aahh, thats a good idea. so i literally plock the steps that are always there and on the scene i have the whole track muted. now i fade them in with another scene that blends them in. thanks for that hint mate! will try this out on the weekend when i have some time again.
and also - thanks for telling me that my OT isnt malfunctioning
you get so used to how the recent machines behave that you have some trouble when you go back from time to time 
thx!