Setting number of bars on a looped sample

Hey, just started working on my mpc 500 and my main problem is that I have many one shot samples, but some samples that I want to loop, to match the project's tempo. How can I do that? I have tried the stretch function but it's not very precise, is it? Is there a way to stretch a sample but hear a preview of the new sample before saving it?
Any help appreciated!

Thanks in advance!

Use tap tempo to find the tempo of your sample. Then use one of the calculators on here http://mp3.deepsound.net/eng/samples_calculs.php to see how much you need to stretch your sample to fit your project tempo. Pitch shift can be used too, it will increase/decrease the pitch and tempo of your sample, but it sounds less digital than the 500's timestretch.

Yes, that's what I'm doing, but the tap tempo isn't very precise, so for example: I tap the tempo 73bpm, in the trim mode I choose stretch, set the original tiem to 73, the new time to 90 and it's not 100% match, and then I need to go back, try a different tempo...This takes a lot of time, if only I had a way to preview the new sample (with the stretch), before saving it...

Set the tap average to 4 or 6 or 8. It's in the manual, I'm not by my MPC. But it will be more accurate than standard.

You can also get computer programs involved, but I think it's all very doable on the 500.

yea putting the tap tempo average on 8 should help tremendously. I wish I had that option on the 2kxl but it only goes up to 4. Still better than the default 2 tho.

I thought it went to 8, I was mistaken. Just 4

damn 8 would deffinatly be nice lol. I dont even use tap tempo tho inless im starting with my own drum track with single shots. I usually just set loop to on and loop the whole bar/2bars and then itll give me a readout of the bpm. I dont think they have that feature on the 500 tho.

You need to make sure that your loopable phrase is cut EXACTLY to the bar, else it won't stretch in time. Practice setting those loop points!

Usually what I do, after I trimmed my sample, I record it in a sequence. During overdub I adjust the BPM until the metronome sounds perfectly in sync with the sample. When I got the right BPM, I go to timestretch, set the origin with the newly discovered BPM, then go to new and adjust a new BPM: either to slow it or speed it up.

Ill-Green wrote:Usually what I do, after I trimmed my sample, I record it in a sequence. During overdub I adjust the BPM until the metronome sounds perfectly in sync with the sample. When I got the right BPM, I go to timestretch, set the origin with the newly discovered BPM, then go to new and adjust a new BPM: either to slow it or speed it up.

Thats a pretty good method.