Sequence question

I got an MPC today and I have read the manual many times before I actually received the thing, as well as today. So no flaming for asking this question, please! I have two questions -
1, Is it possible to set a sample to loop without having to hold it down with NOTE ON all the time?
2, Do sequences have to be rounded up to a full bar? Because I have breaks I want to use that are, say, 1.5 bars long and so if I set the sequence containing the phrase to repeat in SONG mode, there is always a half-bar gap. Is it possible to set a sequence length as a value between whole bars? I suspected something to do with Step-Edit may be something to do with this, but I can't figure it out.
Before this MPC1000 I had an S-20 and before that a DR Sample 202 so, as you can imagine, it's all a little daunting. Anyways, HELP A BROTHER OUT!

1 ) Nah you ain't got no hold button.
2 ) use time signatures , if you set the first bar to 4/4 and the second one to 2/4 you get a 1.5 bar sequence
Tsig can be found in the main screen next to the bpm , just select it with the cursor and press the window button.
Greetz...

Thanks, I never thought of using the Time sigs. Got a lot to learn, I guess. Cheers!

Hehe , yeah , i figured out the Tsig Two days ago myself.
I have the mpc1K for 6 months now.
You always find something new when you read thru the manual.
Greetz...