Nektar Impact Lx88 Ableton tutorial - connect, setup & midi map

The Nektar Impact Lx88 is a highly versatile midi controller and is a powerful instrument when used in combination with Ableton Live. This midi keyboard has a great selection of features that make it perfect for your Ableton Live setup.

In this tutorial you will learn everything you need to know about using the Nektar Impact Lx88 with Ableton Live. including how to connect, setup and midi map the Impact Lx88.

Article Contents

Does the Nektar Impact Lx88 work with Ableton Live?
Does the Nektar Impact Lx88 come with ableton Live included?
How to connect the Impact Lx88 to ableton
How to midi map the Nektar Impact Lx88 in Ableton Live
The Limitations of midi mapping the Impact Lx88
Why can’t I hear my Push in Ableton Live?

Does the Nektar Impact Lx88 work with Ableton Live?

To put it briefly, the Nektar Impact Lx88 is compatible with Ableton Live.

Although Ableton Live doesn’t provide a default MIDI remote script within its software for it, the Impact Lx88 can still be midi mapped to many functions within the software.

All versions of Ableton Live, Intro, Lite, standard and suite can be used in conjunction with pretty much any device which sends MIDI data, and it will work with all versions of Live such as 9, 10 and 11. As the Impact Lx88 is a MIDI enabled device it will be fully compatible with Ableton.

You can create your own Ableton midi mappings with ease, giving you the power to control many of the features of Ableton Live with your Impact Lx88.

Does the Nektar Impact Lx88 come with ableton Live included?

Ableton Live Lite is not included with the Impact Lx88, therefore it 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 Lx88 to ableton

Linking the Nektar Impact Lx88 to Ableton Live is a simple process, and when you have them connected you can control the software's parameters from your midi keyboard.

1. Connect the Impact Lx88 to your computer via USB.
First, connect the USB cable to both the Impact Lx88 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 Lx88 from the list of available devices.
Click the the MIDI Sync tab, make sure that Input and Output for the Impact Lx88 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 Lx88 (Sync can also be optionally checked).

The Impact Lx88 is now ready for use with Ableton Live.

How to midi map the akai mpk mini in Ableton Live

After you have connected the Nektar Impact Lx88 to Ableton Live with the aforementioned steps, you can now use MIDI mapping to link up the physical knobs, pads, keys etc on the device to their corresponding features in Ableton Live:

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 Lx88, such as a knob or fader.
4. The parameter you selected is now mapped to the physical control which you moved on the Impact Lx88.
5. Moving the physical control on your Impact Lx88 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 Lx88

Ableton's midi mapping system provides a great way to quickly customize your Impact Lx88, though it does have a few limitations to be mindful of...

Saving your Impact Lx88 Midi Mappings is cumbersome

Saving your mappings can be a problem as mappings are saved with an Ableton session, so if you start a new session you will need to re-map your controls again.

Ableton MIDI mappings are one-to-one

A one-to-one MIDI mapping means that each control on your Impact Lx88 can only be assigned to a single Ableton Live parameter.

Limited Ableton parameter options to map to

Ableton’s internal midi mapping mode is unfortunately missing many control options. Options such as selected track and selected device control aren’t possible using this method. You can see a list of all available Ableton midi mapping options here.

We have a great solution to these problems

If you're looking to get the most out of your Impact Lx88, 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 Lx88's mappings across all of your Ableton Live sessions,
- map multiple Ableton parameters to a single control on your Impact Lx88,
- access many more Ableton parameter controls for your Impact Lx88, 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 Lx88 in Ableton Live?

There are several possible causes:
1. Make sure that the Impact Lx88 is connected properly to your computer via USB and that the cable is not damaged.
2. Make sure that the Impact Lx88 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 Lx88.
4. Make sure that the Impact Lx88 is selected as the input device in Ableton's MIDI Preferences.