Audio drop-outs/stutters using audio-interface, happens with OBS Studio only

Operating System Info

Windows 10

Other OS

No response

OBS Studio Version

27.0.1

OBS Studio Version (Other)

No response

OBS Studio Log URL

https://obsproject.com/logs/lM41QUmjbXR5bb-n

OBS Studio Crash Log URL

No response

Expected Behavior

Audio flow should be without any stutters

Current Behavior

Audio drop-outs/stutters using audio-interface, happens with OBS Studio only

Steps to Reproduce

Every time I record/stream with audio-interface, both "desktop" audio and input (mic) audio track constantly and randomly (every 3-5 minutes) drops out for a short period of time, which sounds like stutter or click.

Anything else we should know?

While using audio-interface Behringer UMC204HD with OBS Studio, audio (both microphone and windows audio tracks) constantly and randomly (every 3-5 minutes) drops out for a short period of time, which sounds like stutter or click. On the spectrogram it looks like this:

https://i.imgur.com/oLhlLQd.png

Most of the time the length of these drop-outs is 20 ms.

These steps were taken in order to localize the issue:

trying different USB-cables
trying different USB-ports, as well as self-powered USB-hubs
running OBS with Admin privileges
trying different OS, PC, notebook
setting different sample rates (44100/48000)
trying different windows audio optimizing guides (High Performance mode, disabling USB power management etc.)
routing everything through Voicemeeter Banana in every kind of way (I promise I tried everything in there)
routing mic signal via VB-cable through Reaper

In OBS:

trying different codec (x264, NVENC), FPS, way of audio capture (settings vs source)
trying ASIO capture plugin
trying ffmpeg with WAV (PCM) as audio codec

...and many many other things that I already forgot. But I promise, I tried A LOT.

Now let's look at situations when this DOESN'T happen:

while recording in a DAW (Reaper, Adobe Audition, Audacity / ASIO, WASAPI, MME)
while recording in XSPLIT (!!!) ...and the most interesting:
while recording in OBS Classic !!!!!! huh??? I guess this might be some algorithm/codec/core process of OBS studio (which apparently absent in Classic version). What could that be?

After all these tests I plugged in my Blue Yeti USB microphone - same issue. Audio drop-outs while using OBS Studio. Then I managed to find another interface (borrowed an ancient M-Audio Fast Track from a friend). Same again. Another thing. One time I was able to reproduce and intensify these particular 20ms drop-outs by messing up sample rates (48000 in one setting and 44100 in another). Maybe this suggests something in OBS recording/encoding/syncing algorithms makes audio-device to re-switch its sample rate?

What's going on here?

I was on the brink of buying another interface, but now I understand there's zero point doing that.

There were quite a few topics about same issue, with this one most similar to mine: https://obsproject.com/forum/threads/audio-dropouts-when-recording.123058/

My system is Windows 10 21H1 and CPU - i7 7700K.

Thank you

obsproject / obs-studio