What's this 'salt shaker' sound my mac keeps making?

Factual Questions
1

I’m sure I’m being stupid and this is really obvious but it’s driving me slightly crazy…

I’m working on an iMac, OS Lion. Open software programmes includes Outlook, MS Word, iTunes, FontExplorer, Google Chrome, Stuffit and various packages from the Adobe Creative Suite.

There’s this sound my mac keeps making and I can only describe as if someone is holding a small salt shaker right in front of me and occasionally shaking it once.

Aaargh, what IS it? Could it be some sound Outlook makes when it periodically searches for mail and returns empty handed? Some programme which is hunting for software updates?

2

My Imac makes a sort of “salt shaker” sound when I throw something in the trash. Are you deleting a lot of items?

3

Nope, it isn’t that. It normally happens when I’m doing nothing in particular, like staring at the Dope, so it’s something going on in the background. It isn’t as loud or crunchy as the trash.

4

Is it definitely coming from the speakers or could it be an internal sound, for example, the disk performing some brief operation?

5

I ‘think’ it’s coming from the speakers, but it always catches me unawares so I’m not 100%. Like a little maraca being shaken once.

6

Mute the speakers to confirm.

7

I wondered if it might be the sound to indicate “new mail”. I checked the choices on my Mac for “new mail sounds”, though, and “salt shaker” or “maracas” weren’t among the options. Maybe your Mac has different choices.

8

I had the same problem, it’s the sound when no new mail is found.
Just go into Outlook’s preferences> Notifications & Sounds> Go under sounds and uncheck “No new messages”
and now the sound will stop, it worked for me.