Nektar Impact Lx25 Ableton tutorial - connect, setup & midi map

The Nektar Impact Lx25 is a versatile midi keyboard and when used alongside Ableton Live, it's an incredible tool filled with potential. This midi keyboard is equipped with plenty of features that make it the perfect companion to Ableton Live.

This tutorial will teach you everything needed in order to use the Nektar Impact Lx25 with Ableton Live, including the processes of linking, setting up and midi mapping the Impact Lx25.

Article Contents

Does the Nektar Impact Lx25 work with Ableton Live?
Does the Nektar Impact Lx25 come with ableton Live included?
How to connect the Impact Lx25 to ableton
How to midi map the Nektar Impact Lx25 in Ableton Live
The Limitations of midi mapping the Impact Lx25
Why can’t I hear my Push in Ableton Live?

Does the Nektar Impact Lx25 work with Ableton Live?

In a nutshell, the Nektar Impact Lx25 is able to work fully with Ableton Live.

Despite the absence of a built-in MIDI remote script within Ableton Live, users can still use the Impact Lx25 to midi map to numerous functions in the software.

Any edition of Ableton Live, from Intro to Suite, will be compatible with any device that transmits MIDI data. This works for all editions of Live, for instance 9, 10, and 11. As the Impact Lx25 is a MIDI enabled device, it will work with Ableton Live.

Making your own midi mappings is a breeze with Ableton Live, which gives you the ability to control a lot of components of the software with your Impact Lx25.

Does the Nektar Impact Lx25 come with ableton Live included?

Ableton Live Lite isn't included with the Impact Lx25, so this must be bought separately.

There are three main versions of Ableton Live: Intro, Standard and Suite. Even though Intro and Standard are both effective, Suite offers a lot more, including 70GB of library sounds, compared to Standard's 10GB.

Ableton Live Suite includes many more Audio and MIDI effects compared to Standard, so if you want to ensure you have everything, we recommend going with Ableton Live Suite.

How to connect the Impact Lx25 to ableton

Connecting and setting up the Nektar Impact Lx25 with Ableton Live is a relatively simple process, once you have the 2 linked together you will be able to control parameters of the software from your midi keyboard.

1. Connect the Impact Lx25 to your computer via USB.
First, connect the USB cable to both the Impact Lx25 and your computer.
2. Launch Ableton Live and open the MIDI preferences.
Double click the Ableton Live icon to launch the software. Then, in the top menu of Ableton, go to the Preferences menu by opening the ‘Live’ menu and clicking ‘Preferences’.
3. Select the Impact Lx25 from the list of available devices.
Click the the MIDI Sync tab, make sure that Input and Output for the Impact Lx25 are checked.
4. Ensure that the ‘Track’, ‘Remote’ and ‘Sync’ boxes are all checked.
In the ‘MIDI’ section of this tab, make sure the ‘Track’ and ‘Remote’ boxes are checked for both the Input and Output of the Impact Lx25 (Sync can also be optionally checked).

The Impact Lx25 is all set and can now be used with Ableton Live.

How to midi map the akai mpk mini in Ableton Live

Upon making a successful connection between the Nektar Impact Lx25 and Ableton Live using the instructions above, you can now use MIDI mapping to allocate the physical knobs, pads, keys etc on the device to their respective functions in Ableton Live like this:

1. Select the MIDI Map Mode button in the top right corner of the Live window. The button should turn orange, indicating that the MIDI Map Mode is enabled.
2. Select the parameter you wish to control in Ableton by clicking it with the cursor, the parameter will become highlighted.
3. Move a control on the Impact Lx25, such as a knob or fader.
4. The parameter you selected is now mapped to the physical control which you moved on the Impact Lx25.
5. Moving the physical control on your Impact Lx25 will now move the position of the corresponding parameter in Ableton.
6. Repeat steps 2 - 4 for any other parameters you wish to map.
7. When you’re finished mapping, press the MIDI Map Mode button again to disable it.

The Limitations of midi mapping the Impact Lx25

Ableton's midi mapping system provides a great way to quickly customize your Impact Lx25, though it does have a few limitations to be mindful of...

Saving your Impact Lx25 Midi Mappings is cumbersome

Mappings are saved along with your Ableton session. Therefore, if a new session is created, you must re-map all of your controls.

Ableton MIDI mappings are one-to-one

Through a one-to-one MIDI mapping, each control on your Impact Lx25 can only be assigned to 1 parameter in Ableton Live.

Limited Ableton parameter options to map to

Unfortunately, Ableton's internal midi mapping mode does not provide every control option, so options such as controlling the selected track or selected device aren't possible. A full list of Ableton midi mapping options can be found here.

We have a great solution to these problems

If you're looking to get the most out of your Impact Lx25, our Ableton Midi Script Creator tool 'Control Surface Studio' is exactly what you need!
With it, you'll be able to:
- save and re-use your Impact Lx25's mappings across all of your Ableton Live sessions,
- map multiple Ableton parameters to a single control on your Impact Lx25,
- access many more Ableton parameter controls for your Impact Lx25, than Live's internal midi mapping mode allows.

Learn more about Control Surface Studio and see how it can help you by clicking here!

FAQ / Troubleshooting

Why can't I hear my Impact Lx25 in Ableton Live?

There are several possible causes:
1. Make sure that the Impact Lx25 is connected properly to your computer via USB and that the cable is not damaged.
2. Make sure that the Impact Lx25 is selected as your audio input and output device in your audio settings.
3. Make sure that the correct driver is installed for the Impact Lx25.
4. Make sure that the Impact Lx25 is selected as the input device in Ableton's MIDI Preferences.