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

I've been looking to put some of the MIDI B channels to work as 
locations for presets that I just activate via the trigger buttons 
with latch enabled, but I've run into a problem.  It seems that with 
the current XX-7 software, a preset on a channel will only change 
with a pattern when there is some note data for it on one of the 16 
tracks.  So here's my problem:  I want to be able to use a different 
preset with my first 4 B channels so I can but pads and sfx and stuff 
on them and just latch them on and forget about them, not having to 
take up a track or one of the A channels.  I have track 16 setup to 
control my sampler on channel 16B, so I tried putting some notes down 
on all B channels 1 - 4 (track 16 is MultiB).  This works as far as 
pattern switching goes, but I can still hear the notes play, even at 
1 velocity and zero length.  How can I change my B channel presets 
along with my patterns without having to put down note data?  Is 
there another way around this?  Along the same lines, how do most 
people on the forum take advantage of the MIDI B channels?

Thanks in advance.

sapo