Strange sound...

[jbassino]

Everytime (or many times) I plug any cable into my patchbay, or any equipment, sounds like a static discharge going on through my speakers .. in other words, whenever I touch a a cable tip into any equipment i hear a short "CLICK" on my speakers, and then its all fine. Its like it had static electricity and then gone... Very strange. I have my star gounding , wooden floor.. any clues?

[Speedskater]

It sounds like a DC voltage problem to me. Some units have a capacitor in their audio input or output. When wired to a patchbay (with no other connections) a small DC leakage voltage can build-up on the capacitor (it may be less than 1 Volt) when you connect another unit, the capacitor dis-charges this DC volt which sounds like static. Some units have a 1 Meg Ohm resister wired to dis-charge this DC voltage.

[jbassino]

Genius!
I will look for that then!

Many thanks

[jbassino]

Also forgot to ask:
What could be the typical piece of gear that leaks dc voltage? Any starting points?

[Speedskater]

The reason for the input and/or output coupling capacitors is to block the units internal DV power supply voltages. If a DC voltage is present on one terminal of a coupling capacitor then the other terminal of the capacitor will slowly drift to that same DC voltage. Try placing a 1 Meg or any other high value resistors temporally across the wires on one of your problem outputs on the patchbay and see if it helps.