Upgraded a Dell Precision 5540 to Ubuntu 22.04.1. Now get constant loud static when using the microphone. All other audio works fine but microphone on Cheese/Zoom/Google.meet has so much static as to make communication impossible.

Hello, jimf123 & welcome to LQ.

You should really give us more details How_To_Ask_a_Question

With Zoom, you have to disable any 'automatic adjustment' settings, and set it yourself. There's noise on all signals, and you cannot set above a certain amplification because you're amplifyimng the noise. Most soundcards are low-fi devices. In both Zoom and pavucontrol, there are volume meters and when you're not speaking, you have to have the microphone signal at pretty near zero. I got guided by friends over zoom["Is this too loud?" ... "Is this any better?" etc.], then set it that way.

Does noise stay constant when you adjust gain with pavucontrol?

Unless I shut the mic volume off using pavucontrol there is always some noise. With the input control at about 50% (-17db) in pavucontrol the input volume bar is pinned. This is with complete silence.

Sounds like faulty hardware to me. Sorry to be the bearer of bad tidings, but if you're hearing noise before you hear voice, that's hardware trouble.

You don't need zero on the volume meters. You need a level low enough not to be a nuisance. That's why zoom is a good test. What frequency is your noise at, if any?

What is your issue - do people on the other end suddenly started complaining, or you started hearing static on your end that wasn't there before? If the latter, perhaps the static was always there and the reason is that your audio started mixing the microphone into the output. It can be fixed by selecting an audio profile without mixing - the one which doesn't have '...+input' in its name.