I have the same problem (crackling sound) on input! When I record to Garage Band i get a loud crackling sound every 40sec to 1min.
I get this when using Elgato Wave XLR with podmic from Røde. When I use another mic (like the headset mic) I don't get this problem.
Have tried the aggregate device trick, to no avail. It's a serious problem as I record a podcast! This crackling sound is awful!
Model Identifier: MacBookPro16,2
Processor Name: Quad-Core Intel Core i7
Processor Speed: 2,3 GHz