Popping and crackling
You hear
Random clicks, crackles and short dropouts that are not tied to what you say.
Random crackle is usually the computer or the cable: a loose connection, mismatched sample rates, a busy CPU or a driver.
Likely causes, in order
Check them top to bottom. The room and the mic come first because no setting can remove what a closer mic or a closed door would.
| 01 · Layer | 02 · Likely cause | 03 · Fix |
|---|---|---|
| 01 · Mic | A loose or damaged cable, a bad USB port, or a USB hub in between | Reseat or swap the cable, plug the mic straight into the computer, and try a different USB port cable |
| 02 · Mic | A grounding problem makes clicks that follow mouse movement or disk activity | Try another computer, room or power supply to narrow down which part is causing it grounding |
| 03 · System | The mic and the headphones run at different sample rates | Set both to the same rate, such as 48 kHz, in your system sound settings; on Windows it is Default format under the device's Advanced settings same rate |
| 04 · System | Audio enhancements or an old audio driver add crackle | Turn off audio enhancements, then update or reinstall the audio driver driver |
| 05 · System | The CPU is busy, and the audio drops out | Close the apps you don't need during the call close apps |
| 06 · App | The app's audio mode doesn't suit your device | In Discord on Windows, switch Audio Subsystem between Standard and Legacy and test again audio subsystem |
By app
- Discord
- For Windows, Discord's troubleshooting guide suggests switching Audio Subsystem from Standard to Legacy, or back, in Voice & Video settings, and trying different USB ports for a headset or mic.
- Steam voice chat
- Valve suggests swapping to another USB or audio port, and bypassing converters, extensions or other in-between devices for a while to rule them out.
- Zoom
- Zoom's audio troubleshooting includes updating, uninstalling or reinstalling your audio drivers.
Check it with the test
Stay quiet in the first step and watch the live meter. Crackles show as single spikes that reach the Peak reading while the noise floor stays low. Move the mouse or gently wiggle the cable: if the spikes follow, the cable or a grounding problem is the cause.
Run the noise test →Questions
Q.01Why does it crackle only when the computer is busy?
RØDE says high CPU use can cause audio dropouts and popping, and that a low buffer size makes crackling more likely. Close heavy apps during calls.
Q.02Which sample rate should I pick?
Use the same one for your mic and your headphones. RØDE lists a mismatch between input and output sample rates as one of the most common causes of popping, and gives 44.1 kHz or 48 kHz as examples.
Q.03Is the crackle on my side or theirs?
If the noise test shows spikes while you are silent, it is your side. If the test is clean, the crackle is added later, by the connection or by the other person's setup.
Related problems
Checked against
Vendor help pages and manufacturer guides, last checked :
- help.rode.com · Why Is My Microphone Producing Popping Sounds?
- help.rode.com · USB Microphone Noise Troubleshooting
- support.focusrite.com · Why Is There Unwanted Hum/Noise in My Monitors?
- support.microsoft.com · Fix Distorted or Crackling Audio in Windows
- support.discord.com · Discord Voice and Video Troubleshooting Guide
- help.steampowered.com · Voice Chat Connection and Quality Issues
- support.zoom.com · Troubleshooting Audio Issues