Need Microphone Help

[Aheda]

This isn't really a DDO Question, but it would help with my DDO gameplay.

Here's the deal.
My microphone WAS working. Settings everything were tuned up real sweet. I was real happy with it, my party members weren't (when i started singing that is).

Problem is, this morning when i woke up. My microphone keeps picking up a very loud static sound. And it just won't stop picking that sound up.

I attached a screenshot of a hardware test i did. Note that the microphone meter is PERMANENTLY at that level. When i do the Mic test in DDO, i get 1 second of the lowest possible bar. Then it suddenly blasts and goes perma-clip.. damaging my hearing in the process.

I've tried using my microphone with DDO, MSN and TeamSpeak.. all wielding the same results. I'm not sure if my microphone is picking up ANY sound at all because nobody is willing to listen through that massive static for any trace of my manly voice. And shouting into the microphone doesn't increase the meter in the hardware sound test at all.

I've tried the following.

Re-installing my drivers
Changing my settings, even restoring them to default.
A BRAND NEW MICROPHONE (zZZzZ There goes 15 bucks)
Changing the default input device in both Windows and DDO and different combinations of both (Audio/Digital)

My only leads now are
Static issues
Microphone Port is dead.

For the microphone port i doubt its the issue. Since it IS picking up some form of sound.. I just don't know what it is.
As for the Static issues.. someone told me that it could be because the microphone is picking up static from my PC. Which i think makes sense, though i have no idea how to go about fixing it.

Anyway, making this thread here hoping that somebody knows what's going on, or better yet, has been through this before, managed to fix it and is going to rescue me now.

In the meantime, i'll have to leave it at push to talk i guess

Update: I just realized its the soundcard which is the problem and not anything else.. So i'll just have to find one and change to that. I guess this makes this thread is useless.

[Strakeln]

Probably your soundcard.

Just being a tool, I read the last line of your post.

[blakbyrd]

Out of curiosity, is your sound "card" actually on-board audio, built onto your motherboard?

If so, as mentioned, obtaining a real sound card will probably correct your problem. I've experienced many problems with the recording (mic) parts of on-board audio in the past on many brands of motherboards that do what you are stating.

[Rouge]

switch your microphone to the "Line-in" (usually blue) port and change where your mic input is to line-in and see if you get the same problem.