Last issues to full awesome linux transition from windows, maybe all Skype being the problem.

#1 Mic disappears. Sometimes it just loses the mic even though it's still selected in skype config. I can config the mic with alsamixer and the mixer thru XFCE but it doesn't hear anything.

#2 Skype closes itself randomly when I recieve calls or when I open up Rhythmbox sometimes. Self explanatory and don't know what that is all about. Read somewhere something about the sounds being the problem and disabling them to fix the auto close but didn't resolve for me. Maybe still sound issue though?

#3 Occasionally after running my Rhythmbox for awhile wheen I go into skype to make a call it has forgotten the settings for output devices. No sound at all until I change them back to sysdefault in this case.

#4 Scratchy staticy sound when system volume is above a certain point. Get this with everything, running movies, music, skype. I can mitigate this by turning down system volume and bumping my speakers up but then I get a light buzz from the speakers. Either way would prefer to elimnate scratchy stuff altogether.

Could this maybe be due to wheezy, stable but dated a bit. With newest skype minor incompatabilities. Might upgrading to Jessie be the thing to do here? Tried jitsi but it froze soon as I opened it.

AMD 1055t x6 @ 2.8ghz
4gb Corsair Ram
500gb main HDD with windows 7 c:\ & debian partition. 1tb HDD with general storage d:\ and linux swap.
ATI HD 5770 Video Card 1gb ram
Gigabyte 880gm-usb3 mobo
Cooler Master 750 watt psu, dont recall exact make.

Skype seems to be getting worse and worse since you-know-who took it over. For the mic, I'd suggest opening Audacity. Click the record button and see if it records correctly (you'll see a sound wave forming as you stream along). If the mic works normally then look at the mic setting on Audacity and apply that to Skype. That usually fixes it.
jdk