Using MPC as a groove box (noob question)

Hey everyone, this is my first post. I just got my first MPC, a used 500 and I've been messing with it for a few weeks.

I haven't been able to figure out how to use it as I want, and I'm not sure if it's possible with the 500. I want to sync it to a hardware sequencer and record analog synth loops to pads. I want the loops to record an exact number of measures, so I don't have to edit or trim them. I want to assign these loops as I'm making them to pads so that I can keep loops going while I'm recording new ones so I can layer on the fly. I basically just want the pad to function as an on off switch, but will only turn on and off at the start or stop of a two measure bar, or whatever.

Is this possible with the 500? OR do I need to upgrade? Or is this not at all possible with an MPC?

I'm afraid this is not what MPCs are made for. You will have to edit and trim. What you want to do is more in the corner of a Boss RC-20, RC-50 or Electro Harmonix 2880.

Naw, a loop pedal isn't what I need. Loop pedals don't follow midi clocks. I'd still be timing stomps, I want perfect digital timing. Is there really no way to set an MPC to record a specific phrase/amount of time? Seems like it would be a simple feature...

ableton and apc40 is what you need

but if you want to do it on mpc my guess is mpc1000 or 2500 and JJos

A Kaoss Pad 3 will do all this with the following caveats: it only has four sample pads, and if you use the effects then the whole output is put through the effects. But it will sync to MIDI and start/stop on the beat as you require, and you can resample the pads as they play to bounce tracks down and add more. If you look on Youtube you should find a few examples of people doing this.

It'd most likely be a compromise for you because I imagine you wanted the 12 pads of the 500 to all be working with these kind of loops, but it's an option if you don't want to take the laptop / PC route.

There's also a Yamaha sampler that does this, I believe - the SU700. It's an older piece of kit, though, and you'd be most likely working with floppies or zips. It does look interesting, though, I'd like to try one.

Thanks for the suggestions. I'd like this with an MPC because of 12 pads yes, 4 banks of 12 pads. I guess I'll keep looking and hoping that a feature like this gets added to an MPC OS sometime soon.

I'd say if it's going to happen at all it's going to happen in JJ on the 1K or 25K - probably the closest you'll get with the 500 is using it to trigger a software sampler like Live...

You exactly described Ableton Live. Like konc3pt said I'd go with Ableton and APC 40. You'd have more than 12 pads.

I think I know what you are trying to achieve...(you -and me too- would like to record loops of x-bars, we don't want to record x seconds)

I'll make an easy example.

Let's say you make a tune in 120BPM.
If you want to record 1 measure, you'll need to record (60sec/120BPM)*4beats = 2 seconds and you'll have a perfectly 1 bar loop. For 2 bars you have to record 4 seonds, and so on. No need to edit.

Extrapolate this formula for other BPM's and you're set. (#seconds to record for one loop = (60/BPM)*4)
This is how I do it (my BPM is most of the time more then 120BPM but I record 2 seconds anyway)

You do have a problem when your recording starts with silence...