If a rat dies near a steam pipe, the body wonât dry and the smell can be horrible for weeks. The odor from a dead mouse may last only a day or two. In fact, there may be no noticeable odor from a single dead mouse but several dead mice in the same area could smell for a few days.
Another source of crackling to look at, is the aluminum foil on the amps. This foil is supposed to shield RF and other extraneous noise. But most times all it does is cause unwanted noises. The foil does not make good contact with the chassis and will cause crackling that can come and go. Loose components can also cause some crackling or even the signal dropping out. Some components to look at are pots, jacks, transformers and mechanically connected grounds.
This is why your ears pop. Sometimes people suffering from ETD get crackling noises in their ears or deafness. The deafness is usually temporary and is as a result of the normal flexible ear drum, or tympanic membrane, becoming stiff as a result of the increased pressure behind it. The ear drum is therefore unable to move when a sound wave hits it and so the sound is muffled when it is heard. The crackling is due to the mucus moving within the middle ear. It is the blockage of the Eustachian tube that causes pain in the ears when flying as the changes in air pressure make it difficult for the pressure across the ear drum to equalise. This causes the ear drum to be stretched, which is painful.