The Realistic Concertmate-500 is a sampling keyboard that is the same keyboard as the Casio SK-1, but is under a different name as this was sold at Radio Shack (Realistic was a Radio Shack brand). The Concertmate-500 is pretty hard to find, at least more hard to find than the SK-1 is. Although I haven't used the two of them side by side, as far as I know they're the same exact keyboards with the same controls and all. It's got a built in mic for sampling purposes and the sampling is just 8 bit, so it's pretty down and dirty. I don't know the connections that it has off the top of my head, but all you really need to know is that you can take a signal out of it when necessary.

UTILIZATION

The Realistic Concertmate-500 has a number of features beyond the sampling, but I've really only used it for the sampler. It does have a number of built in sounds and drum loops, all of which are incredibly cheesy. However, navigating around it's setting controls isn't difficult at all as it's all in layman's terms and after playing around with it for a little while users should be able to become accustomed to it. I don't think the manual is necessary, but one should be readily available if needed.

OVERALL OPINION

Again, beyond the sampler itself, the sounds on the Realistic Concertmate-500 are deifnitely pretty cheesy, but I can see them being useful in situations where you might be looking for some cheesy synth sounds. Of course almost everyone is going to be using the Concertmate-500 for it's sampler, and that's definitely where this is going to be most useful. Even though the sampler only takes in what you give it at an 8 bit and 9 kHz rate, it's kind of part of it's charm...