A great tool. CDLC is a must for intermediate/advanced players, research about it.

Counters to some of the negative reviews:
1. You don't have to use the official cable (although the price is fair versus other USB devices of the same nature). I've used both official and unofficial, I prefer the official for less latency, and consider the realtone cable a good price for what you get. If you don't have a device already, just buy the realtone. Accept the fact that instruments and their accessories will cost you some money.
2. You can tweak settings to if you have problems with audio delay or other audio issues. It can be done ingame or through the .ini file, takes only a few seconds. Audio troubleshooting often has to be done by end-user for all types of programs, just spend 1-2 minutes trying to learn. You are about to play a game about learning, have some patience.
3. DLC price is fair, keep in mind the DLC has been a steady stream of music every week since the release of the game, and includes multiple tracks including bass guitar, and quality of the charts are excellent 99% of the time.
4. Being able to sight-read everything at full speed takes some time. Don't expect instant results. After about a year or so my reading speed improved to the point where I can load just about any song, including ones I've never even heard in my life, and play right along the first time without too much trouble.
5. Music is for enjoyment, it's not a competition! Have fun!

A great tool. CDLC is a must for intermediate/advanced players, research about it. Counters to some of the negative reviews: 1. You don't have to use the official cable (although the price is fair versus other USB devices of the same nature). I've used both official and unofficial, I prefer the official for less latency, and consider the realtone cable a good price for what you get. If you don't have a device already, just buy the realtone. Accept the fact that instruments and their accessories will cost you some money. 2. You can tweak settings to if you have problems with audio delay or other audio issues. It can be done ingame or through the .ini file, takes only a few seconds. Audio troubleshooting often has to be done by end-user for all types of programs, just spend 1-2 minutes trying to learn. You are about to play a game about learning, have some patience. 3. DLC price is fair, keep in mind the DLC has been a steady stream of music every week since the release of the game, and includes multiple tracks including bass guitar, and quality of the charts are excellent 99% of the time. 4. Being able to sight-read everything at full speed takes some time. Don't expect instant results. After about a year or so my reading speed improved to the point where I can load just about any song, including ones I've never even heard in my life, and play right along the first time without too much trouble. 5. Music is for enjoyment, it's not a competition! Have fun!