Q: Robotic Static Sounds USB Headset

I still have this problem with two different USB Audio Sticks in 10.8.2. I tried a Speedlink stick (Robotic sound after about two hours) and a new Mac certified Terratec Aureon USB Stick (Robot voice after 30 minutes).

I called Apple Support today but they said, that it's a third party problem and the only thing I can do is contact the manufacturer. So I opened a ticket to Terratec...

I would really like to go on using my Sennheiser PC 151 =/

Btw, anyone tried the Griffin iMic2 in OS X Mountain Lion?

Well, I have a similar problem with MacOS 10.7.5 + Mac Pro + USB mike built in Apple Cinema Display + Quicktime X.

It worked. Then it became garbled. I have not found even a workaround yet (have not tried a reboot).

OMG, I just dont believe. Is this a problem from 2009? We are already at 2013! And we still have the same problem. I really dont believe that....

I have the same problem on my MacBook Pro 13"(mid 2010) and on my iMac 21"(mid 2012) to. No solutions were given to us by Apple yet.. I tried that substitution Kext solution, but the passed link does not work...

I am using Mac OSX 10.8.2 and like I said... problem still here... That happened to me while I am using Skype, Ventrillo or even World of Warcraft game.

I have a Sharkoon Xtatic True Digital 5.1 Headset connected by Optical cable and USB to the external sound card. I already tested on Mac mic built in, but the same problem is there... I really dont know what to do, but I guess there is nothing to do.

Apple, please, just fix this!!

Still. New Mac Mini, new MacBook Air 2013, 10.8.2.

still.

All USB Audio.

Still!!

I just bought a Logitech H390 to use with Dragon dictate after reading positive reviews on Amazon.  I've found a way to get it to function with most applications. Opening Garage Band and leaving it open will usually fix it.  One way to test whether its gone haywire is to click the volume up or down. If the feedback sound is normal its OK, if not try opening a new Garage B voice project. This combined with setting the Midi to 44100.0 Hz keeps most things running.

Dragon Dictate still fouls up as soon as you get to the volume training part of the setup.  If you leave Garage Band on the mic doesn't register at all with Dragon.  So I'm stumped there. Mac Dictation works OK but is very innaccurate so its not worth the hassel.

I had problems just as you all describe. Robotic voice after a while.

However, after switching my cheap 20 bucks USB soundcard for a Creative Labs SoundBlaster Recon3D all my problems are gone. I do believe the cheaper X-Fi will also work.

So while part of the problem might be Apples, I also think you need to turn to the manufacturer and get them to update their firmwire or find another sound card.

i've changed several macs and several headphones, and have the same problem. for a while it works fine and then my voice start becoming robotic, it brakes up and sounds metallic. I can hear fine, but others cannot understand me. The same is wehn recoding videos. After a while the quality is just bad. Unplug and replug the USB and every thing is again fine for the next 10-20 minutes. It started just after moving to Lion (now Moutain Lion).

So this thread that started in 2009 is still living. I have had problems with static using two different USB Plantronics headsets over the past couple of years, and it has been extremely aggravating.

One of the early responses from 2009 reported a fix using the Audio MIDI Setup app and changing the sampling rate from 48,000 Hz to 44,100 Hz. That method did not initially work for me, but changing from 1ch-8 bit to 1ch-16 bit input makes that static disappear and the mic is clear as a bell.  I also made the same change yesterday on a 2006 MacBook Pro that was having the same problem with the USB headset, and voila, clear sound. 

I am not sure why there are such continuing problems with this sound issue, but the Audio MIDI Setup adjustment was an easy fix to a very annoying and persistent problem.

MacBook Pro 15", Mid 2012,  2.6 GHz Intel Core i7   8 GB 1600 MHz DDR3  OS X 10.8.3

MacBook Pro 15" Late 2006   2.16 GHz Intel   2 GB   OS X 10.7

George Glaser1,

I don't know how you do it, but I can NOT change from 1ch-16 to 1ch-8 or back. All I can change is from 44.1MHz to 48MHz.

Where and how do you do it? Would you mind sharing some images?

OSX 10.8.3 here.

Morph21,

As a result of your post I did some further testing. The results from my report of the other day hold up. In testing with another headset this morning, I found that the settings in the Audio MIDI setup window are dependent on the headset type (duh). I have a second headset obtained from Nuance when I upgraded my DragonDictate. The only settings offered for that set are inputs of 48,000 Hz and 2 channel 16-bit integer. That set has always worked fine with no static.

My post from a couple of days ago was based on difficulties with a Plantronics DSP 500 gaming headset, with input options ranging from 48,000 to 6400.0 Hz, and three options on the channel and bit settings. I retested this morning and had the same "static" results when shifting back to 1 ch-8 bit input. With 16 bit input, all is well.

Hope this helps.

Yes it does, thank you.

Is there any list of Headsets that actually work without any work around?

That would be nice, since Apple does not care about this issue.

I am not aware of a list like the one you mention. The "work around," in this case is not any more difficult than setting up your preferences for how you like to use an application.

After countless attempts to fix this problem (I make let's plays of video games so staticy audio is a no go for me), I don't think I really found a solution, but a bit of information. I believe it really depends on what type of microphone you are using.

Let me explain, I am using a late 2011 MBP 13 inch i7 running 10.8.3 Mountain Lion. I have two different USB microphones, one of my mics is a pair of Tritton AX 720's (older model) and the other is a pair of SteelSeries Siberia V2 Frost edition. Whenever I use my Trittons (on anything that records audio such as skype, quicktime, camtasia, etc.) after about 5 minutes there is terrible static and I sound like a robot. This is not the case with my steelseries headset, I have never experienced any static problems with them.

Maybe the problem with my Trittons is that they run through a decoder box? But I am not necesarily sure of that.

I can also debunk the USB hub theory, as far as I can tell USB hubs really have no effect on whether your microphone will cause static or not, I get the same results plugged into a hub as I do plugged directly into my MBP. The results are the same on all of the hubs I own (An HDE 4 port hub, a Targus 4 port hub, and my cooler master laptop cooler has a hub as well).

Changing settings in audio midi also has no effect for me.

All in all, I believe that certain USB microphones sound crystal clear on mac, as others have difficulties and cause static.

Also I do have a question, If I were to get windows 7/parallels and were to run windows, would the static problem persist when I am on the windows partition running things like skype?

MrSantana wrote:

 

Also I do have a question, If I were to get windows 7/parallels and were to run windows, would the static problem persist when I am on the windows partition running things like skype?

MrSantana,

TLDR: yes, it will work without a problem.

The way it works is on a Mac is:

device --> Kernel space (including the .kext modules) --> published device to applications

In Windows, it works exactly the same way:

device --> Kernel space (including drivers) --> published device to applications

Windows might add some additional layers after, but that is irrelevant now.

What most people complain, and me included, is that if you look at that map I just made above, the problem all started back in 10.5, when they changed the USB architecture and some headsets stopped working from before to after patch, and that is why we believe they (Apple) could fix the USBAudio modules.

What you'll notice, if you install windows in a VM or directly through bootcamp, is that the static noise is not reproduced there. Through a VM, you have to choose to plug the USB device only to the VM, otherwise it won't work properly.