Sound Issue. [Please Help]

Ok, first to start off I want to tell you that I'm not the smartest person dealing with computers out there, just a teenager who likes to play video games. Ok, for a sound device i have the SB Audigy 2 ZS Audio.
I play this game, America's Army, and I remember a while back when I would join a server I would get this crackling noise. I would reconnect to the server and it would be gone. (sometimes I would have to restart my pc) After struggling with this, the case has gotten worse. I'm at the point where there is a nonstop 'crackling' noise in my headphones. I usually only use headphones but when i turn on my speakers I get the noise. In the game I play you need to communicate with other people using ventrilo, which is just a comms program. And when I talk somehow the crackling noise goes through my mic, making it hard for them to understand me. The game I play you really need good sound, and it's hard for me to hear the enemies when I'm getting this crackling noise.

-Please Reply-
Detail your replies please, I'm not so good with PCs. Thank you.

Have you tried updating the drivers? Soundblaster has a reputation for dodgy drivers, try the latest drivers on their site.

Thanks for your help... Kill.