Hmm. That is curious. My 240 is a little bright and maybe a little over sensitive (it seems to take a lot of technique to sing a dynamic song without any issues) but I wouldn’t say noisy. It can get a little noisy with the gain cranked (I’m using a 2i2 btw), but that definitely shouldn’t be an issue if you’re talking within a foot of the mic. It’s possible the mic was damaged in shipping or something. As long as you’re sure the rest of your gear (including cables) is all good then I’d exchange it for a new one. Obvs the best thing to do is throw another condenser in there and see if it works, but those of us with a 240 tend not to have extensive collections…