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Nektar

GX Mini £60

Web nektartech.com

Gear USB mini MIDI keyboard

Nektar’s SE25 mini controller keyboard impressed us a few issues back and “packs a lot more punch than its size promises – a great mobile controller, simple as that”. That said, we once accidentally called it the GX Mini, so here’s the real GX Mini on test – stand up Spartacus! Both feature Nektar’s velocitysensitive keybed with three velocity curves to choose from – rare playability at this price point and size. Both also feature the company’s Part 2 feature where you can instantly transfer control to another MIDI setup instantly – great for performances. And both have Bitwig 8-Track included and can also handle DAW control, although GX Mini boasts more transport controls. It also has an extra mini joystick for pitch bend and modulation duties (done with the Octave buttons on the SE25), and an expression pedal input (rare again). It’s bigger but we’d probably spend the extra 20 quid for those extras.