This is almost certainly a conflict in audio plugins. Particularly if you're on the M1. BlackHole, BoomAudio, any number of chat apps, take your pick. They get unstable over time since the permissions allocation has changed with the Silicone Macs (I'm typing this from one now).
Solution:
1. Kill the coreaudiod process.
FROM TERMINAL
sudo killall coreaudiod
(this does the following: acting as an admin (superuser: do) kills all the processes named coreaudiod. You will likely have to enter your system password.)
FROM FINDER
Open Activity Monitor, find coreaudiod, and force-quit it.
2. Remove the plug-ins in question. The easiest way to do so is to drop into your /Library/Audio/Plug-Ins/HAL folder and simply delete the contents* (these are plug-ins, not core operating files. This won't hurt your Mac).
*NOTE: You may find that the plugins are shielded from you/you do not have the rights to delete them. If so, use one of the following processes:
FROM TERMINAL
cd /Library/Audio/Plug-Ins/HAL && sudo rm -R ./*
(this does the following: changes your current directory to your plugins folder, then acting as an admin (superuser: do) removes -Recursively from within in the current folder (./): everything (*). You will likely have to enter your system password.)
FROM FINDER
a. Go to the /Library/Audio/Plug-Ins/ folder, select the HAL folder therein, and open the info dialog (⌘+i)
b. Click the 🔒 in the bottom right, and enter your system password.
c. Click the ⊞ button in the bottom left.
d. Select your account name. Hit the blue Select button.
e. Next to where your name appears in the list, click the ⬍next to your name and select Read and Write
NOW delete them.
3. Restart your system, OR
FROM TERMINAL
sudo launchctl kickstart -k system/com.apple.audio.coreaudiod
(this does the following: acting as an admin (superuser: do) launches the controlling daemon to re-kickstart (making sure to -kill any copies already running) the system/ com.mand for apple.'s audio. controller, coreaudiod, the same one we killed at the beginning.)
WHAT ALL THIS IS DOING REALLY
Your plugin is fighting with MacOS over who has control of your audio. You are forcefully killing the running process, deleting the files that explain to the plug-in how it works (so if it/something else tries to relaunch it again it will fail), then restarting the audio process (either by restarting the system, or manually telling MacOS to relaunch it again as though it just booted).
DISCLAIMER
Fair warning: you may have to reinstall one or more of your chat/videoconference apps after this procedure.
