Emu XL-7 & MP-7 User's Group

Right now, when doing step entry, the only way I know of to enter a
rest instead of a note is to take my hands (and eyes) off the keyboard
and tweak the clock with a move of the Big Knob.  (And that's only if
I have the cursor in the right place, ahead of time.)

Is there some easier way?  Sometimes I just hit a note a couple
octaves above or below the range I'm working, with an eye to
after-the-fact cuts, but that's also darned clumsy.

And I'm too clumsy to play a note with zero amplitude.

Hang on ....  As I type this, I've thought of something to try:
Mapping a button or pad on my controller to a note, on a different
channel.  That might be acceptable, if step entry allows for multiple
channel recording.  Wait here a minute.  

(Goes and tries something.)

Okay, I just did a multi-channel step recording using the entry pads
and shifting track/channel between notes.  And yes, on playback, since
I can mute tracks, that works as a way to do rests.  So if I map a
button on my controller to transmit a note on channel 16, then as long
as channel 16 is not play-enabled, that button acts as a rest.

You guys probably already knew this, I guess.  Are there ways that are
easier yet?