You need to be much more specific; remember, we weren't there and don't know what you are thinking or what you remember.
You said...
the
mac was not plugged in to anything and the
mackie was plugged into his
crown [power amplifier]. everything was off
Some of this might help deduce the problem; walk through it with me:
- The iMac was not plugged in. What wasn't it plugged in to - microphones, AC
power,
etc. - we need specifics.
- The
Mackie was plugged into the
Crown power amplifier.
You also said...
when he plugged in the firewire to the
mac a load pop was heard
- Where did the pop come from? Main speakers,
monitor wedges, computer speakers? This leads me to believe the
amplifier was on; there is a proper procedure for powering up gear (peripherals first, then outboard and
console, then
system processing, then amps).
Then you said...
and no marks anywhere. then the
mac wouldnt turn on.
- Well, I wouldn't expect any marks, unless the heat from whatever is happening causes some plastic/metal to singe, burn, or warp.
- Which time was this? You mentioned in your first post that your friend's laptop had to be replaced 3 times and the firewire card needed to be replaced after the last incident; does the computer ALSO need to be replaced again?
Specifics, specifics, specifics. Imagine that you are talking to a tech support person on the phone and they ask for SPECIFIC details about what occurred. Write like that and get back to us.