John - do this:

1. Keep your display page ON
2. Go the pads as they show up on the screen
3. press pad 1 (for example)
4. choose a pad sound
5. play pad 1 and you should have what you chose
6. you must save the pads in the songbook, or they'll revert back to the default ones.

extremely easy.

also - you can change volumes, pans, etc in the menu button under pads.

if you have two pads playing at the same time and want to cancel just one, hold down the pad button and the one you want to cancel.

good luck