OK, that was quick! I started my piano lesson (on the GXP-88) this morning and something was wrong! The E key by middle C would go half way down too easily and didn’t engage until then. So with a couple weeks of non-strenuous play, one of the keys is unplayable. So, I’m sending it back. I’m going to wait a little before buying another one, since I just got the MPK249. I figure I’ll pony up for a $1000 big boy when my lessons make me hit the octave button 😉. I’m looking at the Arturia Keylab 88 MKII or maybe the Komplete Control S88 Mk2, but I’ve just started the new search. In any case, the search continues and I thought I ought to report my experience back here, after chiming in so recently. Have a good one!
👏🏻 Great video! Thank you. So was this a keeper? Is it one of your main controllers or is that M-Audio and Arturia like I saw in another vid? Thank you.
I followed your comments and saw that initially u were confused with buying a 61 key controller and now it seems u have upgraded. I'm just starting out to learn piano and production. Im looking for quality and long term usability even if I have to wait a little longer and pay more. Plz tell your views on LX 61+ and the LX 88+. Can u compare the LX 61+ with alesis V61??? How long will these keyboards last ?? Seeing the videos online they seem like toys and fragile .And why do almost all of them make clicky noises???(In one of the older videos where Mike compared the 61 keyboards it seems only the nektar makes noise but elsewhere I see that almost all of them do the same. Is this common in the midi keyboards out there??) Would appreciate a lot of u can help.Thank u.Sorry it's very long.
except the faders and pads which i rarely use i chose this gxp 88 rather than arturia keylab essential 88 because keylab essential 88 has the velocity problem meaning black keys were louder in almost 4-5 unit i have seen....checked personally....GXP 88 has better keys quality and feels like good synth action keybed..Plus it has AFTERTOUCH which i guess no other midi controller offers in this price range for 88 keys..this has been the best at this price range for 88 keys...Go for it you won't regret ...!!! It has a super DAW integration with Logic, Ableton and other major DAWs...!!!
John Mike cheers mate it would be great if you'd output your laptop sound to big speaker ...while you are playing keys it sounds so thin due to laptop's speaker i guess
This keyboard was awesome I used it for an year ,The cheapest aftertouch keys and it works well ..Having lx 88 too that keys are noisy but this one is quiet ..Definitely worth it .
Hey John, always love the content! You didn't mention the feature that was the main selling point to me. This board has aftertouch! As far as I can tell (though you would know better) it's the only 88 semi-weighted midi controller w aftertouch! This is huge for me cause I love being able to split it and play pads and a lead with aftertouch for vibrato etc., use the whole board for a full piano experience, or play organ with all the slides that I can't do on a weighted board. All in one functionality in that regard for me. I do wish it had knobs and faders but I'm using a nanoKONTROL2 for that. Hopefully the next model will include that. Btw, my guess is the aftertouch on all 88 keys is probably where that extra weight is coming from. Anyway, keep up the great work!
That makes sense...I figured out about the aftertouch...after the video haha...Only so much I could fit into a 10 minute video....but I’ll definitely do a follow up on it soon and I will discuss that in that video
FYI: Channel afterouch is just a pressure strip that goes under all the keys with a little electronics to turn the resistance into a voltage the internal computer can read. The weight is negligible. More likely the keyboard really is semi-weighted and they are using small weights, as are found in the old Yamaha metal switch action, so there is some momentum as well as springs. If you break down the weight of a keyboard, the first factors are the case, the keybed chassis and, if it's older, the power supply. The keybed chassis is usually the main structural element so it can actually be pretty heavy, especially in a fully weighted keyboard. Anyway, if there are small weights in the keys, they would add up, given there are 88 of them. One ounce on every key equals 5.5 pounds. When you are comparing weights, remember that the earliest weighted pianos, which had no finesse in their designs, were in the 90 pound region. I used to carry one around along with a 43 pound synth. 18 pounds is NOT heavy.
ernievault Ah, interesting. I didn't know that about aftertouch but that makes sense. I wish more boards had it. Such a useful feature! Yeah, I wouldn't consider this board heavy just a little heavier than other comparable boards. I was just going off of what John said. I used to gig on a Suitcase Rhodes with the full cabinet! Now that was a heavy rig! Lol
Hi Mike, thanks for making all these vids. I'm finding them very informative and thorough!!! Love your playing to. The 10 keyboard set up was hilarious but interesting. I am struggling to find a suitable keyboard for myself. I recently decided to learn Piano but am very limited for space. I have a desk with a pullout keyboard tray that will hold a full sized 88 key unit. I am limited in height though to 90mm. This pretty much rules out a weighted keyboard or digital piano. So I am down to a semi weighted. I want to buy something of decent enough quality that I can fit into my home studio set up but learning to play piano is the priority. The added faders, knobs and pads are not an essential requirement. I would really love your advice or opinion as I live miles away from any music store on the Northwest coast of Ireland so I have no access to try outs. To summarise requirements: 88 full size keys Semi-weighted 90mm Max height Under $500 Best to learn to play Piano on.
