Realtek integrated audio + Dynex USB headset = static microphone?

[tgp1994]

Hi there everyone.

I've had this Dynex headset for a long time, and it has never given me any problems. It has a single earpiece on the side with the microphone, and connects to my computer through USB. My computer has an integrated Realtek chip, model ALC888. (The dynex headset appears to have a model number of 8K17A, although I would assume that's incorrect since google doesn't bring any results.)

Anyhow, pluging my new XBox 360 pc controller, and starting up Ventrillo, users tell me that they can't understand me over the static that's coming from my microphone. A little surprised, I closed ventrillo and opened Audacity, and began monitoring my microphone. Sure enough, it was generating static, albeit the weirdest kind I have ever heard.

My first step in trouble shooting was to check the connection. I tried a different USB port; no luck. I checked the wire itself, that didn't fix it either. I tried it in an entirely different computer, and it worked, so it must be something wrong with this computer.

I then tried uninstalling all USB Audio Device drivers relating to this headset (hidden or otherwise), and then redectecting it. No luck. Even a restart didn't fix it.

I would use Windows Restore, however I disabled it due to low disk space and the fact that I would never need it (till now).

If anyone has any kind of advanced system troubleshooting I can use to figure out what may be causing this static to occur, that would be great.

Here's some info:

• OS: Windows XP Home SP3 (for both the working computer and the faulty one)
• Soundchip: Realtek High Definition Integrated Audio, model ALC888 (driver version 5.10.0.6235 on 11/2/2010)
• DirectX: Version 9.0c 4.09.0000.0904
• Information regarding the Dynex headset: Device id of Vid_0d8cPid_000cRev_0100MI_00, Mfg and Product IDs of 65535, type WDM, driver name usbaudio.sis, version 5.01.2600.5512, date 4/13/2008, provided by Microsoft

Something I noticed during all of this is that all windows UI sounds are playing at a lower pitch for some reason. Other audio, like playing music, plays at the correct pitch.

No effects are enabled in the realtek control panel, nor are any microphone effects.

A sample file of me saying "hello" twice, then blowing air across the microphone is attached. The archive is a bzip2 file in disguise.

Merry Christmas everyone, and thanks for any help.

Dynex product page is here.

[recovering disk space - old attachment deleted by admin]

[Geek-9pm]

Get a plain microphone and plug it into the sound card mic input. Forget about using the USB microphone.

[tgp1994]

Get a plain microphone and plug it into the sound card mic input. Forget about using the USB microphone.

Why? It was working fine up till this point. Anyways, the only microphone of that type that I have is a ~17 year old Macintosh mic. Isn't there anything I can do to get this working again?

And I also downloaded the Realtek 2.55 driver update; still same problem, although now the audio almost sounds like 8-bit sounds, and it stutters a lot.

[tgp1994]

It turns out that the Realtek drivers were in fact messing my USB Audio device's microphone.

I uninstalled the realtek drivers, cleaned them off, and even disabled the chipset for it. After booting into windows, my mic sounds perfectly clear through my headset.

I'll try RE-installing the realtek drivers, and see how that goes.

Edit: It seems the problem has been fixed by installing these older realtek drivers.

[Geek-9pm]

Glad I was able to help you.   

[tgp1994]

Glad I was able to help you.   

You were certainly leading in the right direction

[Geek-9pm]

Yes, This is a common problem.
Here is a quote I abridged.

...what I guess is a conflict of some sort.. .. I am trying to make an external sound card ... work.  ...I do nothing else it will then play sound from, say, an MP3 file but it is distorted with pops and crackles.   

... I re-installed anything that i thought could conflict, same result.
I suspect a conflict as I tried the USB card on another computer and it was fine.

I am not going to credit that site cause they won't give the answer unless you subscribe... and the answer can be found elsewhere.

But you found the answer yourself. Good for you.
On You Tube there are a number of video tutorials on installing sound devices in Windows. At least one is about multiple devices.