Nektar Impact GX49 49-Key USB MIDI Keyboard Controller

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' button2. 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.

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!

Great little keyboard, very easy to put on and off my lap as I sit in front of the computer at my crowded desk. If has the basic transport controls for forward, stop, record, etc, and also a single volume control pot on CC7, but doesn't have more advanced rotary encoders, drum pads or sliding potentiometers. No matter, it gets the job done without being too heavy to pick up and move around easily and I prefer to use another midi controller for the more advanced functions. Overall build quality is well above average for keyboards for this price range. The key touch is typical very soft "synth style" which may not please players coming from old-fashioned mechanical pianos. However, have gone that route I now prefer the lighter synth touch. If you want to quibble the keys on this level of keyboard do feel a little thin and plastic, but this GX49 has proven to be very tough and durable in that face of a couple body slams from out of control kids! If you're looking for a good first keyboard, this is a good choice, but if you're of a techy sort of mind, you should also look at the LX version which has more knobs to twiddle, and a slightly heavier key feel and overall beefier build.

Wanted to test something cheaper after being disappointed with the features that are promoted on some of the other midi controllers. Overall this one is a bit interesting, its simple which I personally actually like and after setting it up in FL Studio (requires little to no effort) the buttons that are on it do control the essentials. Now as far as the keys go I am conflicted. The weight on the keys I think is amazing for something of this size, no they aren't going to be fully weighted but they sure have the feeling of having at least a good amount of resistance where I can actually feel that I am playing a piano and not typing on a keyboard. That being said I do however not like the spongy feeling after the key is fully engaged as it feels cheap. So again I both hate and like the keys. I'd say overall its worth the money if you are not a professional musician obviously. Certainly a lot of other keyboards out there in the price range are not any better and are actually worse in my opinion.Negative:- White USB Cable Included (C'mon guys)- Spongy feeling when keys are engaged fully.- Overall weight?Positive:- Very compact- Key weight- Good price- Simple feature set- Works well with many DAWs.