@@Johnmike Thank you so much for the reply. I've had an interesting development. A friend of mine who happens to be a carpenter told me that he could modify the keyboard tray under my desk for me so it could take up to 140mm in depth. This allows me to get a proper scaled weighted keyboard. So I think Im now going to go for the Korg D1. A little over budget but I think the quality of the keybed justifies it from what I understand. Many many thanks again. The very best of luck and much love from Ireland! 🙏❤🙏
Just a reminder: This unit has CHANNEL aftertouch. The strip goes under the entire keybed so BOTH hands can affect any sound patch that includes aftertouch. That could be a problem with a split keyboard. If you are playing left hand bass and you get a bit too enthusiastic kicking that slap bass sound or pressing down a four finger chord, your left hand will mess up the solo you are trying to do with your right hand. I love playing left hand bass. After looking at various structures I concluded that to be safe, I would have to either physically modify the keybed so that there was no aftertouch below the split point (harder to restore than to do), or use two 49 key controllers, one with aftertouch, one without.
If I am correct in thinking The sound source has to be programmed to respond to after touch in the first place. I have yet to see a single bass VST that is programmed to receive after touch cc midi messages. Maybe spectroscopic a trillion bass VST but very few do. Moog is a good source for after touch but I’ve never played moog bass in left and whilst soloing in the right hand to be honest. I’ve got separate midi keyboards anyway for separation of concerns. After touch was prominent in the 70s 80s but nowadays is quite rare. Same with breath controllers on the Yamaha S90 pianos and other legacy kurweil keyboards$$
The channel aftertouch is not the reason for your issue. A lot of MIDI keyboards provide split and layer capabilities, whereby you assign each segment to a different MIDI channel. Likewise you can then choose to turn off aftertouch as well. But after checking the manual,i found no evidence this keyboard has layer / split functions, so be aware the keyboard would by design only address one MIDI channel… EDIT: when combining the keyboard with the Nektarine software, it turns the GXP into a virtual MIDI master keyboard with zones. However…. it doesn’t provide the option to turn off aftertouch per zone, which should not be too hard to resolve in the software. Only Nektar didn’t.
Thank you for the review John Mike. I have two questions: If I want to spend around $300-350 (or less) for simple home use, which keyboard would you purchase? Second question, which specific "adapter" are you using to connect the keyboard to the Mac? Thanks again! EDIT: I think I got my answer watching your other videos. I don't need all of the controls, I just need the basic 88 keys, semi-weighted, etc.
Is it possible to use two assignable expression pedals on this GXP? One for expression and one assignable to use as modulation ? Or maybe to control separately the volume of two different layers through mainstage?
How does the keybed feel compared to the LX88+ ? I have the LX88+ and I love the feel of the white keys (similar to my main board Kurzweil PC3) but the black keys have awful stiffness to them which makes it impossible to play any quiet stuff, you either get no sound at all or too loud velocity. Thanks a lot in advance, love your content!
@@jamescuttsmusicjcm5013 Yes, I kept it and still have it, it's way better than the LX88+. Also the white keys feel even better too. After having it for months now I'm still very happy with it, but the black keys still could in fact be a tad better, it's an upgrade from lx88+ definitely but I sometimes find myself getting a bit too high velocity from the black keys compared to the white, so it's not as good as my main board Kurzweil PC3, but then again that is 3x the price even as a second hand. So for this price point the GXP88 is easily the best semi-weighted money can buy, no even contest tbh.
@@blacksheep806 Thanks for the quick reply. I took the plunge and ordered it, because I figured if I really need to I will write some code to make the black keys less responsive. Hahaha. I really want that aftertouch. Since I get 30 days to return it no questions asked I figured I would give it a shot. Only one way to know really. I don't have a bigger budget right now so... yeah. I suppose you get what you pay for at the end of the day, but I am coming from a Keystation 88 and I have it in the garage because I just hate it so much. Could not get on with it, but I have heard that this has much better keys in comparison to it. I actually went back to an acorn masterkey 49 because it was THAT bad. LOL.
hey mike, can i ask you some question about TRANSPOSED BUTTON on this keyboard? If I use the Roland RD 88 as a MIDI Keys on Abelton Live, will it work to TRANSPOSTED any Chord to play as you did on this Nektar Impact GXP88? thanks.
With any luck, the extra weight comes from an extra-strong frame. The weights on the weighted keys, if it had them, wouldn't add up to THAT much extra mass.
One other feature tat all MIDI keyboards shud have is, having a audio over USB.. just plug your iPad or iphone and just take an out from midi to mixer...
That would not be sensible. A “MIDI keyboard” has no audio source of its own, so it could not provide any audio over USB. And it has no other means to import audio from other sources. What you are referring at are regular “music keyboards” having their own audio generator. And indeed for them it would be an asset.
Thank You for your time Mike..! So, should I go for this one in 2021 in this price range.? I don't care about Faders and knobs, I just want playable keys that doesn't feel too far from Real Piano!
I got this keyboard, in part, because it was the only 88-key controller with Aftertouch within $200 of this price. I’m just setting up my studio. I got the Akai MPK249 to work with the DAW (all the knobs and whatnot) and this just to learn to play piano and (eventually) to lay down some piano keyboard tracks. One thing I don’t understand...why does a full keyboard need an octave changer? Anyway, I appreciate your reviews. Thanks, man.
