Editing USB (section)

=== MIDI ===
The ''USB Device Class Definition for MIDI Devices'' transmits Music Instrument Digital Interface ([[MIDI]]) music data over USB.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.usb.org/sites/default/files/midi10.pdf |title=Universal Serial Bus Device Class Definition for MIDI Devices |website=usb.org |date=1 November 1999 |access-date=21 July 2021 |archive-date=2 November 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211102080622/https://www.usb.org/sites/default/files/midi10.pdf |url-status=live}}</ref> The MIDI capability is extended to allow up to sixteen simultaneous ''virtual MIDI cables'', each of which can carry the usual MIDI sixteen channels and clocks.

USB is competitive for low-cost and physically adjacent devices. However, Power over Ethernet and the [[MIDI]] plug standard have an advantage in high-end devices that may have long cables. USB can cause [[ground loop (electricity)|ground loop]] problems between equipment, because it connects ground references on both transceivers. By contrast, the MIDI plug standard and [[Ethernet]] have built-in isolation to {{gaps|500|V}} or more.