Impact GX49 | USB MIDI Controller Keyboard with Nektar DAW Integration Black

My last midi keyboard was the Akai MPK49. The keys were great, the build was solid, and it had all the bell and whistles one could want...and it was huge. The footprint was so big it took up too much desk space. I also quickly realized that connected via usb it had latency that wasn't good enough for real time playing. I got an external midi box (midiman 2x2) and a power supply, and everything was great. It was also $400. When I moved I sold it, and set out to find something a little more paired down. It needed good keys, transport controls, and no latency. I checked out Novation's Launch Key (still big and the keys felt terrible), M-Audio Keystation II (keys were terrible as well), the Alesis v49 (key were fine but squeaked). I briefly thought about the Novation Impulse - it gets rave reviews - but I just wanted something simple, small, and with a good key feel. After reading way too much about midi keyboards I ordered the Nektar GX49 without even testing it (you can't really...Guitar Center isn't really keeping them in stock, nor is anyone else). It's footprint is about as small as you can get for a full sized 49 key keyboard. The build is good. The keys are surprisingly good and the integration with most DAWs is incredible. I tried out Reason first and switching between tracks and patches within instruments is flawless. The buttons to do so are soft rubber and silent (unlike the clickiness of the Akai). The octave, transpose, and transport buttons are simple, clear, and use orange, red, blue, green and yellow to denote status and are subtle yet perfect in showing you exactly what you need to know. I tried Reaper second, which was equally as good. It has zero latency (well 14ms but that's normal for my DAW at a buffer rate of 512 samples). It's bus powered and honestly I don't really have anything I can point to that's not good except - the transport controls don't seem to work in Ableton Live. I've only had it for a day, and I've contacted Nektar so we'll see, but weirdly the only major daw that doesn't have Nektar's DAW integration software is Ableton (there's something going on there...no idea what - but the Akai's transport didn't work with Live either). There's an entire page of the user manual about using MMC to enabled transport controls, which I thought Live could handle, but I'm either missing something or the transport really only works for non clip based DAWs (so all of them except Live). So, instead of going for the $300 Novation or making the mistake of getting another Akai (the 249) for $400 - I got a Nektar for $100. It's really good. I'm impressed. Edit (day 2) O.k. so I set up an account when I registered the GX49 and last night I opened a ticket asking how to get the transport to work in Ableton Live. Today when I checked my email I was shocked that there was a response with a suggestion to install a remote script. This afternoon I tried and it didn't work. So I wrote back and thought "You'll never hear from Nektar late on a Friday". A few hours later a second Nektar person got back to me (the first was customer service, the second more of a techie) with a fix. It took less than 10 seconds - nothing new, just changing a setting - and now the transport controls work in Ableton Live. For anyone looking for a good, inexpensive keyboard - this is it. Here's the fix by the way: 1. Press the 'Setup' button 2. Press key A2 (labeled 'USB Port Setup') 3. Press key B3 (labeled with a '2') 4. Press key C5 (labeled 'Enter') The transport only works with the overall project (not clip in session view), but that's honestly for another controller.

Compact (as it gets for a full sided 49), decent keybed, nice and light. Everything I wanted in a travel keyboard that doesn’t skim on keys and feels good enough to work on.

I am a music composer and arranger, and had an old system that hooked a regular, cheap Casio keyboard (what I could afford when I first started) up to my computer so I could use it to interface with music composition software. That setup (although it had lots of wires) worked well, until the keyboard wore out. I wanted something with as close to real feel as I could get within my budget. The Nektar GX49, priced at $100 when I purchased it, offered about half the range of a normal piano keyboard with options to increase and decrease the octaves. This allows it to sit on my desk and doesn't take up near as much room as my old Casio. It is a true USB plug and play (USB cable included), with an on-off switch in the back, so that I can turn it on when I want to use it. My computer (Windows 10) recognizes it instantly, and is ready to use in seconds. It has a real-ish weighted feel to the keys so it feels much like a piano. It still feels like a plastic keyboard, but the input velocity is quick and instant! I LOVE using this and it fits my purpose amazingly well! I cannot comment on how it is used in a recording context, or live context, but for composing and arranging, this is WELL worth the money!

feels great, its comfatable to move around and play, however ive noticed that the velocity on the keys can sometimes rarely be faulty, which may not entirely be the keyboards fault but rather the integration with the daw used. however great product.

