Nektar Impact Gxp 88 Ableton tutorial – connect, setup & midi map

The Nektar Impact Gxp 88 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.

This guide will provide you with all the knowledge necessary to utilize the Nektar Impact Gxp 88 with Ableton Live, which includes how to connect, configure and midi map the Impact Gxp 88.

Article Contents

Does the Nektar Impact Gxp 88 work with Ableton Live?
Does the Nektar Impact Gxp 88 come with ableton Live included?
How to connect the Impact Gxp 88 to ableton
How to midi map the Nektar Impact Gxp 88 in Ableton Live
The Limitations of midi mapping the Impact Gxp 88
Why can’t I hear my Push in Ableton Live?

Does the Nektar Impact Gxp 88 work with Ableton Live?

In short, yes, the Nektar Impact Gxp 88 is compatible with Ableton Live.

Although Ableton Live doesn’t provide a default MIDI remote script within its software for it, the Impact Gxp 88 can still be midi mapped to many functions within the software.

All forms of Ableton Live, Intro, Lite, Standard and Suite, can work with practically any instrument that sends out MIDI data, and it will be compatible with all versions of Live such as 9, 10 and 11. Due to this, the Impact Gxp 88 will be usable with Ableton Live.

Creating your own midi mappings in Ableton is simple, and gives you the ability to control a variety of Ableton Live’s components with your Impact Gxp 88.

Does the Nektar Impact Gxp 88 come with ableton Live included?

Ableton Live Lite is not included with the Impact Gxp 88, 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 Gxp 88 to ableton

Connecting the Nektar Impact Gxp 88 with Ableton Live is pretty simple, and when the two are linked you’ll be able to adjust the software’s parameters from your midi keyboard.

1. Connect the Impact Gxp 88 to your computer via USB.
First, connect the USB cable to both the Impact Gxp 88 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 Gxp 88 from the list of available devices.
Click the the MIDI Sync tab, make sure that Input and Output for the Impact Gxp 88 are checked.
4. Ensure that the proper ‘Track’, ‘Remote’ and ‘Sync’ boxes are checked for both input and output.

Track: When checked, this allows MIDI notes and CC messages to be sent/received.
Sync: This option enables MIDI clock syncing between Ableton live and the external device.
Remote: Allows external MIDI controllers to remotely control parameters within Ableton Live.

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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 Gxp 88 (Sync can also be optionally checked).

The Impact Gxp 88 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 Gxp 88 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 Gxp 88, such as a knob or fader.
4. The parameter you selected is now mapped to the physical control which you moved on the Impact Gxp 88.
5. Moving the physical control on your Impact Gxp 88 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 Gxp 88

With Ableton’s midi mapping system, you can swiftly map your Impact Gxp 88, however, you must be aware of a few restrictions…

Saving your Impact Gxp 88 Midi Mappings is cumbersome

When saving an Ableton session, your mappings will be saved as part of that session. Therefore, if you create a new session, you will need to remap your controls.

Ableton MIDI mappings are one-to-one

A one-to-one MIDI mapping means that each control on your Impact Gxp 88 can only be assigned to a single Ableton Live parameter.

Limited Ableton parameter options to map to

When using Ableton’s internal midi mapping mode, unfortunately now all options are available, controls such as selected track and selected device control aren’t currently possible. View a full list of 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 Gxp 88, 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 Gxp 88’s mappings across all of your Ableton Live sessions,
– map multiple Ableton parameters to a single control on your Impact Gxp 88,
– access many more Ableton parameter controls for your Impact Gxp 88, 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 Gxp 88 in Ableton Live?

There are several possible causes:
1. Make sure that the Impact Gxp 88 is connected properly to your computer via USB and that the cable is not damaged.
2. Make sure that the Impact Gxp 88 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 Gxp 88.
4. Make sure that the Impact Gxp 88 is selected as the input device in Ableton’s MIDI Preferences.