Nektar Impact LX88+

88-key controller with DAW integration.

The Impact LX88+ is a USB MIDI controller designed for keyboard players looking for extra reach. It’s packed with intelligent, expressive performance control and hooks up automatically to your DAW. If you prefer to control MIDI hardware, use the build-in MIDI Out as well as the extensive MIDI programing options. Nektar DAW Integration, custom-designed for most of the popular DAWs, takes Impact LX88+ beyond functionality normally offered by a MIDI controller keyboard. 

Split, Layer and Transpose Buttons

The Impact LX88+ keyboard can send on up to 3 zones at once. Each zone can be programmed to send on its own unique MIDI channel with essential settings either pre-programmed or adjustable during performance.

Pads 

For groove and beat creation, Impact LX88+’s 8 velocity sensitive pads make life easy. Calibrated to trigger at a light touch, finger drumming is suddenly well within reach with a nice and even velocity response. Each pad can be assigned any MIDI note number or MIDI cc message for use as MIDI trigger or toggle buttons. But the best part is the “Pad Learn“ feature, which allows you to just select a pad, play the note or drum sound you want on the keyboard and assignment is done. 

Control Center
Nine 30mm faders, 9 MIDI buttons and 8 encoders are at the center of Impact LX88+’s control panel. Each control is fully programmable to send any MIDI CC message for use with hardware or software MIDI products. Used with Nektar DAW integration, the controls take on a life of their own, providing pre-mapped DAW control giving you the best of both worlds. Control settings can be stored in any of the 5 Impact LX88+ presets for recall. 

LED Buttons
The 9 LED buttons can be programmed with a variety of MIDI messages including sending specific MIDI Program changes. The last MIDI Program message sent is remembered so a corresponding LED button illuminates correctly, even if Program was sent via, for example, the transpose buttons or the Setup menu. You can also assign the 8 pads to send Program messages so you’ll have instant access to 17 buttons without changing preset or pad map.

DAW Integration
Impact LX88+ software integration supports most of the popular DAWs. A common workflow gives access to many of the functions you are most likely to need when recording and performing with your Impact LX88+. Impact LX88+ DAW integration currently supports Cubase, Digital Performer, FL Studio, Garageband, Logic, Nuendo, Reaper, Reason, Sonar and Studio One. Buttons and controls are labeled so you don’t have to remember how they are assigned. That’s why Impact LX88+ is a breeze to use but with enough extra features under the hood to challenge even the most experienced power user.

Transport and Navigation
The 6 dedicated transport buttons are always within reach and mapped to control Cycle, Rewind, Forward, Stop, Play and Record. Press Shift to get access to alternate functions such as Goto L, Set L, Set R, Undo, Click and Mode. Dedicated Track up/down and Patch up/down buttons are located below the display.

Mixer 

Press mixer and the first 8 Impact LX+ faders are assigned to control 8 channels of your DAWs mixer. The alternate Bank up/down function moves control assignments to the next or previous group of 8 channels. The 9th fader is assigned to the currently selected channel so you always know where to find it.

The buttons under the faders follow the channel assignment of their corresponding fader and can control Mute or Solo with LED’s clearly indicating current status. Pan for the group of 8 channels controlled by the faders is handled by the 8 pots. Fader 9 is used for control volume of the current mixer channel as well as master volume.

To help you get the best out of your screen real estate, Impact LX88+ also has shortcuts for opening and closing your DAWs mixer window so you can see what’s going on.

Instrument Control
The Instrument button assigns all controls to instrument parameters once an instrument track is selected in your DAW. Nektar mapping ensures this is done automatically, so you can start tweaking immediately. Better still, many devices and plugins are pre-mapped to match the blue control labels on the Impact LX88+.

FEATURES

• 88 Semi-Weighted Velocity-Sensitive Keys
• 4 Velocity Curves and 3 Fixed Velocities
• 8 Velocity-Sensitive Trigger Pads
• 8 Control Pots and 9 Faders