Comparing this to my roland ds88 that has weighted keys, I love it. It fits perfectly on my desk. Touch sensitivity is perfect. Works great with studio one 7

I have read the other reviews good and bad. I like this thing a lot. 25 year music jingle making person here. Its only 100ish bucks. Personally what i love love about it. Is the easy octive and pitch transpose keys that chsnge colors as you go up scales and octives. Its so easy to see and fast. Also like it has a very small foot print. As for low reviews about the action. Some say it is hard some say its soft. I say. Its a 100 dollar keyboard. Seriously. It is the best deal out there. Buy a 2000 dollar weighted keyboard. I paid 3000 for my old kurzweil in the 90s so this is amazing for the price. I am replacing an akai with a ton of buttons and knobs that ended up sending randome system exclusive messages. And were just s pain to set up. So i never did. Like drum pads. Volume sliders. It was easier to hit keys and gram the mouse. Thank you company for this great quality prive point.

Setup was very easy and unit was recognized quickly with my DAW, currently using Reaper but I also tested it with Bitwig Studio. At first I was a little concerned because the notes weren't matching in either of the DAWs and I couldn't figure out how to correct it. After searching online, I found the controller just needed a hard reset, now everything works as it's supposed to. Definitely happy with my purchase!

I have spent wayyy too much time trying to find a midi controller that was more than a tiny keyboard. I can't really have a full on acoustic piano, and most of the keyboards I have tried were very cheap. But this item is exactly what I was looking for! This is a larger midi controller that can be hooked up to a computer (or phone if you have the right adapter) to give you more range while having the feel of a real piano! It might not be everyone's cup of tea, because a keyboard will do just fine for most, but if you really want a larger midi controller I would definitely recommend!

Excelente controlador, suficientes teclas para mis proyectos Se siente de buena calidad , vale cada peso Yo lo compre por menos de 3k pesos Mexicanos y la verdad es una maravilla

Produto conforme a descrição. Me atendeu perfeitamente. Plug and Play

I'd been researching controller keyboards for a while to use with Logic and Garage Band and wanted something I could leave set up that would fit in with my workspace. Although my 88 note keyboard did the job, it was a hassle to set it up each time I wanted to record secondary parts during the mix. Having decided that 49 notes was the minimum I could use practically to play, the reviews led me to the Nektar GX49, which for most sellers was an order only item. When it became available on Amazon I took the plunge and have not been disappointed! Its worth paying the extra over the cheaper model to get additional controllers for the DAW, but I suspect the keyboard is the same if cost is an issue. Keyboard action is good and very playable even if you are used to a velocity sensitive keyboard, its not an issue to adjust. I have found the ability to shift the range of the keyboard quickly resolves the lack of a full size keyboard whilst playing, and has meant I don't have to resort to using a full size keyboard even for more complex parts. Its also a nice feature that any sustain pedal can be used as it automatically detects the polarity when the keyboard is turned on. Integration with Garage Band and Logic is seamless after downloading the drivers from the Nektar website. It even comes with a free license for Bitwig 8 Track DAW software so if you don't have any application installed you can get started straight away. In conclusion, its a good quality keyboard to use with a DAW, (it supports all of the popular software) and after using it for a couple of days am very pleased with it. Its what the reviews led me to believe, so far, so good!

Anschließen bzw. Starten des Keyboards ist ein Kinderspiel. Tasten fühlen sich auch sehr hochwertig an. 49 Tasten + zusätzliche Tasten wie z.B Oktavenerhöhung, Loop Button u.v.m sind dabei und wirklich sehr hilfreich. Man kann mit Klick auf den Shift Button bspw. den Tasten auch eine andere Funktion geben. Ein Midi Keyboard mit Klasse, welches ich jedem der gerade mit Musik Produzieren anfangen möchte empfehlen würde!!!

Je recommande cet article, il est de bonne qualité; Attention, il n'est pas compatible avec MAGIX MUSIC MAKER 2025. Pour le reste, rien à dire, c'est top