MPC 5000 to use for live backing tracks?

Hello all,
I recently had a brand-new MPC 5000 thrust upon me by the management of the band I work with, and after trying to figure it out on my own for a few weeks I am seeking outside help from you wonderful people.

So here's what I need it to do:
The band has song-length audio files of stems that are played behind the band's live show (stuff like synth tracks and backing vocals that we just don't have enough people to do live). We were using Pro Tools LE and a Digi002, but the laptop was having trouble with crashing, so the management sprung for a sampler.

Each song has two stereo audio files associated with it. There is one track of a mixdown of all the instruments, and a second track that is just click. I need to be able to have one output with click (this feeds my performers' in-ear monitors) and one output without it (this feeds the house mains), so that the audience can't hear click but the musicians can. There are something like 9 songs total (but we'll be adding more).

Additionally, I need to be able to switch from one song to the next quickly during the show (<30 seconds).

After only a week my MPC manual is starting to get dog-eared from all the flipping through it I'm doing, but I'm still not sure of the best way to accomplish this. I'm sure that the machine is more than able to do everything I need it to, but there's just so much to learn about it that I'm starting to get frustrated. Because I'm kind of going outside of the device's intended use, it's not easy to figure out how to get what I want out of it.

So you tell me: what's the best way to do what I'm trying to do? Should I use Song Mode, or just have several programs that I trigger using the pads, or... what?

Yes, you would use SONG MODE. Simply copy your stereo .wav files to the 5000 hard drive via usb, then import them to tracks 1 & 2 and 3 & 4 of a song (it will split a stereo file for you). Route the click to one of the 8 individual outs and keep tracks 1 & 2 routed to the main outs. If your running a stereo FOA you will of course want to pan your stereo tracks hard L and R. You can also mix and automate these tracks and have all that saved for the next next show. Saving ENTIRE memory will save all this data to one folder which you can autoload each time you turn on the 5000.

An issue I have with the 5000 is there are only 20 SONGS available for this purpose. A work around is to just tack on the next song after the first one in SONG1 (which is slightly tedious in itself). You'll of course have to press stop after the first song is done then press play to get the next song rolling.

Most folks are just using the 5000 as a glorified 2500 making 2 measure beats with samples and never touch the HD record or synth. Glad you're venturing into other uses. I also use it for live backing tracks and find it pretty cool. Good luck.

Hey... so do i Zuck...glad to see more peeps trying this with live performances... I just had one in Atlanta on Saturday at the AMC Conference. Although one time, i did load the .aps program, and all the files didnt load up... so you might wanna do a song check right after it loads up to make sure everything is there. But its been pretty OK so far.

I am also glad to see people using it for this purpose. It's exactly what I am trying to do having just purchased one. My manual is starting to look pretty worn too!

Did you find a good method for "switching to the next song in less than 30 seconds"? - For example is it possible to have a midi control command tell the MPC to play the "next" song. Is there a concept of song order? Something like a setlist control file would be great. Does it exist?

I understanding the work-around of combining multiple songs into the same song and using stop and play commands. But I would prefer to keep song order flexibility from gig to gig.

Thanks!