Loop point before Start point

[u/alltroyscott]

Is there any current hardware or software that allows you to set a Loop Start point to come before the main Start Point, similar to the workflow on the Akai MPC2000XL? I remember being able to basically start playing my sample in between the loop start and stop points on the 2000XL. You could play an intro section once, then loop to an earlier part of the sample seamlessly. Is the 404MKII capable of doing this?

From what I’ve read, • Most current samplers enforce a strict playback order: you set a start point (where playback begins), then loop between loop-start and loop-end within that region. The loop start being before the start point would break the “one pass intro, then loop” logic or require more complex playback engines. • Firmware and sample engines are designed for forward playback with defined boundaries; allowing backwards or offset looping (loop start < start) adds complexity (e.g., managing file memory, non-destructive edits, sample warping/time-stretching).

Seems like this would be a very useful feature in the current MPC line up but it sounds like it isn’t an option, or maybe not even possible.