So, I've owned a coupla keyboards. Both of them used that standard midi jack with the circle and little dashes inside. I bought CW MC3 and it came with a MIDI I/O-to-USB cable. Additionally, my Roland BOSS has a MIDI Out jack like that.
But recently I've been seeing that MIDI devices use the USB A to B as a standard. 
When did that change? Why did they change it? I guess there wasn't much cause not to, but why?

I purchased my USB Midisport 8x8/s about three computers ago must be eight plus years?  Before M-Audio purchased them

Everything is going USB. 

The old 5 pin din connection for midi is going away and USB is moving in. 

Heck, you can connect the keyboard synth directly to the computer via USB port and not need the interface for midi..... all you need is the audio interface....which is also USB.

In the alarm biz, which I;m in, all the newest panels coming out are USB direct for programming..... I used to have to use a dial up modem and connect it to the phone line or a special port. Now it's USB..... so much easier and the data is flowing faster. 

Um, just curious since I still own a LOT of MIDI cables, are there converters so you can still use these or are they now obsolete?

re there converters so you can still use these or are they now obsolete?

There are adapters and they are pretty cheap. It requires more than a simple cable, but a USB device that either loads its own drivers or you will need separate drivers since the computer will have to know that it is MIDI data coming in the USB port.


somenthing like this:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=9SIA0U008R0078

Cool, thanks.

MIDI ports didn't really go to USB ports.  the MIDI standard has not changed (in 30 years!).  the manufacturers of keyboards are simply including the MIDI/USB adapters like slart has linked to INSIDE the keyboards.

I would be seriously surprised if you'll find a "professional" keyboard without traditional MIDI I/O ports in addition to the USB port.  Why?  because professional live players tend to use more than one keyboard and that requires MIDI Merge or at least MIDI Thru for the use of MIDI channels to control different keyboards.

the "consumer" type keyboards have done away with MIDI I/O ports and left only a USB port because the consumer type user doesn't typically need to control more than one channel and they typically just connect the keyboard up to a computer which would require the adapter if the manufacturer didn't include the adapter in the keyboard.