Nektar unveil Impact LX mk3 MIDI keyboards

Published 18/7/25

New models boast advanced DAW & plug-in integration

Nektar have announced the upcoming launch of the Impact LX mk3 series, a new range of four MIDI controller keyboards. Boasting re-engineered keybeds and a wealth of DAW and software instrument integration, the new additions to the range promise to offer an expressive playing experience while providing plenty of hands-on control.

The Impact LX is available in 25-, 49-, 61- and 88-key variants: the LX25, LX49, LX61 and LX88. The 88-note model is fitted with a semi-weighted keybed based on the company’s GXP88, and the three smaller models offer a lighter synth-style action. All four feature eight assignable drum pads and nine rotary encoders, and the LX49, LX61 and LX88 also benefit from eight 30mm faders, providing an array of hands-on control over software and hardware instruments.

There are plenty of performance-focused features too, including Chord and Scale modes that can be combined to ensure chords only contain notes that fall within a selected scale. There’s also a Hold mode that’s capable of producing perfect legatos, with new notes replacing previously played ones, as well as offering a ‘flexible sustain’ mode where new notes can be added or removed while other keys continue to play normally.

DAW Integration

The Impact LX mk3 offers tight integration with Ableton Live Suite, Bitwig Studio, Cakewalk/Sonar, Cubase (13 or higher), FL Studio, Garageband, Nuendo,, Logic Pro (10.8 or higher), Reason, Reaper and Studio One (5 or higher). Users of those DAWs can carry out the following tasks from their LX controller:

Create loops or navigate your DAW using the LED buttons.
Record freely and have the looper automatically create your loop.
Click any parameter and control it instantly.
Control a DAW mixer’s channel volume, pan, sends, mute and solo.
Control plugi-n instruments.
Seamlessly switch to NKS control on track selection.
Navigate tracks and DAW functions.

Thanks to NKS support, users of Native Instruments software (and third-party NKS-enabled offerings) will enjoy enhanced integration with their LX controller.

Bitwig Offer

To celebrate the launch of Impact LX mk3, Bitwig and Nektar are giving away a complete copy of Bitwig Studio Essentials (worth $99.99) to the first 500 registered Impact LX mk3 users.