I opted for the Arturia Keylab Essential 61 instead. The keys on that are a bit stiffer and "bouncier" than the Novation, but the velocity curve is great. Also, the Keylab lets you store more than one Mapping, you can name the mappings, name the faders, pads, and knobs - all visible in the display. Awesome. Thanks again for all your videos - they really helped me!
Hi, what daw u using? I am looking for midi keyboard for fl studio.
@John MIke one question, how do i know if the keyboard is compatible with my softwares like arcade hooked or other softwares like albeton
Yes it is
Great vid bro. Very informative. Thank you.
hi sir> Would you recommend the Nektar Impact LX61 or NEKTAR PANORAMA T6 about touch sensitivity velocity response of the Keys ?
Haven’t tried the T6 just yet...so I can’t really comment to that just yet...but I’ve heard it has a decent keybed on it
Can you use boxes indtead of a DAW?
Sir which one will be the best choice... Native Instruments Komplete Kontrol A49 or Nektar Impact LX61
A49
Thanks a lot sir ❤️
hey man. Do you recommend the M audio 61 key, the alesis v61, or the nektar lx61 for a singer songwriter who looks to produce his music and also play some piano? If you reply Ima sub to you for sure your reviews are helpful
Of those choices I’d recommend the m-audio...I don’t care for how the Alesis and the Nektar play
@@Johnmike Awesome man. I appreciate that reply for sure, I will cop it too. Love your reviews btw I came across them multiple times ima sub
Just trying to get this straight: Is the keybed feel of this version actually worse than the cheaper LX and GX versions? I'd rather go with this one if the keybed is no worse than the cheaper ones.
It’s the same Keybed
@@Johnmike Thankyou!
Hello sir! Would you suggest me better keyboard for playing and working with Cubase for film scoring, ??? I don't need any DAW integrated controller .
So,suggest a better between these
1. M-audio keystation 61 II
2. M-audio keystation 49 II
3. Nektar GX 61
4. Any other about your choices?
My budget is under $150
Please help me , previously i used this Nektar LX61+ sold it for the keys action ???
Honestly out of those I would go with the keystation 49...one of the best feeling midi keyboards on the market...
John Mike the Arturia Keylab Essential 49 Keys have a really good feel.
@@Johnmike Thank you very much sir !!!
And If i have to choose for 61 key then for which one i should go for ???
Under $150-$200 budget sir . Though I already make myself decided to buy keystation 49 !!
But , i am thinking for a 61 midi , much more helpful in my work.
So, please tell me !!!!
Heh John, i use mksensation and basscilious from jamal for ipad. does this controller have zones? So that i can assign basscilious on lower octaves and mksensation on the right?
You can’t do it with the keyboard...but you can do it with a 3rd party app called AUM
@@Johnmike thanks John. Is there a tutorial by any chance?
What software you using?
What’s your main Keyboard ?
Javier Colon Music currently for studio the Komplete Kontrol....for Live I created my own custom keyboard Controller
ruclips.net/video/KeMhMHXxnGE/видео.html
Wondering if the volume slider is assignable to another different function.
yes
No puedo instalar en mí ordenador un software para hacerlo funcionar, help
I like your honesty. Tq for sharing👍👍
I just got the 88+. Feels like the velocity curve is set a little too lite. I’m too lazy to read the manual, I would rather use RUclips. Any idea how to adjust the velocity curve?
Did u knew how to do so ??? Plz share here I wanna know too
@@swapnilchand338 no, I just adjust the velocity inside Logic.
@@CRASS2047 yes but how to do that ? I'm using flstudio and lmms
@@swapnilchand338 I’ve never used Fl. In logic, in the midi editor ( piano roll ) you can select the notes then hit functions, and choose midi transform, then choose velocity, then choose the velocity. I’m sure they have a similar function
@@CRASS2047 yup will check and update here.thanks a lot 😊
Best 61 key keyboard with midi with a Real piano feel?
Currently their isn’t one...closest would be the Studiologic SL73...73 keys
@@Johnmike i’d be careful with that keyboard. Keys are way harder to press than a regular piano, it’s not a great keyboard. I get wanting a regular piano feel, but you’re just not gonna get it for anything that isnt expensive
Is this compatible with Ableton
Yes
Could you do a review of the alesis v61?
Here’s one I’ve done on the v49...the only difference are the amount of keys
Alesis V49 Review!(2019) ruclips.net/video/wkpYp-bu6Ic/видео.html
You might have gotten a bad one my keys are perfect and it depends if youre stand or sitting I sit and play and that works best for me
No...I had the previous generation of this keyboard and it had the same issue
But does it have good sensitivity compared to other controllers?
it works great, I had a CME M Key 49 key controller, bare bones, this on the other hand is heavily integrated into Studio One pretty nicely.
Do we need a software to have noise?
Yes
This one vs arturia keylab 49 essentials-?
Keylab...better feel...better software
@@Johnmike Thanks a bunch. And keylab vs launchkey 37 just realized they have it on sweet water at 179 bucks. My intention is to connect it to my modal craft synth I am getting and record from the daw using my synth to modulate sounds for house and trance music production.
I also want to learn to play the piano. I loved the grand piano D sounds. So i am unable to decide lol
@@yostinpoveda2083 what did u decide finally???? I'm with the same confusion
I disagree with the control. It feels great idk what your talking about
agreed
I had it and still prefer my roland a49 for the key feel. Roland simple keyboards have better feel than even 500 bucks midi controller and its just 149 usd. Now it doesnt have many functions
Laidback Sounds Roland? Never again, nightmare at programming.
great review
Can you plug in stuff like talkboxes
Not with this no...
Great review, thanks. I’m still undecided. I might check out more of your reviews.
Is it have one touch option
Please reply
👍🏽
like
Play more, talk less!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!