Question Microphone is producing static sound through monitoring ?

Feb 14, 2023
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(tl;dr at the end)

Hi all,
Starting in late December 2022 I started noticing a sort of "static" sound produced by my microphone that was very noticeable while using low latency monitoring on my Blue Yeti Nano. This static sound was also audible in recordings, but only if I max out the gain and boost the sound of the recording by a significant margin, said recording is available here (excuse the background noise, a ton came through due to boosting).

The static sound could be altered by physically moving the cable to my headphones (Philips SHP9600, received on December 29th, the day the problem started) and could even be stopped temporarily if positioned correctly. So obviously, the first thing I did was to first try a separate aux cable, and then a separate pair of headphones, but no dice. After that, I began attempting to move the USB that is plugged into the mic to different ports on my PC as well as getting a new power cable, but still no dice.

Another strange behavior observed after this problem started is that sometimes when I would stand up and reposition myself, it would randomly make a quick pop sound, followed by all volume being seemingly reduced in half, as well as the microphone no longer picking up audio until I unplug and replug it in. Another (and frankly the worst) of the behaviors, is that during one random moment, and one time joining a discord call the microphone would output this horrendous loud continuous beep sound, destroying my ears (via monitoring) as well as anyone else who was in that call until I disconnected the mic.
Now back to the mention of the headphones being received on the same day as the problem started, using a different pair of headphones doesn't make it go away. On top of that, not even a different mic made it go away, I got a replacement from the (incredibly unhelpful Blue support) and that had the same problem. I also bought a HyperX DuoCast and QuadCast S, the DuoCast was inconclusive, as the monitoring volume was so insanely low there was no way to tell, and it persists on the Quadcast S as well.
Here is a list of everything I have attempted thus far:
  • Different Aux cable (x3)
  • Different pair of headphones
  • Different microphone (x3)
  • Different power cable (x4)
  • Moving USB to different parts of the PC, as well as two different hubs
  • Using a different OS
  • Testing while the computer is off, but mic is still receiving power
I'm pretty much out of ideas at this point, any ideas?
tl;dr
My Blue Yeti Nano began producing a "static" sound that is very noticeable through mic monitoring and can only be noticed in recordings via boosting gain and the clip volume by a lot. Moving the headphones' (Philips SHP9600) aux cable can worsen or improve the static temporarily. There are also random rare moments where the microphone outputs a continuous loud beeping sound until disconnected. I have attempted all of the steps above this tl;dr, any ideas?
 

Ralston18

Titan
Moderator
Update your post to include full system hardware specs and OS information.

Include PSU: make, model, wattage, age, condition (original to build, new, refurbished, used)?

And to be clear: all of the various cables, headphones, mic's etc. worked without problems in other computers and audio devices - correct?

The "standup pop" might be from static electricity generated by your movement.

The one constant, overall, being the host PC.

Take a closer look.

Power down, unplug, open the case.

Clean out dust and debris.

Verify by sight and feel that all connectors, cards, RAM, jumpers, and case connectors are fully and firmly in place.

Use a bright flashlight to inspect for any signs of damage: bare conductor showing, melted insulation, cracked connectors, pinched or kinked wires, browned or blackened areas, swollen components, loose or missing screws, sagging GPU, cracked solder joints, scratched traces, corrosion - anything that does not look right. Check all internal slots and ports.

Pay close attention to the I/O panel and USB ports. Inside and out. Look inside the ports.

Likely some intermittent faulty or failing component is involved. Maybe a short circuit is involved.

Getting worse and the effects are becoming more apparent.