It’s just traditional for a midi controller to have one...but it can be used for zoning...so say someone is using this as a secondary board for aux(live) and they want to have a sound that they want to play an octave lower for comfort while playing two boards...that’s where it would come in handy...it’s one of those things that it’s better to have it and not need it...than to need it and not have it
@@Johnmike Thanks for the reply. I can understand the workflow argument, I guess I would use a more fully featured controller with sliders, knobs, and buttons if I wasn’t using my 88 for more than to be able to play a full piano (or other mapped instrument). I ordered my APK248 on 2/16 and it just got out of Memphis last night. So much for Fed Ex air! That’s the one I got for when I want more control along with the keyboard. Thanks again for all you do!
Hi mike, I’m looking for a midi keyboard like this but on a tighter budget. All I want is a repeater, weighted keys and other basic controls. What do you recommend?
I’ve been waiting to get one of these. Firstly weight is intentional, original m audio 88 v1 bent in the middle cause it’s so long and plastic. Secondly it’s got aftertouch which also contributes to the weight, a much desirable feature mainly only found in much more expensive fatar Keybeds. Thirdly most midi keyboards don’t have two pedal jacks. Assignable to soft piano pedal and sustain. On paper this looks extremely feature rich for the money.BUT how does it actually feel? If it’s anything like novation impulse, I’m sold on it! For features it’s either this or massive jump to Roland a88mk2 for 3 times the price. Or Maudio 88 mk3 just out , with less features.
The jury is still out for me on the feel...I have been using it for a few weeks and will give an update soon...but definitely not like the impulse...aftertouch is a cool feature...but overall...definitely has a ton of features for the price...I’m still deciding on how I feel about it overall
@@Johnmike thanks the gradient slope on the keys I hadn’t realised and I am kind of put off with smaller form factor keys, bit like studio logic Numa compact, when line the keys up with another keyboard with full size keys it’s misaligned which can cause performance mistakes. So now I am thinking arturia a88mkiii for daw control or Roland a88 mkii for small depth when lining up with another 61key novation on top
@@Johnmike I finally got one today. First impressions are pretty good. I had to immediately change velocity curve settings as I was using it with a few VSTs and found that playing runs some notes were missed (not enough pressure to make sound) default setting is probably good if you are a heavy handed piano player. I also immediately changed the transpose buttons to perform up and down midi channel instead. Quite useful for multiple VSTs on different midi channels. Next I used a moog VST that receives after touch pressure and i found that for after touch it’s better than the novation(where I almost felt I was breaking the keys to make AT work). Anyway thanks for your advice and help.
Has Nektar fixed the inconsistency with the velocity of the black keys? So many reports over the years with the black keys being a bit off compared to the white keys.
As far as I can tell this doesn’t have. A velocity issue like the others...which might be the reason for the slanted keys...I need to test it more to get a better feel of it
@@Johnmike Could you please edit that reply so it's more definitive? I'm assuming the keyboard doesn't have the velocity issue and the period and capital "A" are typographical errors. I've been looking at that keyboard and velocity issues are a deal breaker.
Thanks for doing this review John! I read that this Midi is designed for Cubase which piqued my interest. However since I use Ableton as well, I'm still thinking whether I should get this or Novation Mk3.
@@Johnmike Hello, John thank you so much for replying to a new comment! As a keys player, do you prefer Novation's keys over Nektar's? Thanks again for reading my comment! Hope you have a great day ahead!
great review as always - thanks ! i would be interested in the DAW integration regarding the patch/preset change which would make it easy to try out different sounds. btw: maybe you might want to fix your table. i am always afraid it will break any moment when i see it wobbling ;-)
You mentioned you may use this for live gigs, so how would you do that, run it through a laptop then out to some type of cube / keyboard amp for stage volume ?
John Mike , very good review. !!! Gonna invest n me one. Had been looking for an ole m-audio pro-keys 88sx , but this particular controller I can MIDI to my iOS devices for playing.,gigging etc.. Thx a million
You mention that the keys are narrow and not ”full full sized”. Do you mean that in addition to them being in an angle, they are not standard full sized keys?
The Black Keys on the Nektar keybeds are narrower but the spacing between them are the same as FS keybeads. Dame on the Panorama T series. Comparing to a piano or my old Axiom 61 - they feel good and are very playable (says me - a non pianist).
Hi MIKE, please what is your favourite key station semi weight and full weight ?? i cheek some know. Arturia essential no good, Launchkey good but i wait on nektar gxp88. what about m audio ? which better feel keys?
Appreciate the info dude....but come on,man....a grievance with the weight of the thing...really? 18lbs for an 88 key is nothing and totally gig-able. Besides,you don't want something that is so light,that it goes flying off of your desk if you accidentally elbow the side of it. By the way.....this keyboard comes with Cubase LE,not Bitwig.
@@Johnmike As did mine. Not a fan of Cubase(a very versatile & useful DAW)....but not at all intuitive & a terrible pain in the ass. I use Reason & Studio One.
