My guess is that the Majik's processor is sensing a problem and muting the input you had selected at the time of the static discharge. Or maybe the processor is just momentarily freaking out, and going into self preservation mode :) This might also lead one to believe that the static spike is getting to the Majik through one of the interconnects, which are of course connected to its inputs, which might then cause the amp to sense an unusually high input voltage and shut off that input....... As for unusually high input voltages, here's something to think about: if you get a static spark to jump from your finger to something else, that took 20,000 VOLTS to make it happen !!! That varies a bit depending on the humidity of the air, but the threshold is around 20K volts before electricity will jump through air. So, it's really no wonder that your Majik freaks out a bit!! Fortunately, chip technology has come along quite well, to where most of them, including the current "cmos" chips, can withstand these static spikes. Just goes to show - it's the CURRENT that kills, not the voltage...... Anyway, given that high of a voltage potential, a static spike will be able to travel through virtually anything. It has already travelled through air, which is the second toughest medium for electricity - next to a vacuum - so MDF, cable insulation, rubber feet, those are all easy to traverse, if you have enough voltage behind it....
Static discharge - strange effect on amp
I know there are fairly simple solutions to avoid this problem, but I'm more interested in an explanation of the phenomenon itself. I have a Linn Majik that sits on a Sound Organization welded steel rack. In the cold season here in northern US, the air gets dry, and static electricity buildup can be a nuisance. On occasion, when I've walked over to my stereo and inadvertently discharged static buildup into the rack (that is, upon touching the steel rack, not a piece of stereo equipment), the sound from my system completely cuts out. I can get the sound back by selecting another source circuit on the Majik and then switching back to the original source. (The Majik, of course, uses solid state switches.) I'm puzzled by the fact that the static discharge affects the Majik, since it is separated from the equipment rack frame by an MDF shelf and rubber feet. Of course, interconnects and speaker cables touch the frame at points -- can these act as a pathway for the discharge? And as far as what is going on in the Majik's circuitry, I have no idea but would be curious to know. As I said, I can avoid causing this problem, but I am curious to know more about it in case it might indicate anything else about the condition of my equipment.