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

I've been getting to know my XL-7 and I am having a blast.  It is my first hardware sequencer.  I really like how it is set up for instant gratification.  I've been able to create some really satisfying patterns without having to dive into effect or creating sounds.  I can't wait to, but it's been nice being able to learn one feature at a time and still have something I enjoy playing around with.

I read the manual cover to cover, yeah right!!  It is deeeep, I have read enough to get well started.  I appreciate the very in-depth manual, but that makes it tough to find solutions to specific problems.

How can I double or half the tempo of a track or entire pattern?  I recorded 4 bars and want to squeeze it into two.

The one thing that bugs me a bit is the need to use the cursor so much.  With multi-setups, can I setup a creative workstation where each knob in the 4x4 grid represents something different in the display?  I'm hoping if the knob is tweaked the value changes for a specific parameter (track number, track length, measure, ect.) without having to move the underscore with the cursor buttons.

Thanks
Bob