Product highlights:
- 88-note full-sized keybed with velocity and aftertouch
- 14 RGB LED buttons for MIDI and Nektarine features
- Pitch bend and modulation wheels
- 1 push encoder for note repeat tempo control
- Octave up/down buttons with LED indicators
- Transpose up/down buttons with LED indicators
- 9v DC power supply socket
- USB port and USB bus-powered
- 7 transport buttons for DAW integration
- Features Nektar DAW integration support
Nektar Impact GXP88 88-Key Keyboard Controller
The Nektar Impact GXP USB MIDI controller keyboards are designed for players: Experience 88 semi-weighted keys and instant access to performance controls including a real-time repeat engine, powerful Nektarine plugin patch management and Nektar DAW Integration. GXP gives you the keys to a great performance!
Keys
At the core of Impact GXP is a newly designed and carefully balanced keyboard action. Its 88 semi-weighted full-size keys with velocity and aftertouch deliver a nice, firm touch and great playability. Choose from 5 different velocity curves to tailor Impact GXP’s keyboard sensitivity to your personal needs. They cover a wide dynamic range from soft to hard touch. The default curve normal is optimized to deliver good control across the whole velocity range right out of the box. In addition, 3 fixed levels let you send fixed velocity values across the whole keyboard if needed.
Direct Access
Impact GXP’s streamlined no-fuss control panel is based on Nektar’s successful Impact GX-series. It enables advanced DAW integration with extended transport control, track selection, and volume control. You can even open/close DAW windows and navigate projects and the 14 assignable illuminated RGB buttons allow direct MIDI program- and bank selection. If you use MIDI software that’s not supported by Nektar DAW Integration, you can also set up MIDI control yourself. The assignable buttons in the transport section can be configured to send out Program messages or MMC (MIDI Machine Control) transport control. In addition, any of the 28 assignable MIDI buttons, the modulation wheel, keyboard aftertouch, footswitches, and of course the big control knob, can be assigned to send out MIDI cc messages. The settings are stored over power cycling.
Great Connectivity
Impact GXP gives keyboard players all the right expression options needed for live and studio work. It offers large pitch bend & modulation wheels and connections for up to 3 optional external pedals: Connect any standard expression pedal to the first, and any standard footswitch to the second socket. And if you use an optional Y-cable adapter, the footswitch socket even supports two independent switches. Impact GXP can also be used stand-alone with external MIDI gear: The rear panel includes a 5-pin MIDI out jack and an external power supply socket for powering the unit when not connected via USB.
Repeat
The Repeat Engine is great for creating inspiring rhythmic elements: Simply press the dedicated Repeat button, play and get inspired. Dedicated RGB buttons now give you direct one-button access to Repeat Rates, Accent, Interval, Swing and routing aftertouch or modulation to velocity. The large Data/Tempo Encoder turns into a dedicated tempo control, unless synchronization is set to an external MIDI clock. Choose one of the 5 different key trigger modes to change Repeat’s behavior from interesting arpeggio-style effects with human feel to hard-quantized repetitive rhythms. Repeat is a fun way to experiment and create those famous happy accidents, that makes you come up with unexpected new ideas.
Nektarine: Your Virtual Keyboard Workstation
Of course, you can use Impact GXP like any other standard MIDI controller with all the features you’ve come to expect. But if you install the included Nektarine plugin host and librarian software, you can do a lot more: Nektarine lets you switch complex setups like on a live keyboard workstation including zones, layers and more; build multipatches from multiple instruments and effects plugins and have them available at the press of a button. Nektarine adds powerful control features for your VST, VST3 and AU instrument plugins to Impact GXP! Launch Nektarine in your DAW and it immediately communicates with your Impact GXP: Now you are ready to create Multis with up to 10 instrument plugins, each with up to 4 insert FX plugins each and additionally 4 global send FX. All of this is stored in one Multi Patch and can be assigned to one of GXP’s ten RGB-illuminated front panel buttons for instant recall.
Layer and Switch
Impact GXP has dedicated buttons for direct control of patches and plugin slots. This brings true hardware synth-feel to sound selection: Load 10 instrument plugins into Nektarine and makes them instantly selectable from the hardware. This includes soloing, layering, and real-time switching. And like on a stage piano, you can press multiple slot buttons at the same time for instant layering in any combination. Each plugin slot has its own unique browser settings, as well as volume, pan, mute and FX, send parameters assigned. The volume can be mixed for each selected slot using the Data Encoder. Once you import or save your patches into Nektarine, you can take things further: Each plugin has its first 10 patches available on Impact GXP’s buttons right away. All other patches are available using the Data Encoder. Direct mode allows to store 10 complete setups for instant recall: This could be one plugin including a selected patch or even a complete multipatch including multiple plugins a great feature for flexible live setups!