On Loops: A Question, A Concern, and A Shortcut

Hi all,
I'm new to the MPC1000, have JJOS3.12. Here's the deal:
I recorded a beat-based rock album, and am integrating the beats, ambient sounds, and odd melodies that we recorded into the live show by creating clips of those sounds in Acid and loading them onto the MPC. So far, so good.

I've scoured the internet for an easy solution to looping beats with little success. I found a few posts that mention "LOOP & HOLD", which sounds perfect but I CAN'T FIND IT. It does not exist on the MPC1000/JJOS3.12 combination as far as I can tell.

Should I drop $100 on the upgrade? I think I have found a shortcut. Let me explain...
I decided to set up a footswitch so the drummer can remotely control the looped beat, then I can play the pads. The shortcut to looping indefinitely is to throw the sample on, say, Bank B, as a NOTE ON sample, then go into Trim Mode and set it as a Loop. Now trigger the sample with the footswitch and switch over to Bank A (wherever all the other samples are) and then let go of the footswitch. The Bank B sample will continue to loop INDEFINITELY. Cool, huh?

Is this the only way to loop? Seems ridiculous. Unfortunately, I can't figure out how to SAVE the changes I make to a sample in Trim Mode- the only change being I set it as a loop. I don't want to have to do this for every song in a set before a live show. Won't take more than a couple minutes but it seems unnecessary.

In summation:
1) With this configuration of hardware/software, is there an easier way to loop?
2) Sequences might be the way to go, but they seem a bit more limiting in terms of being flexible for a live show. Please advise.
3) The Bank Switching shortcut, which I discovered yesterday, has saved the life of my MPC. It's a workable solution, and handy for jamming, but not the optimal solution.

Thanks for any input, and hope you find the shortcut handy if you didn't already know about it.

-Daniel Brown of X-Ray Cat
http://www.wearexraycat.com

On 3.1,4.99 etc :To trigger a loop from a pad, so that it continually loops, you have to use the workaround you mentioned- or the others like it ( e.g note on> hit pad>press track mute>release pad. This is a well know quirk of the os, that makes it ignore the note off message)

Jjos2xl can do this using the loop+hold feature. This a per pad setting like 'one shot' and 'note on'. Os2xl is also packed with other stuff that's great for live playing e.g midi control of tracks,buttons, a looper mode, midi wait and pad pattern.( With pad pattern for instance you can trigger a 'loop hold' midi sequence with sample one shots, for if you wanted to change tempo of your loop, for instance)

2xl is well worth the money if you want to get creative live. My live stuff practically depends on it!

switchem wrote:1) With this configuration of hardware/software, is there an easier way to loop?
2) Sequences might be the way to go, but they seem a bit more limiting in terms of being flexible for a live show. Please advise.
3) The Bank Switching shortcut, which I discovered yesterday, has saved the life of my MPC. It's a workable solution, and handy for jamming, but not the optimal solution.

1. are you using patched phrases at all? Gives you ability to tempo match live in realtime. I would use footswitch for tempo from drummer as well. this way you can play any tempo live and even change the tempo live no problems and your looped samples will stay in time. But this is with sequencer running, but you dont have to actually write anything in the sequencer - it can be blank and just be used for tempo and so everything plays in time. I would have to check but I am sure if you set the loop on in trim window and set in program to note on, dosnt it loop?? Or put patched phrases in sequence in different tracks for each sample and a different sequence for each song. This way you can use mute track for samples and you can name them as well, great for live dark stages. As I said im working from memory. There are lots about JJOSXL that is worth the money but if dont use it, say like the sequencer its hard to justify. Though I got it and its great, it might be overkill for some. Its like I cant not recommend JJOSXL, but you should be able to achieve quite a bit whith what you got. drummer excepted of course

^^^
i'm pretty sure patch phrases have to be retriggered on JJOS, the akai os has the continous looping option. You can create Pad patterns similar to patch phrases though- the benefit with that is looping samples can fill up gaps between notes - and you dont get that choppiness you get with patch phrases.

yeah for patch phrase its best to chop in auto mode. it will sound better as its chopping at the transients of the wave and is less stuttered sounding, instead f the straight chop