MPC2000XL - Sync mode and Mixer section question

I’ve been using the MPC for a while now and there are a couple of things that bug me slightly.

The way I use the MPC is by running it in loop mode synced with Midi Clock using Cubase.

I have noticed that when the MPC is in ‘Play’ mode and running alongside Cubase it is not possible to key new Drum Pad notes in using ‘Overdub’ whilst its in motion. If I want to hit a few extra new notes and add to the groove and record them in to the MPC I have to actually press ‘Stop’ first before it will allow me to enter ‘Overdub’ mode.

It would be a lot better if when its in Midi clock loop mode syncing with Cubase I can just hit ‘Overdub’ whilst it is in sequence and key in my new notes, is this not possible, perhaps I’m missing a global setting or something?

MPC – the other thing I’ve noticed that I can’t quite figure out why its happening is regarding Stereo and Mono channels in the ‘Mixer’ section.

After I’ve assigned my WAV sounds to their individual drum pads I enter the ‘Mixer’ section to assign each sound and drum pad to its relevant output (I have the 8 outputs board fitted) I have noticed that sometimes I can only select a stereo channel and sometimes I can select only a Mono channel???

Is it possible to specify each channel to a Mono or Stereo, what ever I prefer, rather than let the MPC decide?

if the sample is stereo, you can go into TRIM mode and convert that sample into MONO. it will split the left and right channel up and you can change the pad to whichever side you want to use. then go back into the mixer screen and it will display as mono (in other words, will only let you select 1 channel instead of 2)

to convert a sample, I usually go into PROGRAM mode, hit the pad I want to change, then go into TRIM mode. Highlight the name field, hit open window, convert

so basically the MPC will analize the sample first before it gives it a stereo or mono channel setting.

The weird thing is thats what I thought it might be so I did an exercise only importing Stereo.wav files and it did the same thing and some came in as Mono and some as stereo?????

some as mono and some as stereo? hmm..well, when you load a sample into your machine it should already know wether or not its mono/stereo. and if the sample is stereo, then the mixer screen will only let you route that pad to 2 channels (1/2, 5/6, 7/8, etc...). If the sample was mono then the mixer screen would let you select 1 channel (1, 3, 5, 7, etc..)